quill

www.gpoc.com

THE PROSPECTORS

Crying towels were provided for 4th place winners at the Colorado Gold Panning Championships.

official publication of The Gold Prospectors of Colorado

PO Box 1593, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901 Fellow Prospectors:
The Colorado State Gold Panning Championships was a tremendous success. Thanks to our Volunteers this year, it went off with out a hitch. Alton Oaks deserves a warm show of gratitude, as he is our most recent recipient of the Frank Burns Memorial Sportsman's Trophy and Award, which he will be presented with this month. This trophy and plaque are presented to the person who was the best sportsman and most valuable volunteer at the Championships. Alton was so busy cleaning the Championship sand he was unable to participate in some of the events. I personally felt ashamed that I wasn't there helping him with a duty that is so critically necessary to the function of the Championships allowing all to enjoy the challenges of the competition. This is one example of what our organization is about folks and here's a shining example of someone who, without being asked, brought in generators to supply power, gas to run them, a high banker to wash sand, showed up early each day and stayed late to keep things running smoothly. Thank you Alton Oakes! This months outing is at the Leadville claim on the 27th and 28th from 8am Saturday till 5pm Sunday. Be mindful that there is no shade except beside my camper. There is no Plan of Operation in place for this claim yet, so it's panning and sluicing only. continued on page 2

volume 38 no.9

inside
Presidents Letter! Contacts! September Calendar! Membership Meeting Minutes! Colorados Gold Dome! Gold Panning Championships Championship Pictures! Championship Pictures! Rockers! Rockers, continued! Rockers, continued! Rockers, continued! Free Rocker Plans! Free Rocker Plans! Puddling! Rocker Plans! Rocker Plans! Rocker Plans! Mining The Internet! 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

september

2011

G LD NUGGETS is a blog for and by GPOC members. Gold Nuggets is an informational hub for members to keep up-to-date with GPOC news and events. We encourage you to email your news items and information to the webmaster at www.gpoc.com. Join GPOC on FACEBOOK! You need your own Facebook account. Access GPOC on FACEBOOK through a link on the GPOC website.

President Ben Higley president@gpoc.com

Treasurer Bill Smith treasure@gpoc.com Webmaster Stacey Smith webmaster@gpoc.com Editor Lin Smith quill@gpoc.com

GPOC
contacts

Contact Info for all club activities Bob Hale (719)213-3383 Membership membership@gpoc.com Claims Marty Witcher claims@gpoc.com

Trustees One Year Gary Beaderstadt Two Year Diane Anderson Three Year Jim Blakenship

Vice President Wayne Wittkopp vicepresident@gpoc. com Secretary Elise Pearce secretary@gpoc.com

Presidents Letter, continued

If you have a re-circulatory unit its acceptable as long as you don'tdraw water from the river while in use. We expect a good turn out and are hoping to discover some of the hidden secrets of the glacial deposits from 5 million years ago. I myself plan to explore the upper North West 40 acres where the bedrock is exposed and engraved by the ice striationsfrom the North. In this areaas I have secretly scoured the cracks and fractures in the rock which seem to be undisturbed and are perhaps a good place to start a search for an alluvial deposit. The river has shown good gold by those who know where to look. I have seen the yellow metal drawn from a one-gallon bucket of material from behind a rock in the high water stream bed. September 16th, 17th and 18th is the Denver Gem and Mineral show at the Denver Merchandise Mart at I-25 and 58th Ave on the North East corner. The GPOC could use volunteers to help set-up on Thursday night at about 5pm. On Friday we need help with about 500 children per hour with panning demonstrations tthat begin at 8am. Thank you to all of you who volunteer in helping the general public with better understanding of how it was in the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 and how our great state was booming due to this golden discovery and how we still to this day educate people on the aspects of this, we call, Gold Prospectors of Colorado. Sincerely, Your President and public servant, Big Ben P.S. This months nominations for the upcoming Election. Nominations are open for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Web-Master and aThree yearTrustee. So think about whom you want to nominate making sure that that person needs to accept the nomination. You can even nominate yourself! So get involved and have some fun with this. Anything is possible.Ben Letter from the Editor: This months Prospectors Quills focus is on rockers. Additional information is available on the GPOC website which includes the history of rockers as well as additional plans. While doing research on this subject I found numerous books which did not think that rockers were efcient in capturing ne gold. The historical plans are quoted as found and may contain directions for the use of mercury. Mercury was used in the rocker boxes to aid in the capture of gold. This is NOT a method that any modern day prospector should use, nor is it condoned by the GPOC. By using your knowledge of sluices you should be able to do modications to the rifes as well as using more advanced matting materials that are available today. The Roc Doc can be a source for matting products. If you receive the printed copy of the Quill it will be shorter than the online version due to printing costs. For further information on rockers and pictures of the Championships access the Prospectors Quill online. A huge thank you to Jim Blakenship & Shirley Weilnau for the pictures of the Gold Panning Championships!

