Been pondering this question this winter. Are nugget traps really required? I don't use them however I am not in a nugget gold area so I can't say for sure that I need one (maybe I would get nuggets if I had one lol). In my experience it seems like the 1.5" angle iron sluice section catches anything that would be equivalent to a nugget - for example I catch ball bearings, broken bolts, bullets, tools, grease zerks, bucket tooth fragments, combination wrenches etc etc. I am wondering what a properly designed nugget trap would do to catch nuggets that wouldn't otherwise be caught like these random pieces of steel in my top riffles?
Anyone out there use them and have real world feedback on why they are a requirement?
The necessity of Nugget Traps?
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chickenminer
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Re: The necessity of Nugget Traps?
Wouldn't it be dandy if the "If you build it, they will come" philosophy worked 
If you are not in an area that has nuggets I don't think I would fret on trying to build a specific "nugget trap".
Although it is always a good idea to mix up riffle designs in a box and not to strictly use hungarian or expanded.
Studies have shown expanded metal is not the best gold catchment for +14 mesh size particles.
I use at least one section of 1" hungarian riffles in my box even though I am on a fine gold creek.
In the past when I was mining on a different creek that did have some coarser gold I used more hungarian than expanded. Never had a specific "nugget trap" but the 1" hungarian riffles caught stuff up to 1.75 oz .
Years ago I did mess with hydraulic riffles but I just had way to much trouble trying to keep the water clean enough for them.
Once again I am toying with the idea of using just one set of hungarian hydraulic riffles in my box as a more or less "nugget trap", or at least coarser gold trap.
If you are not in an area that has nuggets I don't think I would fret on trying to build a specific "nugget trap".
Although it is always a good idea to mix up riffle designs in a box and not to strictly use hungarian or expanded.
Studies have shown expanded metal is not the best gold catchment for +14 mesh size particles.
I use at least one section of 1" hungarian riffles in my box even though I am on a fine gold creek.
In the past when I was mining on a different creek that did have some coarser gold I used more hungarian than expanded. Never had a specific "nugget trap" but the 1" hungarian riffles caught stuff up to 1.75 oz .
Years ago I did mess with hydraulic riffles but I just had way to much trouble trying to keep the water clean enough for them.
Once again I am toying with the idea of using just one set of hungarian hydraulic riffles in my box as a more or less "nugget trap", or at least coarser gold trap.
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C.R. "Dick" Hammond
Stonehouse Mining
Chicken, Alaska
C.R. "Dick" Hammond
Stonehouse Mining
Chicken, Alaska
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DanAK
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Re: The necessity of Nugget Traps?
I would think your 1-1/2” riffles will catch any nuggets that you would encounter.
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gabbie
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Re: The necessity of Nugget Traps?
Our riffles are Hungarian style one inch in a 24 wide box 10 feet long the first 3 feet are riffles the rest is expanded two different sizes 90 percent of our gold is in the riffles with nuggets up to 1.75 oz we don't Hardley get much for fines in the expanded we dont have a nugget trap either we dont feel that we are losing any bigger gold
Thanks doug
Thanks doug