Rocker box

bigjoek

Full Member
Feb 2, 2013
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Hey i was wondering if anyone knows of anyone producing rockerboxes, I've seen the gold grabber , but I don't need all that. Ivr made a wood one, it works but Its heavy. I want an aluminum one lighter weight and more durable. Any leads? Or anyone on here make them. I'm in Washington and I'm trying to work some high benches and there is little to no water
 

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bigjoek

bigjoek

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Feb 2, 2013
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There's NO better feeling than to make one yourself and have someone say they like it and where did you get it ? Then your big smile pops out and you say I did built it!:icon_thumright:
I love making my own gold mining stuff. There is definitely no better feeling. Especially when it catches gold.
I just started making another one that's 4x12. It's more of a production box, I'm going to use it on the skykomish at big Eddy. There is a ton of flour flood gold there, and it's only a 1 minute walk from the car.
I want an aluminum one that's welded I don't want rivets and angles all over it. Adds alot of weight. Plus I want to back pack into glacier peak this upcoming summer . Volcanos equal gold. I don't think it's been prospected in over 20 years. You have to hike in 20 miles to the mountain . Cheers man have a good day
 

et1955

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I love making my own gold mining stuff. There is definitely no better feeling. Especially when it catches gold.
I just started making another one that's 4x12. It's more of a production box, I'm going to use it on the skykomish at big Eddy. There is a ton of flour flood gold there, and it's only a 1 minute walk from the car.
I want an aluminum one that's welded I don't want rivets and angles all over it. Adds alot of weight. Plus I want to back pack into glacier peak this upcoming summer . Volcanos equal gold. I don't think it's been prospected in over 20 years. You have to hike in 20 miles to the mountain . Cheers man ha

I love making my own gold mining stuff. There is definitely no better feeling. Especially when it catches gold.
I just started making another one that's 4x12. It's more of a production box, I'm going to use it on the skykomish at big Eddy. There is a ton of flour flood gold there, and it's only a 1 minute walk from the car.
I want an aluminum one that's welded I don't want rivets and angles all over it. Adds alot of weight. Plus I want to back pack into glacier peak this upcoming summer . Volcanos equal gold. I don't think it's been prospected in over 20 years. You have to hike in 20 miles to the mountain . Cheers man have a good day
Are you making a 4ftx 12ft sluice , you do know that only a sluice with 3 sqr. ft. of riffle area is allowed unless you get a HPA for it but I know the Sky very well and trying run a sluice that wide will be very problematic , I have a hard time running my A52 on it. I know the Big Eddy area very well, if you are accessing the river at the state park there, be aware that it is illegal to mine in the park area. Next interesting fact about that area, since gold is so small it moves after a flood witch we just had, one type of flood will deposit gold there and then another type of flood will move gold out, I have seen it happen there. I mine mostly up river near the source of the gold on the Sky but I am now going to test the Big Eddy area for fun, good luck
 

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bigjoek

bigjoek

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Feb 2, 2013
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Are you making a 4ftx 12ft sluice , you do know that only a sluice with 3 sqr. ft. of riffle area is allowed unless you get a HPA for it but I know the Sky very well and trying run a sluice that wide will be very problematic , I have a hard time running my A52 on it. I know the Big Eddy area very well, if you are accessing the river at the state park there, be aware that it is illegal to mine in the park area. Next interesting fact about that area, since gold is so small it moves after a flood witch we just had, one type of flood will deposit gold there and then another type of flood will move gold out, I have seen it happen there. I mine mostly up river near the source of the gold on the Sky but I am now going to test the Big Eddy area for fun, good luck
Rocker box. Not sure how they classify riffle area on something without riffles. Can't mine at the park? Ive seen guys with highbanker set up . huh didn't know that. I usually hit the nf Sky. Came up with 6 grams so far this season and still have a gallon of con to run across the miller table.
 

et1955

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Rocker box. Not sure how they classify riffle area on something without riffles. Can't mine at the park? Ive seen guys with highbanker set up . huh didn't know that. I usually hit the nf Sky. Came up with 6 grams so far this season and still have a gallon of con to run across the miller table.
Go on land Matters, you will see the park boundaries, its small, 6 grams that's great for the N.F but I average 6 grams in 4 hours sluicing on the Sky. Rocker boxes need riffles to work and if you are going to use black ribbed mats , that is also considered to be riffle. pic of my gold mined the last time on the Sky.
 

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Rick-SAR

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May 26, 2011
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Hey i was wondering if anyone knows of anyone producing rockerboxes, I've seen the gold grabber , but I don't need all that. Ivr made a wood one, it works but Its heavy. I want an aluminum one lighter weight and more durable. Any leads? Or anyone on here make them. I'm in Washington and I'm trying to work some high benches and there is little to no water
Mike Zapp, makes them in Phoenix out of Red Wood. He does great work (I bought a Drywasher from him - also made out of Red Wood - (he also has a web site showing a Rocker Box- don't remember the web site address. His phone number is 602 618-9959
 

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bigjoek

bigjoek

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Go on land Matters, you will see the park boundaries, its small, 6 grams that's great for the N.F but I average 6 grams in 4 hours sluicing on the Sky. Rocker boxes need riffles to work and if you are going to use black ribbed mats , that is also considered to be riffle. pic of my gold mined the last time on the Sky.
Unbelievable. I've still yet to find good ground. Is that a claim you're on? That's some crazy good gold. What I dug was flood gold. The streak dried up. Are you way up the nf ? We went way up to galena bit there was a bunch of weird methheads all over. So we bailed out.
 

