Sluice or highbanker mats / matting

[AtomRat]

I think it would work great, but I am slightly concerned about the 'knobs' that sit around each circle hole, they might tend to kick the gold out. Give it a try and let us know mate, you never know

 

[vic]

I'll give it a go next week or the week after at the Turon river and see how it goes. Found the mat at Bunnings $20 sqm if any one wants to try it

 

[AtomRat]

There's a better mat to try out at Bunnings, look at the underside of the checkerplate matting there, rectangles.

 

[G0lddigg@]

i tried this stuff out a few years back it did catch gold but i didn't find the exchange very good.

 

[Metamorphic]

The Gold Hog mats from the U.S are now available through some Aussie retailers

Tested them on my highbanker with results that amazed me really.

Estimated a capture rate at above 95% with only a few color counts of flour loss in the tailings pan, and I reckon thats only because I was re-circulating the cloudy water!

 

[AtomRat]

I have GoldHog Razorback and Scrubber through a bloke in Ballarat, but have not had the chance to test the $160 matt -_- UR matting seems to be the best for us here though

 

[Goldtarget]

I really think there's no substitute for proven recovery combinations. I don't mean to sound like I'm having a crack but using something tried and tested that delivers you may go down the more expensive path but the results will speak for themselves. In some instances it actually works out cheaper, especially if changing the setup after initial disappointing results. Gold is pretty forgiving but confidence that the recovery system is priceless. Expanded metal, matting, vrib etc can all be obtained very economically if you hunt around. Anyway great to see you having a go and experimenting, that's half the fun.

 

[AtomRat]

I really think there's no substitute for proven recovery combinations. I don't mean to sound like I'm having a crack but using something tried and tested that delivers you may go down the more expensive path but the results will speak for themselves. In some instances it actually works out cheaper, especially if changing the setup after initial disappointing results. Gold is pretty forgiving but confidence that the recovery system is priceless. Expanded metal, matting, vrib etc can all be obtained very economically if you hunt around. Anyway great to see you having a go and experimenting, that's half the fun.

I always state that I wish I never looked too much into sluices / mats and configurations. It would have been much simpler to start with my initial idea of making a wooden sluice with a perforated wooden false floor and wooden riffles as I am confident they would work better than most we can make today with mats and alloy.

 

[WalnLiz]

Can hear where you're coming from there Atom, and that's what the old timers successfully used. Our only concern these days, is unlike the old timers who had abundant gold, our best gold returns require covering distance on foot to be successful, and for the most part the wooden sluices are hindered by the weight factor.

The unfortunate fact of life regarding the modern prospector, is if you sluice next to your vehicle you will only get a very small amount of gold, no matter how efficient your set up is. Modern technology and the use of alloys/plastics can dramatically improve ones takings, purely because of their portability and ability to work far away from the bustling crowds, so to speak.

 

[G0lddigg@]

Cant agree more, i used to cart a wooden sluice then a wooden highbanker, then theres the pump food etc etc. main problem with wood is that you are forever pounding it with rocks and water doesn't matter how good you seal that wood up you will never get anything close to aluminum in a seal. mind you i still cant part witrh my old twisted rotting sluices that are out backm maybe one day they'll make good firewood

personally I've been testing the crap out of goldhog matts i'm close but not 100% converted yet there's just too many different configuration to try. but at the end of the day its all about having fun hey fellas and you work with what you have on hand.

 

[AtomRat]

Can hear where you're coming from there Atom...

Cant agree more, i used to cart a wooden sluice then a wooden highbanker, then theres the pump food etc etc. main problem with wood is that you are forever pounding it with rocks and water doesn't matter how good you seal that wood up you will never get anything close to aluminum in a seal. mind you i still cant part witrh my old twisted rotting sluices that are out backm maybe one day they'll make good firewood

personally I've been testing the crap out of goldhog matts i'm close but not 100% converted yet there's just too many different configuration to try. but at the end of the day its all about having fun hey fellas and you work with what you have on hand.

