How to Build Your Own Gold Prospecting Equipment

You can build your own prospecting equipment like a sluice box for a lot cheaper than buying one for retail price at a store. Sluice boxes act as a natural gravity trap for gold. Acting as a medium, the sluice box uses water to sort gold from other minerals.

1

Determine what size you want your sluice box to be. A good length to start with is 4 feet. Match your sewer pipe and 2x4 board with the chosen length.

2

Use a sharp knife to cut the seams on your sewer pipe. Cut both seams of the sewer pipe to make the main part of your sluice box.

3

Cut your 2x4 board with your skill saw matching it exactly with the length of your sewer pipe.

4

Put your sewer pipe (one of the cut halves) inside facing up onto your 2x4 board. Make sure both ends of the 2x4 board are flush with the sewer pipe. Drill your first screw ½ inch away from the top edge of the sewer pipe and wood. Put in a screw every 12 inches until you reach the bottom. Mirror the top by placing a screw ½ inch away from the bottom edge.

5

Check for the proper angle while the sluice box is in the water. The general rule of thumb for a sluice box is to elevate it 6 inches for every foot of length for your sluice box. Sometimes water flow will be too heavy or slow, so you must adjust to varying water conditions. The biggest pieces of gold should always end up in the top few riffles. If you find gold in the bottom of the sluice box, the water pressure is too great and you will need to adjust the angle or find a slower current.

Posted in:

If you are enjoying reading this blog,Share it on Facebook, Twitter, Buzz or Reddit.