If you are going to classify your material before sluicing it, you might as well do it wet. Using one of those Keene bucket top classifiers is slow and inefficient. If the material is damp, it will stick to the rocks that you throw out and you will be losing some gold. The only real downside to this method is you have to carry heavy buckets to and from the sluice box. I have been using this one for several years and it ain't pretty but it works great.

To make one, cut the bottom off a five gallon bucket about an inch or two below where it sits on a bucket it is nesting in. Use the bottom of the bucket as a form to bend the screen (I used half inch). You will need to cut some wedges out of the screen to avoid folding as you bend it. When cutting the wedges, leave some stubs on the edges of the screen so you can use long nose pliers to bend the stubs around adjacent parts of the screen to sort of "sew" it together. When it looks about right, attach the screen to the top part of the bucket with flat head screws or pop rivets so there won't be any screw heads protruding on the outside. The bottom of the screen should be about seven inches from the bottom of a bucket it will be nesting in. That's it!

To use this thing most efficiently, you will need two buckets. Fill both buckets about three fourths full of water and carry them to where you are digging (I told you there is a down side). Put the classifier in one bucket and almost fill it up from the other bucket then start shoveling. I can usually put three heaping shovels in and then give the classifier a few quick twists, a few up and down bounces and a couple more twists. When you dump the classifier, the rocks will be squeaky clean. You can repeat the process two more times for a total of nine shovels depending on the material you are working. The bucket will be about two thirds full of classified material. Put the classifier in the other bucket and pour in whatever water is left in the loaded bucket. Take the loaded bucket to the sluice and run the stuff through. Refill the bucket about three fourths full of water and repeat the whole process. You will soon learn how much water to carry back to keep going.

From Alan Webster

Someone gave me a bucket classifier that I am using and I thought I'd pass the differences along.

1. Instead of attaching screening, use a shorter bucket or cut off the top half (third, quarter, whatever) and drill holes the size thatyou want into the buckets bottom section.
2. Attach a couple handles to the top for better grip, especially when twisting. He used pop rivets to attach the handles, but bolts or screws would work.

Bucket Classfier
Robert Hamlett

Another bucket classfier submitted by Bob Hamlett of Wellington, New Zealand (THANK YOU). This one has a screened bottom in the top bucket and sits on metal rods in the bottom bucket. It looks like it works very well.

Small Classifiers
Bill Westcott

Although not obvious from the photo, the upper left classifier has a screen in it. These are manufactured by Keene and cost about $15. You can get these with various screen sizes. The upper right classifier is also manufactured by Keene but doesn't have the screen and costs about $4. The classifier on the lower left is the same as the one on the upper right with all but the cross ribs cut out and a screen from a hardware store has been pop-riveted in. Total cost: under $5! 'Nuff said. The other classifier is made in the same manner but a small plastic paint bucket found laying around was used.

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