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, & 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.

Figure 1 of 2, Assembled View

Assembled View

Figure 2 of 2, Exploded View

Exploded View

Horizontal line

Top of this page Back to Plans page Back to home page

Copyright © 1995 - 2003 by Bill Westcott - All rights reserved - Last update December 29, 2002