How To Make A Mold For Silicone Sluice Box Mats

[@1979johnson85]

from one tinkerer to another, I like the way you work. I really appreciate your videos, please keep them coming !

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you. More videos to come for sure. Thanks for watching.

[@davemacgyver573]

Thank you for this demo, that was awesome. I am just getting started with gold prospecting and am on a tight budget. Cant wait to buy these supplies and attempt to make some.

[@markpascoe7845]

You are the reality Tool Time Tim, thank you Alan

[@ericclark7344]

Pam non-stop spray worked well for me to stop the clay from sticking to pvc or other molding substances. Good luck,I really liked the design,am working on a new set for myself.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Good luck on your mats and thanks for the tip.

[@utahavalanch]

Thank you sir. My Silicone stock just went up a couple more cents. :-D One thing I would like to add to this if I may, is that if these get a hole or tear or any damage, they are very easy to repair. Just squirt a little Silicone in the hole or tear and smooth it over with the dish soap water and put it back in the mold til it sets up. These things are really surprisingly durable. Keep 'em coming.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Remember your poor friend in Montana when you get rich. That is a good point to make on how to repair the mats I will ad that next time. I just tried to tear one with my hand no way I can tear it.

[@utahavalanch]

@@alanrobertson2510 Yes, it is really surprising how tough they are. You really have to work at tearing them. I tried to cut one to size on my table saw and it grabbed the blade and stopped a 1HP motor totally dead. It did tear off about 1/3rd of the mat but I just put it back in the mold and added more Silicone and it's all back in one piece again. I think they are too flexible to be damaged by much of anything. Nice Idea.

[@alanrobertson2510]

@@utahavalanch I remember that I bet the got your attention in a hurry. They are tougher than nails I think they will last a long time.

[@johnr.8723]

Wow, two of my favorite people...Alan with the silicone mats and Utah with the diy hand dredge & Miller tables! Hello again to both of you! God bless!

[@utahavalanch]

John R. And greetings to you as well. Welcome to the fun. If spring ever comes there should be lots of new things going on.

[@larrykasiah8852]

Really good video thanks for sharing have a great night and prospect on.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks Larry

[@HoodBillyLife]

Awesome video thanks for sharing

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks for the visit

[@iiniijewelry]

Perfect 👌🏾 surprised nobody has knocked on your door about making you money for this. And I was totally just writing an email about this very thing. And you answered 😎 before I could even send it. Cool. Was even gonna ask how you kept em together. Right in. Good to know. Thanks for sharing friend. Have a great night

[@alanrobertson2510]

Who knows maybe when I get it perfected I will start thinking about selling some.

[@petekobraoutdoors7324]

Awesome info for making the mats. I hope that they work as good as they look. Thanxsomuch

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks they work great.

[@FlourgoldWizards]

Possibilities are endless! Pinecones.... false teeth.... you name it lol I’m gonna come up with something special👍 Thanks for sharing Alan

[@alanrobertson2510]

Can't wait to see what you come up with. The false teeth sounds like a good one.

[@codyleroy9987]

I like it very clever I've wondering how to improve the mat I bought from Amazon...perfect price too.. Thank you

[@richardduke9788]

Nice video and instructions !

[@barrysotero137]

Great Idea!🤙🏻

[@tanksoldier9770]

That works real good thanks for the lesson. TANK

[@alanrobertson2510]

Glad to help Thanks

[@michaelreibel1914]

That was awesome to share thanks alan

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you Michael

[@builtrodewreckedit]

I love this. The pattern you have here sorta reminds me of a dream mat on youtube. I wonder if a guy painted the soapy water on the mold then squirt the silicone direct on then use a flat wide ice cube to flatten the backside could be a bit less waste? maybe less to trim off? i dunno its just a fun fact ice is the only thing i know silicone won't stick to at all even a little. love these mats your making.

[@alanrobertson2510]

I did try that method of just putting the silicone straight into the mold It does work when I tried it the mat did not come out as nice I couldn't force it down into the groves as well and it took about 24 hours for it to dry. Now the ice cube might be something to try I did't know the silicone would not stick to ice.

[@reidogarimpo1691]

VERY, VERY, VERY INTELLIGENT!

