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Set your sluice wrong and you'll lose gold. Here's my quick field checklist to lock it in.
Quick Checklist
- Angle: start ~1" drop per foot; adjust for material.
- Flow: fast enough to clear blond sands, slow enough to hold black sand.
- Feed: steady, classified, no fist-sized rocks.
- Mats: aggressive for chunky, tighter for fines.
1) Angle (Start Point)
~1"/ft. If gold migrates, you're too steep. If it packs, too flat.
2) Flow You Want
Blond sands should "dance" out while black sands "sit." A pocket level helps: cheap and tough.
3) Mat Choices
Carry two: riffled mat + fine capture mat. Swap as pay changes. My go-to: field-tested mat.
4) Feed Discipline
Classify, feed small, check your first tray in 10 minutes, then lock settings.
Jake's Picks
- Sluice I'd buy twice: this aluminum unit
- Matting that holds fines: this capture mat
Related:
Building your kit? Browse Jake's Holiday Gift Hub for field-ready bundles.
Tags
#sluice#setup#mats#angle#flow