Prospectors Quill
Editor Lin Smith quill@gpoc.com
Gold Prospectors of Colorado P.O. Box 1593 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901 The GPOC is a 501(c) charitable organization

www.gpoc.com
The Prospectors Quill is the ofcial newsletter of the Gold Prospectors of Colorado. The opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reect those of the club or its members. The editor, club, ofcers, and contributors do not assume any liability for damages resulting from use of information in the Prospectors Quill. Articles of interest are welcomed. All articles submitted for publication are subject to editing. Submission of articles must be received before the 20th of the month. Unless noted, non-prots may reprint or quote from articles, provided credit is given to the authors and publication and a copy of the newsletter the article appears in is sent to the editor of The Prospectors Quill at PO Box 1593, CS CO 80913. All pictures are the property of the photographer and are not to be copied or reproduced.
The information is provided solely for the readers g e n e r a l k n o w l e d g e . G P O C a s s u m e s n o responsibility for its completeness or accuracy. Although care has been taken to produce the information in the Quill, information is provided without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information. I want to thank you in advance for pointing out my mistakes! However, it is YOUR responsibility to research resources and make sure that you are in compliance with all laws and regulations, as well as following the GPOC CODE of ETHICS.

Lin
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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September calendar
For further information contact:

meetings
1st
Board Meeting
Gold Hill Police Station 7:00 PM 955 Moreno Avenue, CS, CO
president@gpoc.com

events
16th,17th,18th
44th Denver Gem & Mineral Show Minerals of Russia Denver, Colorado Denver Merchandise Mart Expo Hall 451 E. 58th Avenue (I-25 at Exit 215)
16th 9AM - 6PM 17th 10AM - 6PM 18th 10AM - 5PM

events
18th
Denver Gem & Mineral Show
1:00 PM: Presentation: Creede Colorado History by Charles A. Harbert

events
24th
Public Lands Days In addition to free admission on September 24, every participating volunteer at National Park Service sites on National Public Lands Day will receive a coupon for a fee free return visit.

www.gpoc.com
Please refer to the information below for further events

Claims Committee Meeting There will be no formal claim meeting during the summer.

volunteers needed

14th
General Membership Meeting

17th
Denver Gem & Mineral Show
1:00 PM: Presentation: Starting a Mineral Collection by Pete Modreski 2:00 PM: Presentation: The Greater Alma Mining District by Steven Veach

23rd-25th
Explore Historic Leadville http:// www.cmcneversto plearning.com/ Explore-HistoricLeadville Fun and educational weekend for history buffs and those curious about Leadville and Lake County's colorful and wild past!

7:00 PM 3400 N.Nevada CS, CO

Dry Panning

GPOC Summer Events

Sept. 16th - 18th 44th Annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show http://www.denvermineralshow.com/index.php Sept. 24th# Public Lands Day

Denver Museum of Nature and Science September 16, 2011 - January 8, 2012 Tyrannosaurus Rex is a prehistoric icon-one of the largest and most erce dinosaurs of all time. Experience the heart-stopping size of this ferocious predator in a bilingual exhibition that demonstrates how the "tyrant lizard king" was monstrous yet mortal. Dinosaurs Alive Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Begins Sept. 16th