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you that was a fun project.

[@reidogarimpo1691]

@@alanrobertson2510 Very good!!! Muito bom! Congratulations! João from Brazil!

[@jimmysails994]

Awesome idea!!!

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks Jimmy

[@seanhunt138]

Nice video thanks for posting it.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks Sean

[@ralphwatson7086]

Thank you for sharing.

[@michiganprospectors]

Interesting project. I wonder though if you are really saving anything when its all done compared to buying a finished product.

[@alanrobertson2510]

The 3D printed mold work great. This was a bit of work but not expensive at all.

[@michiganprospectors]

@@alanrobertson2510 Cool. Good to know. I think you are the biggest DIY channel I know of. I made my own 50 inch sluice box but bought my mats. I am learning a lot from your channel tho.

[@theovann]

Great video good job

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you

[@rastamanralph6670]

Here's a good idea for you.try using rubber car mats as a mould.I was thinking of making mats just by trimming the car mats to size because you can get all sorts of patterns and some are perfect v matting.👍🌟 I haven't got any further with the trommel but have got another one and I'm thinking of using it flat with a centrifugal motion also.when I start to feel less pain I will get round to doing something with them.Great video😉👍

[@alanrobertson2510]

I hope you get feeling better soon. The rubber mats are a good idea you never know how they will work out until you try I think I am going to stick with the holes for now they seem to work well. Good luck on the trommel.

[@jerrystott7780]

Good job. Have a great day.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks Jerry.

[@jasonaucolorado5111]

thank you alan looking forward to trying this style

[@alanrobertson2510]

Have fun they seem to work well but there is always room for more improvements.

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

top job again Alan i make most of my gear as well mate keep it up

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you.

[@christophermuran9487]

Looking at those baking trays and thinking I'm gonna make me a light weight sluice that'll fit in a small back pack

[@alanrobertson2510]

Great idea. Have fun.

[@dynomania]

Brilliant thanks for the idea ☺️

[@alanrobertson2510]

You’re welcome 😊

[@georgyandreev9992]

Great Job ! Thank You for shering of your exprience !

[@ChristmasStitcherAtHeart-Greg]

Thanks for the lesson Teach! Can't wait to try it out!

[@alanrobertson2510]

Good luck on the mats.

[@1000-r3g]

Thank you for this great instructional!

[@alanrobertson2510]

You are welcome.

[@PartridgeFamilyProspecting]

awesome vid!!! thank you sir!!

[@alanrobertson2510]

Glad you liked it!

[@Whaler170]

Thanks for taking the time to show us how you made your mold and mat. Very informative. I have been messing around with 3D printing different mats and even though they are hard plastic they work great. Next step will be to 3D print a mold to see how that would work. If I print out a beach sand sawtooth mat mold would you like to test it out? Might work fantastic for your next trip to Benson Beach.

[@alanrobertson2510]

You are welcome The 3D printing sure sound interesting As far as the sawtooth as long as it is not exactly like the sawtooth I might be interested I don't want to step on any toes with the other mat makers out there. Good luck with your project.

[@Whaler170]

It is a different design that I drew up in tinkercad. I looks similar to the sawtooth mat so that is just what I called it.

[@alanrobertson2510]

@@Whaler170 Some thing like that would be ok with me. to give a try.

[@Whaler170]

The 3D printed mold just finished printing last night (14 hour print). It looks really good. What’s the best way to get in touch with you so I can mail the mold out to you?

[@alanrobertson2510]

@@Whaler170 You can email me at alanrobertson976@gmail and I can get you my address. I can't wait to see what you have done.

[@achillies40]

That is a pretty good way of doing it. I wonder if liquid latex would work?

[@alanrobertson2510]

Latex might work but it is the silicone that makes all the mats work so well at catching the gold.

[@achillies40]

@@alanrobertson2510 Might be worth an experiment maybe? I wonder how the properties of the finished product would differ?

[@eddytaylor3697]

Very clever.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you.

[@sjfuller1963]

Thank you Alan! I was racking my brain trying to figure how you did that! Lol I was think a cookie cutter

[@alanrobertson2510]

You can just cut it out with a small razor knife to.

[@sjfuller1963]

I appreciate that, thank you!

