Feeding a Sluice in Small and Large Scale Operations

Feeding a sluice small scale operations
When a smaller operation is taking place, it is necessary to place the bars close by each other or any type of heavy screen across the area where the gravel goes into when feeding the sluice, this will need to be done in order to get rid of the bigger pebbles and stones. The bars in this case, known as grizzlies, or the screen will need to be tilted in order for the bigger materials to roll off to the sides. The space in between, depending on the gradation of the feed, will in most cases be anywhere between one quarter to one inch, three eighths of an inch is usually the common though.

Feeding the sluice large scale operations
When larger operations are being done, a rotating screen, a trommel, is usually utilized. In a ground sluice operation it is probable that all the materials will be run through the sluice boxes. It will be necessary to make provisions to be able to remove the bigger sized materials, though and if needed to place them in an area that is separate from the work area. In cases in where the gravel has a great amount of clay in it, it might be necessary to use a puddling box on the top of the string of sluice boxes, which can be any size that is needed. The material that has clay in it is shoveled into the box and is broken up with a hoe or rake before it is passed through into the sluiceway. This is a very important step to follow though. There are cases in which the lumps that are found in the clayish material can have gold in them, and if they are let through the sluice, they are able to pick up little gold particles that have already been deposited. Once the boxes have been put into place, the shoveling will need to be done. Prospectors or miners that have experience will work out the ground with regular cuts and in an organized way. Besides this, a good amount of areas are opened so that nobody interferes with the other. It is ensured that provision is made in order to maintain the bedrock clean. Boulders and rocks are moved as little as possible and the traverses are made in such a way and at certain widths and lengths in order for the shoveling to be easier. The boxes need to be kept as low as possible so that there will only be a minimum amount of lifting of the gravel. Along with this, there also needs to be the right type of slope in order for the gravel to run through the sluice boxes under the limited amount of water available. If there are any sort of leaks, they are taken care of right away. The shoveling is done in a way so that the sluice does not get clogged up and so that the water does not splash out too much and ruin the shoveling that has been done. There always needs to be an adequate space for dumping and this always needs to be given at the end of the sluice. The best way to carry this out, whenever possible, is to scatter the waste into a quickly moving stream. The material that is a certain size will run through the sluiceway and is shoveled in it; the material that is too big will be thrown to the side. The boulders that come from the first cut need to be stacked on the outside of the workings and on barren ground if possible so they do not have to be handled again.