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How to Make a Gold Trapper

A gold trapper is a loose term for any apparatus that can dredge up gold and sediment and not lose any of it back to the stream or riverbed in the process. The object of the trap is to segregate the gold and sediment from the water and then transport it to your sluice table for further processing. There is no magical apparatus that can suck up or dredge only gold and leave all the tailings behind. You can fashion a bucket or cylinder-type gold trapper for yourself using supplies from your local hardware store. As with all gold digging, it'll take time and plenty of manual effort, but this portable trapper is durable and up to the task.

Things You'll Need

PVC pipes
Saw
PVC pipe cap
Plumber's glue
Drill
½-inch drill bit
Wire
Duct tape

Instructions

- 1
  Find a piece of straight PVC pipe to make the body of the gold trapper. Get 12-inch diameter pipe and cut it with your saw blade to a length of about 2-1/2 feet.
- 2
  Get a cover for the base and seal it on the bottom using plumbers glue. Allow the seal to dry overnight, or according to manufacturer recommendations.
- 3
  Drill holes along the sides of the trapper body to allow for the expulsion of water after each dredging operation. Use a ½- inch drill bit. Make rows of holes going from the top to the bottom, just short of the base rim. Add vertical rows of holes around the entire perimeter at about 2-inch intervals, up to the middle of the container. Make wider intervals, 4 inches apart, for the bottom half.
- 4
  Use thick wire to fashion a loop handle at the top. Run wire through two holes on opposite sides at the top and crimp the endings. Add foam padding and secure it in place with duct tape.

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