how did you do with a rocker box? that is one piece of equepment I have never checked out. I always assumed that if a lot of people arn't using them they must not be very good at catching gold.

@Dutch Rocker boxes work, but found a protable sluice works just as well, it's all in the classifying and water flow, didn't notice a difference in retention.

@Tarkus60 no to the classifiers, I just finished a mini trommel that should handle 1 shovel fullof material as fast as I can shovel it in. I have a picture on my page of it.12volt with a solar panel to keepthe battery charged.

@Dutch small protable trommels are great, let you process much more material, how many stages of clasification in your trommel ? and are you rigging a portable water supply to sluice your fines ? remember to always go over your larger materials with a good metal detector, would have thrown away some nice nuggets if I hadn't.

@Tarkus60 here in Wis all we have is very fine flea poop sized gold, trommel is set to run anything smaller than 3/16ths of an inch anything bigger goes shraight out the end with a nugget trap in the end of the drum just in case. drum is easy to change out, making another one with 5/16ths holes in case I ever get out of Wi. that will also have a nugger trap at the end of the drum..

oh, I do prospecting as a hobby to keep busy and healthy now that I am retired.sluice, drywasher even tried myhand at winnowing(SP) just looking for conversation

Hi, where do you look? In South Cal just need right soil, very small specks all over the lower hills.

a pan is a testing and clean up tool, sluice box laid in the stream is stealth prospecting and puffer/bellows drywashers work best where there is no water and your dirt is DRY.

@Dutch I live in the desert SW. We have mostly sand here. A friend of mine has done a lot of what he terms dry washing in boxes of different size screens. No idea if he finds anything, he won't say. He still does it so there must be some merit in it. I lived in Alaska and the stream that ran along our property had gold in it that we could pan. It was fun but a lot of work for a little color.

I have spent a few winters in quartzsite Az and prescott had better luck with a drywasher in quartzsite but paid my way in both locations.goood hard work will keep a person healthy

@Dutch Quartsite is a very interesting area. I go there for the Gem Show. I live on the border down in the real sand.

@AZWoman yuma is to close to the border for my liking, and I have never heard of major gold deposits down there.

@Dutch There are gold deposits here. American Girl and Picacho mines.

@AZWoman i'll have to check that out next winter, something different. IF the border settles down by then. anyhow way past my bedtime. have a good one.

@Dutch Buenos Noches hes y dulces suenos