Rocker build

[No gold in NY]

I started my rocker box yesterday, but then gave more thought. Can't use it where I want to in Vermont as it is illegal. I can use it in NH, but if I drive that far, I'm going to use my sluice. so, I think I will leave it set for a while.

 

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[N-Lionberger]

They work well in low water situations or sections of river that are not suitable for sluice setup.

 

[arizau]

I started my rocker box yesterday, but then gave more thought. Can't use it where I want to in Vermont as it is illegal. I can use it in NH, but if I drive that far, I'm going to use my sluice. so, I think I will leave it set for a while.

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I agree with N-Lionberger....These are best used where there is only still water source or low flow in a creek.

Contrary to many designs I have seen, most of the gold should be caught in properly designed aprons before it even has a chance to get to the floor of the rocker.

Figure 3 of this attachment (https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/gold-rocker-box) is the best representation I have seen for rocker box design. I would not attempt to slant the sides though as that just makes it harder to build. Note that there is a slick plate beneath the hopper bottom that directs the feed and water to the top edge of the apron. Also note that this design has two sections to the apron. The apron's themselves must be designed to have a sag that sinks directly below the lip when full (maybe about an inch at most)....that is where the gold collects. Make sure the apron is secured 360 degrees around it's perimeter so that it sort of forms a bowl. This design also uses fixed riffles in the bottom....maybe a piece of carpet or deep v mat would work better and be much easier to clean out.

Good luck.

 

[N-Lionberger]

The canvas apron is the main recovery section of a rocker, I have seen people use carpet covered baffles I have never tried have always used the old apron. the riffles in the trough section aren't really riffles like in a sluice box, the gold is caught on the upstream side of the obstruction, most of the old time rockers I have inspected had at the most 3 or 4 permanent riffles, in my experiments I found a single big block riffle is sufficient as it isnt really a riffle its a cheater like in a pan, theoretically it could be operated with no riffles and retain gold if operated at a correct angle and care in the rocking motion. Its more closely related to a pan than a sluice.

 

[No gold in NY]

This has been great information by N-Lionberger and arizau. I can see what is going on with diagrams when it comes to a simple box or riffles. For the riffles I figured if some is good, more must be better. I can remove some of them. The diagram posted by arizau is the best I have seen. As far as the apron goes, I can not grasp what the diagram is showing. Guess I'll have to see one in person.

 

[N-Lionberger]

This apron shrank up on me you want a nice sag in it, it sits under the hopper on the slats on the sides. On that box I had removeable riffles that would wedge in the back under those slats then wedge blocked down in the front. the hopper in the picture shows expanded metal, I quit that a while ago punch plate works better you get a better wash action than expanded.

 

[No gold in NY]

OK, I got it now. All I needed is a picture. Thanks.

 

[N-Lionberger]

The link arizau provided has some good info on rocker operation, my rocker is in pretty rough shape makes me want to build another.