I use a Keene A52 Sluice box (48" x 10"). I am currently using: Raised Expanded Metal, Miners Moss and Deep V Matting. I run 1/4" material. I am not overloading the box. Maybe a handful every 10 seconds or so. It seems I should be recovering more fine gold but i'm not. I have decent water flow and a good pitch of the box.
I hear a lot of people stating that Miners Moss is not what should be used when recovering fine gold. Is this true. Could this be the case?
Replies
First question should be....how do you know your missing the fine and flour gold? Did you use a safety pan at the end of the box and either pan or use a different method to find escaping gold? Some places just have flat flakes and/or rounded chunky pieces. I used moss before. To be honest the concept doesnt make any sense unless you can pinch it all the way flat somehow, under the riffles.
2. I would classify to 1/8" and see if your safety pan and box reflect a change. If so you bouncing it out with the larger material.
3. I would consider vortex mat. At least for the first two riffle areas past the v rib. Full length if you can afford it. If you do the first two on a Keene you will have to cut the expanded off shorter.
I have tried every type of catch material and exp. , riffles, etc. in all combinations to recover the very fine gold thats on my claim. The best recovery has been using vortex mat, with or without any type of material over the top. found for best results a very heavy water flow and steep pitch was best to keep the fines dancing in the mat, and not fill mat with sands that allow micro gold to float away. I use vortex mat in both my highbankers and sluices. have even run gold
hog mats, they did very well, but really no better than the vortex, after carfully checking all the tailings, found only a few micro specs in both, not enough to try to save. keep diggin.
In my opinion, The Angus MacKirk sluices are second to none for recovering fine gold. Clean up is fast and simple.
i would run it like ie was with the carpet use the expanded metal and riffles ifyou r useing a banker then go the whole leingh with the same xpanded and riffles
In my buckabilly 10x49 I have a few inches of deep v at the head of my sluice. Then the rest is vortex matting
adam try getting some of the vortex matting and use it in your sluice you will be glad you did
Should I use Vortex all the way down instead of Deep V? And is the Miners Moss ok?