How to Go Dry Sluicing

Dry sluicing for gold is not only the fastest method for sifting gold from dirt and sand, it is also the most economical, as a dry sluice box can be built easily at home. A dry sluice box is a piece of equipment that is used to separate gold from gravel in areas where water is scarce. First introduced in the early 1920s, the dry sluicing method for gold prospecting has become popular in desert regions. So, don't get wet, go dry sluicing. Read on to learn how to go dry sluicing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dry washer (dry sluice box)
• Two (5 gallon) buckets

1. Build or buy a dry washer or a dry sluice box. While there are various kinds, every dry sluice box will have the same three components: the hopper, which is the top part of the sluice box and contains a screen called the "grizzly," the riffle tray that separates and sifts the gravel, and a free standing frame. The fourth component, the method for blowing or compressing air, will vary in each style.

2. Find a location to go dry sluicing. This may be the most difficult part. Dry sluicing is most commonly performed in the desert, in dry lake or riverbeds. For best results, find and ask other dry sluicing enthusiasts where they have had luck.

3. Collect a bucket full of potentially gold-bearing gravel and shovel the material little by little into the hopper. The larger stones, twigs and leaves will roll off of the grizzly and back to the ground, while the fine silt and sand will fall into the hopper.

4. Turn on the air-blowing mechanism, once the hopper is full enough that sand and silt begins to fall onto the riffles. The lighter dirt and sand will be gently blown off the riffle portion, while heavier black sand and gold will remain.

5. Remove the riffle portion of your dry sluice box and gently deposit the potentially gold-bearing black sand into a 5 gallon collection bucket. You are now ready to pan the sand for gold.

Tips & Warnings

• A bellows style dry sluice box will have a hand crank or an electric motor for blowing air. A vibrostatic or blower style dry sluice box will have a machine mounted underneath for blowing air.
• Go dry sluicing on a calm day. Too much wind can blow all the possible gold off the riffles.
• The material placed into the hopper must be powder dry or the air-blowing mechanism will not sift properly. If the material is damp, spread it out on a tarp in the sun and allow it to dry completely.