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bigjoek

bigjoek

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Feb 2, 2013
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Mike Zapp, makes them in Phoenix out of Red Wood. He does great work (I bought a Drywasher from him - also made out of Red Wood - (he also has a web site showing a Rocker Box- don't remember the web site address. His phone number is 602 618-9959
appreciate it
 

crashbandicoot

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Just to show how little I know about gold mining when I saw rocker box I thought about the covers on the rockers of radial aircraft engines.Now I know better!Thanks guys.
 

et1955

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Unbelievable. I've still yet to find good ground. Is that a claim you're on? That's some crazy good gold. What I dug was flood gold. The streak dried up. Are you way up the nf ? We went way up to galena bit there was a bunch of weird methheads all over. So we bailed out.
I haven't been mining the N.F. since the late 1990's, after the 1995 historic flood there was nice gold there. After some smaller floods most of the gold was flushed out and redeposited in the Skykomish. The N.F. is the main source of gold for the Sky, I have tested above where the N.F. enters the Sky and found nothing. I have been up silver Creek and explored all the gold mines there plus other mines threw out the N.F. area. I mine on public land, open to all.
 

gold tramp

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I hate always being the odd man out here.
My rocker has to have riffles or all the black sand n fine values wash oot the end. The apron can only hold so much.
The action of the rockin and the bump along with wash water will throw all but the heaviest values out of the apron and down the sluice..
So one needs the riffles or loose you blacksand values..
Anyways cant get a pic to show up so you just have to take my word for it.
Maybe my rocker is built wrong ?
Gt..
 

et1955

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Yep - no riffles on a rocker box. The gold is caught in the sag before it even gets to the board.

Heavy Pans - er ... sags
The rocker box designs I have all have riffles on the bottom to catch fine gold, the Sag as you call it is also referred to as an apron and is there catch course gold. Also the old timers would add an amalgamation plate to catch extremely small gold.
 

gold tramp

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I always thought the apron was there to slow the water that's poured so it wouldn't disturb the material behind the first riffle, on mine I have never found gold on the apron itself. Like I said the rocking action causes all the materials to wash off, I have a 2' wide x 4' long rocker box. It takes a little practice to get the rocking motion down pat. I also gravity feed my water supply by hose pipe along with my pour can..
Gt ..
 

Clay Diggins

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You might add riffles or french ticklers to your rocker board but it's not part of the recovery system for a rocker box. The sag concentrates the gold and the black sand, garnets, lead and zircon all flush away down the board. That's because rocker boxes were designed to capture gold with minimal water use when processing unclassified bank run material.

The board wouldn't even be there except you need something to support the rocking motion. If you want to add something to a rocker box feel free, it's part of what miners have done for thousands of years. Hook up a trommel or wash plant, put streamers on the handle if you want. It's still the sag that captures the gold or it's not a rocker box.

Heavy Pans
 

et1955

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The sag is nothing but a depression in the apron to capture large gold, think drop riffle not sagging B**bs. LOL. I see the possibilities to greatly improve the efficiency of the Rocker Box, going to be fun challenge.
 

gold tramp

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You might add riffles or french ticklers to your rocker board but it's not part of the recovery system for a rocker box. The sag concentrates the gold and the black sand, garnets, lead and zircon all flush away down the board. That's because rocker boxes were designed to capture gold with minimal water use when processing unclassified bank run material.

The board wouldn't even be there except you need something to support the rocking motion. If you want to add something to a rocker box feel free, it's part of what miners have done for thousands of years. Hook up a trommel or wash plant, put streamers on the handle if you want. It's still the sag that captures the gold or it's not a rocker box.

Heavy Pans
My rocker box handle is made of bamboo no streamer attached, a sagging piece of cloth would just flop around like a wet noodle, think about what your saying, after much trial n error my apron is now a piece tin. Where the washings drop into a riffle and water concentrates the gold...

I'm here in South Cali desert very minimal water to use, not like up north on edge of a running stream.
It's ok to be wrong clay, if we ever get rain here again I will most definitely make a YouTube video just for you on how my rocker box fashioned after the 49ers works...

Sorry for hijacking this thread...
Gt....
 

arizau

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My rocker box handle is made of bamboo no streamer attached, a sagging piece of cloth would just flop around like a wet noodle, think about what your saying, after much trial n error my apron is now a piece tin. Where the washings drop into a riffle and water concentrates the gold...

I'm here in South Cali desert very minimal water to use, not like up north on edge of a running stream.
It's ok to be wrong clay, if we ever get rain here again I will most definitely make a YouTube video just for you on how my rocker box fashioned after the 49ers works...

Sorry for hijacking this thread...
Gt....
Sorry but I agree with Clay and N-Lionberger. What you describe and I quote "my apron is a piece tin" is now nothing but a slick plate. A properly constructed apron or "sag" is usually canvas, stretched and suspended within a removable frame which is tilted. When in use, the deepest part of the cloth hangs just below the frame's bottom edge and that end of the cloth can be close to vertical forming a perfect gold trap.
 

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