Sluice Combo
                                                          (An inexpensive way to start out prospecting)

                     This piece of prospecting equipment was my first and it worked well for me.
                      I used one like it north of Fairbanks Alaska with good results.       We had a
                     Wet Willie's Car Wash in Fairbanks that claimed to get the cars squeaky clean.
                     This does the same to the rocks and gravels! I used to call it a Wet Willie Combo.
                     The original I left behind in Alaska this is a reproduction of it. It's basically a sluice
                     box with a grizzly at the upper end that shakes, classifies  and breaks up the clods
                     and clusters of rock / dirt to help release the gold.
 
 

This is the Sluice Combo. Its a wood sluice with a sliding wood classifier at the intake
end.    You dump a shovel full of material in the classifer/grizzly and shake or slide it back
and forth quickly and all the small   1/4  minus falls through the bottom and ends into the
sluice.  The ends/bottom are screened for water to enter and exit, there is a gap of approx.
1/2 or 3/4 inch underneath for the classified material to flow towards the riffles. The input
end of the classifier when full of material acts as sort of a dam  and water will pool up in it.
This allows for a very nice job of shaking and scrubbing the rocks and sands/dirt very clean.
Then you just pull it up and dump the oversize material out the intake end of the grizz. It is
open more on this end for quick discharge of the tailings, when shaking the water keeps the
material shoved in and none of this oversize material exits in the sluice.

Here are the boards that make up the Classifier all bought from Lowes.

This is the classifier all framed up, be sure to use a good waterproof glue when nailing it together.

Here it is with the handles and screen in place. Handles are not necessary but they sure
make it easier to use. Notice the handle is set back from end and the screen is about 1/2
open on that end for easy discharge of the tailings. The water will flow into this open end
and help hold the rocks in place when shaking.  I used waterproof glue and staple gun to
 secure the screen to the frame.

This is the sluice framed up but not finished. It still needs the easy carry handle on top just
right of center and the black rubber mat to visually help in identifying presence of gold.
The riffles are 1/2 inch quarter round glued and nailed down approx 4 inch spacing.

Here the Sluice Combo is finished, not a lot to it for such a good prospecting machine. Input is
to the right of the sluice and note the open end of the grizz to the right for easy dumping of
the tailings.

Here its all together and ready for action water input on right side and discharge on left.
This little combo served me well for a couple years in Alaska when I first got the gold bug.
I thought this might be an inexpensive way for novices to start out in our exciting hobby.
 

Sluice Combo Plans