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How to Build a Sluice Box for a Kid's School Project

Sluice boxes have been used for decades by miners to pan gold from mountain streams. A basic sluice box consists of a narrow pan with internal raised rivets that catch gold as muddy sediment is fed through the device. Complex sluice boxes contain multiple levels and self-rotating motors that remove the manual work of wading in the stream and loading sediment into the box. A simple sluice box works well for a school project and provides an experiential learning opportunity for children about gold mining.

Things You'll Need

1/2-inch plywood sheet
Measuring tape
Pencil
Handsaw or jigsaw
Artificial turf
Permanent marker
Aquarium sealant or wood glue
1-inch by 4-inch pressure treated lumber boards
Power drill
Wood screws
20, 1/4-inch square dowel rods

Instructions

- 1
  Mark off an 8-inch section at one short edge of a 1/2-inch thick plywood sheet. Place a measuring tape or ruler at the center of that line and measure down 36 inches. Draw a horizontal line at this point that is 16 inches wide. Complete the basic trough shape by connecting the ends of the 8-inch and 16-inch lines with diagonal lines.
- 2
  Cut the trough out of the plywood with a handsaw or jigsaw. Lay the plywood shape on top of a piece of artificial turf or commercial carpet and trace its shape with a permanent marker onto the turf. Cut the shape out of the turf and glue the turf to the plywood base with aquarium sealant or wood glue.
- 3
  Measure and cut three 1-inch by 4-inch pressure treated lumber boards to fit on the long sides and narrow eight-inch end of the sluice box. Use a power drill to thread wood screws through the bottom of the plywood and into the 1-inch by 4-inch boards to secure the sides to the bottom of the sluice box.
- 4
  Cut 20 1/4-inch square dowel rods to fit the width of your sluice box. Line the rods on the bottom of the sluice box about two inches apart. Glue them to the turf with wood glue or aquarium sealant. Secure the rods further by threading two wood screws through the bottom of the plywood into each dowel rod.
- 5
  Paint or decorate your sluice box, if desired.

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