South Park National Heritage Area. You will tour the Tarryall Road and the communities of Como, Fairplay and Alma. Steven Veatch, GeoScience and historian explaining the mining history of Alma Paris Mill and Arrastra Tour, Panning for gold with Chad Watkins, Tin Pan Prospector Outtters, Walking tour of Alma plus shing demonstration plus BBQ plus live music. Register by calling 1-303-893-4260 or by going online at: http:// coloradopreservation.org/home-feature/save-the-date-for-onthe-road/ Explore Historic Leadville Sept. 23-25 Tour of CMC campus and slide show of the Old Stage Road Tour of Hayden Ranch by two Hayden Ranch experts Trip to the Old Stage Road interpretive signs along Arkansas River Saturday Tour Mining District Picnic lunch at National Hall of Fame and Mining Museum Tour of Evergreen Cemetery Tour of Delaware Hotel or Healy House and Dexter Cabin Performance by "Madams of Central Colorado" and dinner at The Delaware Hotel Sunday Tour of Hopemore Mine (600 feet down!) Rockhounding in Mining District Grab and Go lunch
3

The IMAX 3D lm Dinosaurs Alive! features amazingly lifelike recreations of dinosaurs and follows renowned paleontologists as they uncover new fossils and evidence about these endlessly fascinating creatures. The 3D adventure Waking the T. Rex: The Story of SUE brings Sue-the world's most famous Tyrannosaurus Rex-to life .Some scenes may not be suitable for young children. On the Road Again Sept. 9-11 Join Colorado Preservations On the Road Heritage tour of the
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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General Meeting August 10, 2011

Get supplies for

PRIME PROSPECTING SEASON

Let us help you: * convert your high banker to a dredge * replace worn parts and hoses * stock up on needed supplies * or just get some new stuff

President Ben Higley opened the meeting at 7:10 PM Pledge of Allegiance President Ben asked the price of gold. It was $1,806.00 an ounce. President Ben asked if there were any new members, there were 13 new members. President Ben asked if any one went out prospecting, several members stood and told their stories of their nds. President Ben talked about the Colorado State Gold Panning Championships. Many winners and fun had by all. President Ben requested approval of last months General Meeting minutes. Approved. Treasurers report from Treasurer Bill Smith. President Ben introduced all current members of the Board to the General Membership. Also discussed the upcoming elections in October. Championship Judge Stacey Smith talked about the Colorado State Gold Panning Championships that were held this past weekend. There were22 competitors in the state competition. She also mentioned that the Championship committee will be meeting at the Denver Gem & Mineral Show inviting anyone interested in being on the committee to attend and to also elect a new chairperson. Vice-President Wayne announced the winner of the Frank Burns Award for 2011. Mr. Alton Oakes was selected as the winner for his outstanding sportsmanship showed during the State Championships. President Ben thanked all the volunteers who have committed time and effort to make this club a success. Trustee Gary Beaderstadt gave away 9 volunteer nuggets for volunteers. The winners were: Elise Pearce, Paul Harloff, Wayne Wittkopp, Bob Butler, Benjamin Higley, Steve Swearingen, David Herrera, John Schmult, Dick Margeson. Webmaster Stacey Smith asked if anyone was having any troubles accessing any part of the website. Break Trustee Gary had drawing for two white ticket drawings, winners were Donovan Greene & Nancy Nowacki. There were 21 red ticket winners. Trustee Jim Blankenship spoke about the upcoming outing at the Twin Lakes claim. Be prepared for no shade, no facilities, limited parking, no gasoline powered equipment to be used. Date of the outing will be August 27-28th. President Ben introduced guest speaker Herb Hendricks who gave a video presentation. Meeting was adjourned at 9:42 PM

The Rock Doc

17897 US Hwy. 285 | Nathrop, Colorado

Highway 285 Between Buena Vista and Salida 719.539.2019

Open 7 days a week Club permits sold HERE one stop Hours September Monday - Saturday 10 - 5 Sunday 12 - 4

A Complex Problem
It isnt the Gold Its Water, Heat and Cold!

