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How to Build a Gold Dredge Sluice Box

Gold sluice boxes are an effective tool for processing gold-bearing gravels. They operate on the basic principle that gold is heavier than other materials. A sluice box creates an artificial channel for water to flow through with a series of riffles running across the flow of water on the bottom of the box. Lighter materials will float in the water and wash through the sluice box, while heavier materials--such as gold--will fall to the bottom and become trapped on the riffles. While a sluice box can be built with a variety of materials, the easiest to work with is wood.

Things You'll Need

Plywood
1-inch square wooden dowels
1 1/2-inch screws
Wood saw
Screwdriver
Measuring tape

Instructions

Cut Lumber to Size
- 1
  Cut one piece of plywood 1 foot wide and 4 feet long. This piece will be the base of the sluice box.
- 2
  Cut two pieces of plywood 4 feet long and 8 inches wide each. These two pieces will form the sides of the sluice box.
- 3
  Cut eight 1-foot-long sections of 1-inch square wooden dowel. These pieces will be used for the riffles and supports.
Build the Sluice Box
- 4
  Attach the first riffle at one end of the base board with two screws. Make sure each end of the dowel is flush with the sides of the board and the edge is aligned with the end of the base board.
- 5
  Measure 6 inches from the first riffle and attach the second dowel. Attach four more riffles, one every 6 inches. Each should be attached with two screws and span the width of the base board. At this point you should have a base board with six dowels attached every 6 inches starting from one end. The other end will have an area about a foot long without riffles.
- 6
  Attach the side boards. Line up the first side board at 90 degrees to the base board along one side and drive several screws through the side board and into the base board and the ends of the riffle boards to secure the side board to the bast. Repeat the process for the other side board.
- 7
  Attach the remaining two 1-inch square dowels as support between the side boards at each end of the sluice box. Slide the first support dowel between the side boards at one end of the box and at the top of the side boards. Drive a screw through each side board and into the ends of the support dowel. Repeat the process on the other end of the sluice box. These supports will stabilize the side boards.

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