# So I'm building a "floater sluice"...



## AuMINIMayhem (Aug 6, 2008)

We'll see how well this works..

I'm building a very small micro sluice to hopefully find a way to capture those floaters and fines that just go bye bye down the streams.

I'm machining a piece of aluminum in this order .001" steps at .050" increments over an 18" piece. Then it will be mounted at a slope of between 1 and 5 degrees. Obviously the water will have to pass over it at but a trickle, but this is going to be a very specific design for trapping micron sized gold in the field. If it works on a small scale I'm going to go big and actually take it out to the field and try it.

While I'm thinking of it, I could really use a couple of pounds of cons that have the very fine gold in it that cannot be captured with a blue bowl, spiral wheel, etc etc..

Anybody have anything like this that would either normally throw away or leach that they'd be willing to throw a couple pounds my way? I'm willing to toss a few bucks your way.. I'm not rich, but most people on here are realistic about what they would charge, so I'm not too worried about that.. 

I was bored at work and got inspired by a post somewhere in one of these forums where they were talking about gold so small that it just floats by... so I got to working  If this works, my intention is to make a liner for a wave table that has these .001" steps to help trap the fines.. I may even go as far down as .0005" (easily done... we routinely machine material within .0001")

Thanks,

Derek


I'll be posting my progress and pics as I move forward...


----------



## Bernie Foley (Nov 3, 2008)

Hi Derek,
I think you might have a good idea there.I'm making a centrifuge for
gold of course!!! It will be able to do a sample and be able to pour
liquid threw the machine while it is running captivating the heavy values
in the bowl in the centrifuge. The excess liquid just sprays over the bowl and is drained into a bucket or flask. a machine set to skim the surface of the water where there is floaters would collect the heavy values....
Maybe a skimmer would collect the floaters..on some expensive
high end cnc machines use a skimmer to clean the coolant...Just tossing a few ideas for you to think on! Good luck ....maybe could use a oil spill boom to collect the floaters!.....Have a great day! Bernie


----------



## ChucknC (Nov 8, 2008)

Derek,
If your using a closed loop system(recirculation) add a drop or 2 of some dishwashing liquid or jet dry. A damper would also be effective.
Now in a stream there are a few options. A damper of some kind would be effective. Also you are following in the footsteps of some very effective and competent miners. I have seen these discussions on several excellent miners sites, and there is no real concensus. 
Check these out:
http://bb.bbboy.net/alaskagoldforum-viewthread?forum=2&thread=226
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK0kmUdfffY&feature=related

Here's an idea for a very cheap damper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWGtupYNSws&feature=rela

Also Google New Zeland Beach box.

I'll try to dig up more of my saved reading material later.

Chuck


----------



## butcher (Nov 8, 2008)

consider mercury coated copper plates


----------



## Pulse-R (Jun 8, 2020)

Any updates 12 years on? 
Does it work?


----------