Regrettably, the dome of our Capitol has fallen into serious disrepair. The cast iron enclosure of the dome and drum, painted gray to match granite used elsewhere in the structure, has deteriorated over the past hundred years due to water inltration and the intense freeze-thaw cycle of the Colorado climate. The observation deck, the unforgettable eld trip destination for generations of Colorados school children, has been closed to them, as well as to all visitors, since 2007 due to the danger of falling cast iron. Engineering experts have declared the deteriorated condition of the structural metal fasteners holding the enclosure together to be a signicant hazard to the building and its occupants. The experts have concluded that, the entire dome will require extensive work to repair current damage and preserve the feature for future generations. Colorado Preservation Inc is proud to lead the citizens campaign to raise the funding necessary to restore our Capitol Dome. By helping meet the goal of $8 million set for us by the Legislature, you are not only saving the Peoples House, you are also helping to save the State Historical Fund for all Coloradans. Please make your check payable to: CAPITOL DOME RESTORATION FUND Mail to: Colorado Preservation Inc. 2100 Downing Street, Suite 300 Denver, CO 80205
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GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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2011 GOLD PANNING CHAMPIONSHIPS STATE OLD TIMERS TEAM 1st Craig Koretoff Gary Beaderstadt Benny Higley Gary Sue Drewes Beaderstadt Larry Gary Weilnau Beaderstadt Eric Beattie Glenn Ohrns LADIES

NATIONAL TEAM 2ND STYLE Linda Jent Larry Weilnau Wayne Wittkopp Sue Drewes Ben Higley Dianna Anderson MENS Ted Westcott Patricia Vesterby Linda Jent

JUNIORS

TEAM 3RD

Larry Bethany CookeJoshua Weilnau Anderson Gary Trey Dove Issac Beattie Beaderstadt Wayne Harry Dove Davis Censner Wittkopp WORLDS DRY Larry Weilnau Eric Beattie Gary Beaderstadt

Colorado State Gold Panning Championships 2011

Ladies Sue Drewes, Linda Jent, Dianna Anderson GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9 WE ARE ELECTRONIC at www.gpoc.com 5

Juniors Harry Dove, Bethany Cooke, Trey Dove

Colorado State Gold Panning Championships 2011

Team 3rd Issac Beattie, Joshua Anderson, David Censner

Anna

Alton Oaks

Ted Westcott

GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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National Style Ted Westcott, Larry Weilnau, Ben Higley, Fourth: Gary Beaderstadt

Colorado State Gold Panning Championships 2011

Worlds Dry Larry Weilnau, Eric Beattie, Gary Beaderstadt Fourth Place: Benjamin Higley

GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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Rockers
By Lin Smith

Primitive mining techniques advanced rapidly improving on early techniques as the hunger for gold increased. With the heightened appetite for gold a more efcient method than the pan was needed to process larger quantities of pay dirt. Placer mining techniques using the rocker or cradle, which had been used by miners from Georgia and North Carolina in the 1820s and 1830s, were introduced to the multitudes of inexperienced prospectors. It was cheap, could be built with readily available materials, required less water than a sluice and was portable. For these reasons it was especially adapted for washing in gullies, where the gold was coarse and water was scarce. The rocker was extensively used in small-scale placer work for sampling and for washing sluice concentrates and materials excavated by hand. It was estimated that one to three cubic yards could be dug and washed in a rocker per man-shift, depending on the distance from water, the character of the gravel and the size of the rocker. Rockers are normally homemade of lumber and built in a variety of sizes and designs depending upon the size of gold, the available construction materials and the builders experience. The materials used to construct a rocker are usually
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

readily available and inexpensive. The boards used for the rocker need to be smooth and free from knotholes, otherwise, gold could be lost. Clear lumber without cracks or aws should be used. If your rocker will be used continuously, sugar pine reinforced with metal ttings is preferred. Redwood can be substituted if sugar pine is not available. Wood will absorb water and as a result it will become heavy and more difcult to move. If you use exterior grade plywood or any wood you need to seal the joints with waterproof glue and protect any exposed surface with marine varnish or a water-based satin polyurethane. A water-base is preferred over an oilbased which might cause the gold to oat. Colorados climate is very dry which may dry out your rocker and crack the wood from the constant drying and wetting effect, so do not store it in the sun without being covered. The cracks created will capture your gold where you are not able to reclaim it. They used to burn their wooden equipment and pan the ashes for the trapped gold. After working hard on constructing your rocker you dont want to have to burn it! Rockers should have tight joints, with corners strengthened by galvanized iron angles, placed outside; 2 or 3 light tie-bolts which will prevent leaking of swelling. Knock Down Rockers For portability, rockers may be of "knock down" construction, which is held together with bolts and nuts. If made to knock down care must be taken that the joints are tight so ne gold will not be lost. A piece of canvas, galvanized iron, or tin spread over the bottom and partly up the sides of the sluice will help prevent the loss of ne gold. Rocker Construction A rocker consists of four basic parts: the hopper with screen, apron, handle and sluice with rifes and rockers.
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The rocker is built on an incline. If your rocker design is too high you will tire quickly from having to lift the gravels too high.