[@highenergyog]

I was wondering how dime sized washers would work ? With the extra little stem in the centre I believe ( speaking with no experience) that it would help in catching more of that lovely yellow.

[@alanrobertson2510]

That is not a bad idea I might have to look for some you never know what will work until you give it a try.

[@StevenHanover]

Very interesting eye swirl design is popular

[@alanrobertson2510]

Only used it a few times. It was ok with low water flow.

[@KODArunner]

Hay Alan, you need to make a video of you BURNING THE BOX that you think/work outside of.....lol God bless & keep thinkerin' !

[@alanrobertson2510]

I think I this point you are right we should bun that big box we all get put into.

[@robertsunderland9196]

Very Good , How long do they last ? Does sunlight destroy them ? And is wet area silicon best , like for fish tanks ? Thanks.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks I haven't wore out a set yet the sunlight will fade them a bit if left out in the sun. I use 100% silicone I have a bunch of videos on making the mats and what kind of silicone to use.

[@robertsunderland9196]

@@alanrobertson2510 Yes thank you I watched another one of your videos. I see your mats are bear proof also. I live in Australia , I dont want to find out if they are Crocodile proof 😨

[@dewfew1]

Thank you Mr. Robertson for sharing an outstanding video how you make your silicone molds with the rest of us out here. I will be making one now and then see how it will workout, just need to pick up the clay and some silicone tubes this weekend and see what happens. Mr. Robertson I know it's not been too long since you started making these molds, but how durable do you think this silicone mold is, since you added the dawn dishwater soap to the silicone? Just a rough idea would good enough for me. I was just wondering if the silicone is as tough as the straight silicone that is a pain in the rear when you clean areas that straight silicone caulk has been used before. Thank you again for sharing another excellent video with the rest of us. dd

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thank you Have fun with the mats. You are right I have been using the mats since last fall so exactly how long they will last I just don't know yet so far so good no signs of wear yet. Yes the silicone is just as strong as it is right out of the tube as it is when it is put in the soap I can't tear one with my hands I tried. Thank you for watching.

[@dyergoldprospecting]

Looks good have you ever tried to make a taller riffle or something a little more aggressive i still haven't tried it yet

[@alanrobertson2510]

I just did a section using the legos that is super aggressive I have not ran it yet but I will soon it looks like a good one.

[@Goldwaschen-mit-Tom]

ok, just i mdae it. Good work, my freind. Greteings Tom

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks Tom I hope you have a great season out there.

[@jimmcbrayer4036]

Hi. Thanks for the video! When, if you want to, would I add the color to the silicone? Thanks.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Yes you can! you can use food coloring. It will fade over time. I now use black silicone from Silicone Depot.

[@UpcomingJedi]

Does the soapy water just serve as a release agent? You dont mix anything under water, do you? How do you make the punch shape? Is there another video on that?

[@billy56081]

Thanks again Alan!

[@patrickjobling8676]

Truly amazingkts big al ..😁

[@pirateprospecting707]

Great video Mr!! 😁✅👍🏴‍☠️I've been watching you for a long time and I've never seen this one?? Who knows? 🙂

[@alanrobertson2510]

The process work great for a diy mat the mat I made doesn't handle the high water flow very well.

[@arioacasius4027]

Gracias por el video!!!!!!! 💪💪💪💪🇨🇱👏👏👏👏🙏

[@Pimo1990]

send me some mats to Germany :) I love your videos , you are awesome!!

[@alanrobertson2510]

You bet. Thank you I am not using this mat anymore now that I have a 3D printer to make the molds. This mat will work fine with low water flow.

[@ainschuntayleuhn1147]

Thank You Sir!

[@summerland6397]

After using these and other silicon mats. Would you go back to miners moss?

[@alanrobertson2510]

I would never use anything but silicone mats in my sluice box ever again. No matter what the profile is. Gold does not slide on silicone.

[@rikiray3370]

Awesome

[@DesignCutters]

Great videos Alan. Since you had good luck with these mats in both directions, why not combine both directions in one mat - just alternate your u shape facing up then down when you press the pvc into the sculpey. You could either make alternating rows along the long dimension, or alternate each u shape within each row. I have a friend in Ekalaka - any gold near that part of MT?

