To get ready to use your sluice box you will want to "classify" the material.  If the material is mostly sand or pea gravel there will be no need to classify it.  Simply shovel, shovel, shovel it on to the front of the sluice box.  The speed of the water will determine how fast you can go.  Take care not to choke the box down, missing valuable material.  Clean up as needed.

Most steams I use have large rocks and sticks in the material, it is necessary to classify in order to get the sluice box to perform at it's peak.

This is how it is done.

1.  Use a five  gallon bucket, set it up like the one above with a classifying dish.  Fill the bucket to the top with water.  As you shovel loose material in to the classifier shake it from time to time.  This will allow the fine sand and items to fall to the bottom of the bucket.

When you finish it will look something like this.  Notice the rocks at the sides of the bucket. This is what I removed from the material.  Another reason I use a bucket is, I may have found a great place to place a sluice box so it works really well.  But the best area to shovel is several feet away.  I use the bucket to carry material to the box.  Or you may be digging from a hill side near the steam.




Once I get to the box.  I use a feed scoop to shovel the material into the box.  The one I use fits a bucket perfectly!







Dump the material on center of the flare.  Pay attention so that you do not choke the sluice box.  The speed mine is running, it is not a big concern.  The material moves at a quick clip.   



This is the exit of the waste material…  It continues to flow down stream where it will resettle. 

By doing this you will turn a stream over.  Providing beds for fish and other aquatic animals.  And providing fresh minerals for plants also, some of those plants those animals use for food.

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