I am still struggling with trying to get a good system out the bush that wont be a burden. I tend to stay away from parking areas and have walked many meters / kilometers to hit something great and there is no way I am carrying it all out there ( let alone in one trip ), I think I have to make an even lighter sluice again to solve this problem, even add on some wheels to the frame or a cart I recon. ( but I do know wheels can cause more issues at times )

I am thinking of taking planks into the bush to make temporary sluices that I can dissasemble and toss after use even.

I do like the shapes of the GoldHog, but at the same time ( for the price ) I think it's more like someone installing neon lights under their Holden VN. The shape of the mats are great, but they are made from rubber, meaning they will wear fast, they move with rock content ( riffles bend down with the weight, causing wobbles ), joining the mats together becomes a painful cleanup, so keeping the lengths separate is recommended ( no glue. ) I think that a HDPE plastic riffle system can be made similar and work just as well ( I have seen someone on the forum doing a bit of vacuum forming here. )

As you stated Golddigga, too many configurations, learning + reading is involved with goldhog and I wish I never bought it in the first place, damn you Doc and your youtube vids! I hate the mats, but the shape of riffles in the mats are perfect. I ran them through a PC water / heavies simulator program ( OECake ) and it does exactly what it is meant to. You can make a UR GoldHog mat using rubber from Clarke Rubber and a stanley knife, make a jig to slide the knife and on certain angles

 

[Metamorphic]

Your right AR, the mats will wear over time and become far less effective but as we know, Water and Rock are great levellers on anything.

I agree its best to stay as cheap as possible for replacement purposes though, as even miners moss will become dog house carpet over time

Weight has always been a huge issue for reasons stated above, but as the color becomes scarcer these days, capture rates become more important for many but as golddigg says, the old timers were not too concerned about the losses through their wooden sluices as their alluvial success was much greater than we can hope for today.

I hate that it always has to be a trade-off for weight and expense V's productivity and effectiveness and saving $$ has never been more important than it is now, yet still we all go out and purchase the best detectors money can buy today hoping it will increase our chances for success.

Yeh, the Yanks do go overboard sometimes but im not sure you can ever put too much thought and research into anything you do as long as its satisfying and above all......a hell of a lot of fun :lol:

Cheers

 

[Rusty Shovel]

Hi all,

I'm after some advice about matting for my bunnings sluice.

I've got the drainage channel. Been to bunnings, Clark rubber, and aldi. I can't find the miners moss except on a mat for $20. Can't get it any cheaper or off a roll anywhere...

I got a 'multy mat' from woolys (it's cheap) in case it's useable. It's 100% polypropylene and looks like marine carpet with the grooves every 10mm.

Would this be any use, or am I wasting time without miners moss? If it's useable I'm assuming I run the grooves across the sluice not down?

Any help appreciated!

Cheers,
Rusty

 

[AtomRat]

In bunnings there is grey nomad carpet. Look near the fake grass or marine carpets. It has no backing but still works.

 

[AtomRat]

Also remember, some of the best sluices to catch fine flour gold don't have matting at all. Bare flat bottom and riffles, no mats. Read a bit about vortexes and gold to understand some more and you will hopefully make your own assumption on what to use.

 

[Rusty Shovel]

Cheers atom rat!

Might look at some of the furniture felt riffles, do you reckon they'd do the trick?

I see someone else used them on the bunnings sluice thread.

Cheers,
Rusty

 

[gules]

Hello all, was wondering if any one can tell me were I can buy the black matting that goes in a sluice .cheers all

 

[Blindbat]

Sorry it's not your answer but my old fashioned advice is prospecting for gold is about finding gold not spending money. I always use any old pieces of free carpet I can find. You can wash it out after using and after a while I burn the carpet in a fire to extract the fine gold. Old prospecters trick Good Luck

 

[Guest]

Type in "ripple mat" into EBay, also try "miners moss".

 

[backcreek]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1629

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