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How to Make Prospecting Equipment

Prospecting for gold has taken place all over the world for centuries, but the basic equipment hasn̵7;t changed much in all that time. The gold prospector of the California gold rush of 1849 built most of his prospecting equipment, and the modern day prospector can do the same. Gold pans and picks are usually acquired from commercial sources. A gold sluice, another common prospector tools, can be built by the do-it-yourselfer.

Things You'll Need

Aluminum
Ribbed rubber mats
Miner's moss

Instructions

- 1
  Build a framework of the gold sluice of either metal or wood. Cut a flat piece of light sheet metal 16 inches wide and 36 inches long. Use a hammer and flat surface to create a bend on both long sides of the sheet metal two inches from the edge. The final product will look like a broad U-shape with two-inch walls on each side.
- 2
  Line the sluice box frame with rubber matting. Look for a ribbed rubber material that will catch the heavy gold. Some door or car mats fit the description, although the prospector will need to shop around for the ideal rib pattern. Look for ribs of about an eighth of an inch for work in faster water with less of a rib used on slower moving waters.
- 3
  Place a cover of ̶0;miner̵7;s moss̶1; over the rubber matting. Miner̵7;s moss is commercially available, but an effective substitute can be found in the door mat department of many home improvement stores. Look for a material that resembles an open rubber mat made of smaller strands woven or intermixed in a mesh pattern.

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