Hopper The box or hopper is on the uppermost part of the rocker with sheet iron punched with holes or a screen, lining its bottom, used to capture and size the gravels. A screen with too much open area allows the nes to pass through too fast and the rifes in the lower sluice will be overloaded if there is a lot of sand. A plate with -inch holes drilled or punched in an alternate pattern at 1-inch intervals and -inch centers covers a 10% open area. The hopper is movable so that it can be removed for inspection and dumped or replaced. Convenient handles can be placed on the outside for lifting. It should be made to inches narrower than the inside width of the rocker which will help to scour and screen the gravel with a bumping action. Larger rocks should be inspected and removed so they do not interfere with the working of the rocker. When the hopper is full of material, all washed clean, the hopper is removed and the contents removed and carefully looked over for any gold.

Primitive Log Rocker

continued on page 9
8

Apron Below the hopper an apron of canvas or other material is stretched. The apron carries all screened material to the head of the bottom of the rocker (sluice). It is a simple wooden frame covered with loosetting cloth, blanket, or matting sloping downwards and supported from the sides with a sag. The sag in the apron helps to trap the gold and black sand allowing for longer runs between cleanups. The approximate position of the blanket rife, must be set on a steep enough gradient so that there will be as little packing of gravel on the rifes as possible. If there is a high percentage of clay, a layer of mud can form on the apron making it difcult to capture the gold. Sluice The bottom of the rocker should be made of a single, wide, smooth board, made of vertical-grained lumber that will not shred or roughup, which will facilitate cleanups. On the oor of the cradle or sluice rife bars are placed. In designing the rifes they should be removable for ease of cleanup. (Remember to wash them in your catch pan during cleanups.) You can alter the rife designs just as in a sluice. The length of the sluice is important. If it is too short you will loose your gold. Generally they range in length from 24 to 60 inches with a width of 12 to 25 inches. Through the center of each of the rockers a spike is placed to prevent slipping. Two planks about 2 to 8 by 24 inches with a hole in the center to hold the spike in the rockers is recommended. This creates a bed for the rockers to work on and helps in the adjustment of the slope of the bed of the rocker. If one-quarter-inch lag screws are driven into the bottom of each rocker about 5 inches from each side of the spike and the heads are allowed to protrude from the wood, a slight bump will result as the rocker is worked back and forth. This
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

additional pulsation will help to concentrate the gold. (Just like the Georgia Bumper) If screws are used, metal strips should be fastened to the bed-plates to protect the wood from wear. Handle The length of the rocker handle is importantit should be waist-high to the operator in a standing position. The long leverage makes the rocker much easier to handle and reduces the amount of physical effort required. Anyone who has attempted to operate a short-handled rocker from a sitting position will appreciate the preceding comment. Rocking The rocker needs to be placed on level and hard ground. The prospector rocks the rocker with one hand and at the same time dips and pours water with the other hand. A second prospector places the gravels into the hopper. The smaller gravels and sands along with the gold fall through the holes in the steel plate falling onto the apron and then they fall onto the oor of the sluice where the gold and black sand are captured on the rifes. The rocking motion mixes the gravels in the hopper and keeps the sandy deposit on the lower oor of the sluice in constant motion, causing the gold to settle behind the rifes, while the lighter particles ow out and into a catch basin. Some directions found when working with ne gold state that it was an advantage to place the hopper over the lower part of the rocker, and to extend an apron, made of thick woolen cloth, or a piece of a good blanket the length of the cradle which trapped the ner gold. The rocker is cleaned up every two to three hours by pouring water through the rocker while being gently rocked, washing the concentrates from the top. The apron is also removed and washed into a catch pan. The concentrates, which have been captured behind the rifes, are
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scooped to the top of the sluice and washed with clear water. Efcient Operation Several factors need to be experimented with to assure the efcient operation of a rocker. When gold is found near the lower end of the rocker or sluice box, the reasons could be attributed to some of the following factors. The grade that a rocker is placed is determined by the type of gold as well as the concentrates or gravels being worked. The ner the gold the less of a slope is required. If the grade is insufcient sand may blanket the rifes and cause loss of gold. Initially, set your rocker at 1 inches fall per foot of length. With coarse gold and clay-free gravel, the head bed-plate should be 2 to 4 inches higher than the tail bed-plate. If the material is clayey, or if your gold is ne, the slope should be decreased by about an inch. You will know if the angle is right if the larger gravel keeps moving and the smaller gravel and sands gather in front of the rifes about an inch or two, and behind the rifes by about an inch. Be careful and do not ll the hopper too full, only half way with the screen plate partially exposed on one end. If too full, the gravel will spill over the sides when rocked and it can be difcult to regulate the ow of material through the screen.