[@alanrobertson2510]

Thanks for the ideas I am going to lay out a few different patterns and see how they look. I picked up five more pounds of clay to play with. Sorry no gold near Ekalaka that I know of.

[@vikd9337]

I was thinking out that stocch gard stuff that repels water for fabic and upholstery too

[@alanrobertson2510]

I have no idea if that will work only one way to know try it out and see.

[@frederickbierweiler8020]

what keeps silicon from sticking to your mold?

[@alanrobertson2510]

It's the dawn dish soap and water

[@frederickbierweiler8020]

@@alanrobertson2510 you mean that you "paint" the mold with dawn /water mix?

[@newbee1016]

Hi Alan, Started on my first silicone matt today, could not find dawn dish soap over here Aust' so I had to use a different brand, added the soap to the water squirted the silicone in 2 tubes, mixed it up into a ball, layed it out on the mould pressed it down into the grooves I had made I rolled the access off, then I waited, and I waited, it did not dry as yours do. It has been in the mould all day and it is still tacky. The silicone I used was your every day type, the water soap mixture felt okay the silicone wasn't sticking to my hands, it felt a bit slippery on the silicone if anything, the silicone I had I was able to put pieces back on the ball and they would mix back in. We may have different type of silicone over here or I chose the wrong type, nearly all our hard ware store had was the roof and gutter type, I was lucky enough to find just a plain multi purpose type of silicone. Wondering if you could offer any advice on what I may be doing wrong? I have been through your video on how too make it. Cheers Robert Aust'

[@alanrobertson2510]

I will try and help I have had a few failures as well. the silicone should mention Acetic acid released when curing if it says ammonia released when curing it will not work. the dish soap I am not sure what you have there I have heard that a citrus base will not work My suggestion would be if you have the right silicone just squirt a small amount of silicone into the soap and leave it with no water and see if it gets hard if it does not get hard you might have to try a different brand of dish soap . As far as the mold that is not hard yet it may take some time to cure I have one take up to four days to dry when I used just straight silicone. I hope this helps good luck.

[@newbee1016]

Hi Alan, thanks for the info' I think it was a citrus type of soap (bugger) I will have to read up on the silicone tube what type it is, eg Acetic or the Ammonia type. I will let you know how I get on. Cheers Robert

[@newbee1016]

Hi Alan, the silicone finally dried enough for me to be able to take it out of the mould, it turned out great, not sticky, nice and even in the grooves, one tiny little hole to fix. It took a good bit of tugging to get it out of the mould but it held it's shape no problems. Quite pleased the way it turned out. I will add some food die in the next batch. I had a good read of the tubes and there was no mention on them about the Acetic or ammonia release, I will try a different brand in the next matt to see how it performs. Thanks for your reply's. Cheers Robert

[@alanrobertson2510]

@@newbee1016 Fantastic! glad it dried out for you. you might what to try a different dish soap it sounds like you had no reaction from it. With the right soap it should cure in 30 minutes and peel off the mold pretty easy. Good luck it sound like you are on the right track.

[@newbee1016]

Hi Alan, I tried different brand of silicone, good old palmolive dish washing liquid, blue food die. I mixed the silicone up at about 10:30am and I was able to take it out of the mould at about 6:30, it was soft and rubbery, a bit like latex rubber, but it turned out as good as the first one. only 2 more to go for this project. I was wondering if the cool weather was hindering the drying time. Cheers Robert

[@coptechgold]

Love it, How did you know about the soap and silicone mix acting that way? I didn't know that would make that do that.

[@alanrobertson2510]

On You Tube just type in how to make a mold. Funny I know but it was that simple and I went from there.

[@nynut518]

you should invest in a plastic mold vacuum love this mat ,,, your take on the dream mat ,, id buy a pad or 2 from ya even made the way you make them ,,, how much would you charge for 2 of them bad boys ?

[@alanrobertson2510]

I have been thinking about the vacuum I am just thinking about how far I want to go with it and if there is a market for the mats once I get the process perfected. I don't think I am ready to start selling them quit yet but hopefully soon.

[@nynut518]

@@alanrobertson2510 I see a guy making plastic sluices that work awesome and he's making a decent penny do you have Facebook

[@alanrobertson2510]

@@nynut518 Yes I have seen the sluice on Facebook it looks like it does a good job.

