Fork me please.

[dezman]

 

[dezman]

A sluice fork and gee they are hard to find, I was going to get a stainless one and have extra tines welded on. But I was lucky on shopping day in tamworth for there were a few garage sales on, $20 is a great buy.

 

[dezman]

 

[dezman]

Me trying out the new tool in swamp creek, 'I'm chasing gold today with an eye out for sapphires' and it works great. Up to a dozen stones in a go, it cleans up the bottom ready to feed the sluice with prescreened material.

 

[dezman]

 

[dezman]

I setup the sluice on top of a rock bar and did not expect it to go so deep in front of it, which was a good surprise. I also found some clay on top of the smooth bedrock that made for good shovelling, I can see a few days work here.

 

[dezman]

 

[dezman]

My days work, well the morning anyway for how can anyone move rocks all day? But I go hard while I'm fresh first up. This is the rough gold I picked out and I'm sure there is more hidden away in the cons. Which are so thick that most of this gold was floating in it! I must find a good way to process the cons one day for its adding up. I was pleased when I panned the last foot of the sluice and not a speck to be seen, as for sapphires well there was some very bright small red stones that I take for rubies! Still waiting to buy a black light.

 

[HeadsUp]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1018/1381294829_image.jpg

very sexy . how much weight in those ?

awesome for a days work . i am lucky if i get 1 - 3 grams in a day in my local hole

 

[dezman]

I'm lucky I can't weigh them for I'd be disappointed with the outcome! Headsup, they look bigger in the picture. But I must say it looking up for my gold fossicking in this new spot.

 

[Pr2cv]

Where is swamp creek,-----not the exact spot obviously ,but the general area would be nice to know
Thanks,
Pete

 

[Rodstar]

Hi Dezman, I like the fork that must make life a bit easier. Congrats on the gold you must be stoked!!
Rod

 

[Nugget]

Interesting set-up you've got going on there dezman, and a nice looking spot too. I think I might have to invest in one of these sluice forks you speak of :lol:

 

[Ag Man]

Uhm, I got one of them(or very similar anyhow)- I use it as a mulch fork - works great!

My theory though is that it picks up all the mulch & any sand or small gravels will fall thru & not end up in my trailer when loading it...

I may be wrong & not sure how one uses a sluice fork but I'd be thinking you'd be losing gold by it falling thru the tines.
Picking up rocks & leaving the gold bearing gravels in the creek is what I think it'd do.

Although you do have some nice gold in your pan!

I'd love to know the theory behind it

 

[Heatho]

Fork yeah!

 

[Nugget]

I'm guessing it's used more as a sieve or rake, discarding the larger rocks (out of your hole) more quickly leaving behind only the smaller material for panning / sluicing. But in that case the name sluice fork might need a little rethinking :lol:

 

[Danielkrupski]

I think he uses it as a classifier then gets a shovel to get the fines

 

[Nugget]

Yeah that's what I meant classifier, not sieve

 

[dezman]

Oh it's called a sluice fork for clearing out a sluice of the bigger rocks! Made to fit the width and run over the top of the riffles which were placed close together. I find large stones tough on shovelling and to numerous to pick out by hand easily. This way the gold washes of the rocks back to the bottom waiting to be shovelled into the sluice.

 

[HeadsUp]

i usually pick out the bigger rocks by hand and then shovel the gravels

diving gloves or work gloves with rubber pads are the go otherwise you rip your fingers and nails to bits

when you finish shovelling the gravel use a crevicing pump to get the fine sand and gold that will always be right at the bottom

it usually sits there giggling at you coz most people miss that last layer

hehe