Feeding sluice

[Upthecreek]

Gday all,
I have a couple of silly questions that I hope someone could help me with.
I have heard that when running a creek sluice we shouldnt over or under feed. I think I get why we shouldnt over feed but how do you under feed a sluice( is it possibly to feed it too slow).

If it is possible to under feed does that mean we have to clean up sluice after we have run our classified materials, then set up again once we have more material ready to feed.

The other question is, Ive been classifying wet into buckets with water and stringently breaking up any clay and dirt with gravels, but by the time I have 2 or 3 buckets ready I find my material clumps up again and requires constant stirring in between scoops and some times I have to use my hand and squeeze and break up material onto sluice instead of using scoop/shovel.
Hope Ive made sense, any advice or feed back is much appreciated
Cheers

 

[jethro]

No such thing as a silly question re gold prospecting. First Question answer : I dont think its possible to under feed a correctly set sluice. If you drop one flake of gold into a sluice and it catches it then the sluice is set correctly. If you drop a whole shovel full of gravel with one flake of gold in it and you loose your flake because the riffles were clogged up with lighter material then either your feed rate for that class of material is too high or your setup is either too steep to allow the gold to settle or too flat to allow the lighter material to be carried away. or your water flow needs adjusting. Too much water in a tapered sluice box is worse than not enough.
It all comes down to sluicebox design and having the correct riffle or catch system for the type of material / Minerals you are processing.

On the clay question some is worse (almost impossible to break up and keep in suspension.

Cheers Jethro

 

[mudgee hunter]

Every set up has its own max feed ratio, different material are a major factor to be considered. Sticky heavy stuff will need more time to be processed as opposed to light sandy material.
That will wash out a lot quicker.
Observe the the tail end of your set up, after a feed.
Take note of the time it takes for little material to be still running out. ( just a few bits of material still being ejected)
If in dirty water, put your hand at the waste end and feel for tailings to cease.

Under feeding it is a term I've never heard, unless it is means over cautious?!!!!
I can't imagine any harm in doing So!
Feel free anyone for a discussion on that terminology.....

Caking/ compaction is your worst enemy in processing, panning, sliucing etc.
But normal for it to happen in the bucket.
It should break up the moment it hits the flare and water.

 

[mudgee hunter]

I suggest stay out of the grey smooth clay .
But if is the yellow/ Orange clay, that has grit in it and dissolves slowly, pin in down in the flare area.
If it is yielding good gold over time needed to do so.
If not, leave it for the high bankers with good jets that can cut it down quickly.

 

[Upthecreek]

Cheers for the advice guys,
another thing I thought is when classifying maybe Ill drain off excess water say at 1/4 , 1/2 and 3/4 full of material as opposed to just topping up with water as I go. Maybe this will dilute the slurry down a bit before processing.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Compaction in the bucket is totally normal. Especially if traveled and left for a time.
If you see the material separating in the flare area easily by water flow, . You have no problems.
Same thing can happen at the bottom of the pan if not panning correctly.
Very common occurrence in sandy silt materials.
Over classification when panning can lead to this as well. Two or three bonka sized rocks can help prevent this when panning.
Keeps material loose, and allows the gold to settle to the bottom.
Compaction of material dose not allow this to happen easily