Backpack Sluice
Copyright © 1995 - Greg
Ouzounian
Parts list
QTY REF# Dimension Explanation
1 1 84" Plastic 3" base width plastic drain gutter. Cut into
four 21" sections (jig saw, saber saw works fine).
Cut one side wall off each 21" piece.
2 2 6 X 10" T6060 or better .030" sheet aluminum. Bend into final
dimension of 6 X 8 X 1". The 1" lip will be used as
the base for the bottom, and the attached classifier
on the top.
1 3 4 X 10" T6060 or better .030" sheet aluminum. Bend into final
dimensions of 4 X 8 X 1". The 1" left and right side
lip will be used to attach to the stand sides
(Ref# 2). Center and cut a 3.8" semi circle into back
panel. This will be used to attach to Ref# 4.
1 4 3" X 8' Flexible 3" plastic accordian dryer venting.
1 5 4 X 10" T6060 or better .030" sheet aluminum. Bend into final
dimensions of 4 X 6 X 2". The 2" wings should be bent
at about 30 degree angles to act as a stand, and to
focus water flow into dryer venting (Ref 4). Items
Ref #3, 4 & 5 together act as a flume to vector and
control water flow into the sluice, when water
flow/conditions permit.
1 6 4X8X10" Semi flexible plastic tray. Use exacto knife to cut
.75" square hole/matrix out from bottom. This will
serve as your automatic classifier. The item attaches
to Ref# 2 via 4 wing nuts through hole drilled in top
sides of Ref# 2.
1 7 6 X 42" Indoor/outdoor carpet, closed weave. Cut so grain
will be perpindicular to water flow.
4 8 6 X 6" 1/2" grating. Available from Home Depot. Typically
sold in rolls for stucco. Direction of grating
diamonds should be perpindicular to water flow.
4 9 1/2 X 6" Wood blocks to act as large riffles. Attach with glue
gun directly to item Ref# 7.
4 10 1 X 5" T6060 or better aluminum sheet. This will act as a
tongue to fit between and connect the four primary
pieces comprising the sluice. Slightly scoring the
center of each tongue will assure a tight fit. Use
glue gun to build slots for tongue to fit into. Note
end tongue pieces run perpendicular to sluice. Center
tongues run with direction of sluice. Use scrap
material from drain gutter to build slots.
10 #6 - #10 Wing nuts, bolts and washers to attach assembled
sluice, classifier and sluice back to each other.
1 X 2 X 54" Duct tape. Take an almost used roll
along. Run along length of sluice and across center
connection to add strength to assembled sluice.
General Notes
1. Weight is a critical factor, use aluminum for all metal components.
It's light weight, and won't rust.
2. 10 wing nuts with bolts and washers are used to assemble sides, back
and top mounted classifier. Use stainless, brass etc. as these won't
rust.
3. Use a glue gun to attach wood blocks to indoor/outdoor turf.
4. Make certain the "grain" of the indoor/outdoor turf is perpendicular
to the water flow.
5. Ref items 2, 3 & 5 can all be cut from one larger piece of 10 X 28"
sheet aluminum.
6. Collapsable plasticized nylon bucket (available at REI) is used to
augment/replace water flow from flume attachement (Ref# 4) if
inadequate water flow. Also used to pour water into top of
classifier to force anything < .75" through matrix in bottom of
classifier and into sluice.
7. Use duct tape to attach dryer venting to the water intake (Ref# 5)
and the back (Ref# 3) of the sluice. Ducting is strechable about 8'
up stream to improve water flow into sluice.
8. Remove all duct tape prior to taking apart and repacking sluice.
9. It takes about 20 minutes to fully assemble the sluice.
10. Sluice fits into a 12 X 12 X 21" stuff/compression sack available at
most outdoors stores.
11. Weight of the sluice box, including all associated parts and
hardware is about 8 lbs.
12. Back of sluice is partially open to augment water flow with
collapsible bucket, if needed.
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