[@claimmasters]

What material did you use for your templet the white sheet

[@alanrobertson2510]

Modeling clay

[@mamakat4308]

Loved your video yet again I'm always learning something new from you :-) got a question though what is your favorite silicone to use save from Home Depot? There's so many choices I don't know which one to get?

[@alanrobertson2510]

The cheap one just make sure it is 100% silicone no color or anything added to it I have tried many I like the DAP brand, Liquid nails, Ace hardware has a good one I buy most of mine at Walmart it's cheaper here. Good luck.

[@303prospecting7]

I'm going to try and make one with a deep grove traction mat at walmart and see how it will turn out.

[@alanrobertson2510]

Just a word of caution the smaller the pattern the harder it is to get them to come out right Try a small section first to see if it will work out.

[@jimmcbrayer4036]

Hi. Forgot to ask. Does any dish soap work or should I use Dawn? Thanks!

[@alanrobertson2510]

I only use Dawn other might work try a small bit and give it a try.

[@jimmcbrayer4036]

Thanks again Alan. I did make three mats and they are definitely “rough drafts” but I’ll try and send a photo! I did use the Walmart equivalent of Dawn and it worked just fine. Thanks again!!

[@sari6929]

Allan i want to make a wooden sluice mat(honey comb).Can it capture gold???Exactly the same design which you made in your this very video by makking some holes by a drill machine

[@alanrobertson2510]

Only one way to find out. Make it and test it.

[@donmoor4e974]

So which way is the backward way that works best?

[@alanrobertson2510]

It works best with the ridges at the top of the sluice and the pockets facing the bottom.

[@donmoor4e974]

@@alanrobertson2510 That was I was going to ask you and then I saw the video when you turned them.I made a rocker box , Do you think if I made some I should face them opposite of each other?

[@alanrobertson2510]

For a rocker I think I would face then opposite. If you make some and get them in the rocker please let me know how they work for you. Good luck on the mats.

[@jamespyritz9825]

Thanks

[@GoldenpaydirtReviews]

Did u mean 50% of the entire bottle of soap into the water well almost around that amount

[@alanrobertson2510]

No 50/50 soap and water

[@mehmetcelik4699]

thenk you granddady!

[@CalebP618]

Could you just use silicone? Without the soap water

[@alanrobertson2510]

You can spray the soap and water mix on the mold so the silicone will release from the mold when it dries when I tried it it took 4 days to dry completely with putting the silicone in the soap and water mixture it dries in about 30 minutes.

[@chrislilly1463]

“But honey! Alan said I could use your old cookie sheet!” Lol tee hee Just kidding man! Lol Great video as per usual. Did you find using the pvc pipe to smooth the silicone in the mould was unnecessary and better to just use your hand? Probably can force it into the small crevices more efficiently?

[@alanrobertson2510]

Yea and she will use that rolling pin on you. Yes the silicone likes to stick to the pvc pipe and I am getting a better mat using my hand. Always learning.

[@williampendergrass186]

Alan, HOW ABOUT A SILICONE GOLD PAN?

[@alanrobertson2510]

I have tried that and it hard to separate the gold from the black sand.

[@frederickbierweiler8020]

Im thinking you would be an interesting man to know

[@alanrobertson2510]

I am interesting for sure. lol

[@sari6929]

Dime you mean a metallic coin????

[@alanrobertson2510]

Yes a coin

[@heinzhubbuch9409]

ROLLING OUT THE CLAY WAS THE HARD PART AND YOU DID NOT SHOW THAT!

[@heinzhubbuch9409]

WHY WOULDN'T YOU COAT YOUR PVC PIPE WITH DAWN SOAP AND RUN IT ACROSS THE SILICONE FOR A PERFECT FLAT BOTTOM?

[@albertbrown9618]

LE TRAP slice box

[@anthonymalliris2089]

So why does it need to be even?? A river or a creek is not perfect, right? My mats are not perfect and they all mimic a creek. For example, a log, a boulder, natural Ripple's. I used to buy mats pre-made now I don't. I found making a mat oddly catches more gold than a mat made by a machine. Just saying a mat never has to be perfect.