continued on page 10
9

Water The rate of water ow is important. Pour the water at the exposed end of the screen plate at a steady ow while the rocker is shaken vigorously. A steady stream of water is necessary to prevent any ne gold from being washed out by a sudden rush of water. The amount of material fed into the rifes is regulated by shifting the point at which you apply the water between the gravel and the exposed screen plate. You can adapt a water hose supplied by a pump or a gravity-ow to apply the water at about 5-gallons per minute. Applying the water by hand can be difcult since you will be rocking the rocker with the other hand. If you must dip the water into the hopper make sure that your supply of water is close at hand. The amount of water used is critical. The amount of water ow can determine the amount of rocking you will have to do. With less water more rocking must be done. If too much water is used the typical ne gold found in Colorado will be washed away. If too little water is used the ne gold will not settle and be caught in the rifes. If the material is clayey and the water becomes muddy you may loose your ne gold as it will oat and run off. Rocking Motion The rocking motion used can be critical to the concentration of the gold. You should rock the rocker vigorously back and forth with several, quick abrupt stops, agitating the gravel. The gravel bed should be shifted slightly with each motion and should be evenly distributed across the trough. The more constant the rocking of the cradle, the less the danger of packing the rifes. Black sands, which Colorado has a lot of, will buildup and become hard in front of the rifes preventing the concentration of your gold. Like rifes in a sluice, if you are not able to see the top of the rifes they are being packed. If this happens the rocking
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

motion you are using can be changed by being more abrupt when stopping the rocking motion, which will cause the sand to be more agitated. You can also occasionally gently stir the material behind the rifes. When rocking is stopped so that any accumulation of rocks in the hopper can be removed, the material in the rifes tends to settle and pack. If this packed material is not loosened any gold will be lost. The material behind each rife should be loosened and scraped back toward the head-end of the rocker (sluice). This loosening procedure is the key to effective rocking. The loosened material is subsequently washed down and reconcentrated with the next run and if the rocker is kept free of packed sand in this manner, it will effectively recover our gold. If the rocking is too violent the gold and other sands will be washed over the rifes and lost. Too heavy a rocker can be difcult to rock properly and to transport. The length of time required for washing a hopper of dirt depends upon the tenacity of the dirt, the supply of water, and the violence of the rocking. If the clay is very tough, a quarter of an hour may be spent in washing a hopper; if it contains a lot of sand, two or three minutes may be enough. A device to prevent packing, is to put a little block under the rockers at each end, so that every time they come down the cradle gets a jolt, shaking up the gravel on the bottom and letting the water get under it, and thus preventing its settling. After the entire sample has been washed, the concentrate remaining behind the rifes is picked up with a scoop and placed in the upper end of the rocker and then carefully rewashed once or twice with clear water to remove surplus sand and further reduce the concentrate volume. The apron, rifes and canvas mat are then removed and washed out in a pan or tub of water and the
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combined concentrate panned to a nished product. Two people operating a rocker and using 100-800 gallons of water can process 3 to 5 cubic yards of material in 10 hours. Clay If clay becomes a problem you can use a puddling tub to breakup the clay soil before you add it to your hopper. If you are having trouble adjusting the slope, water, and rocking motion you should consider reworking your tailings. You should place a catch basin at the bottom of the rocker to hold your tailings so they can be reworked. Power Rockers The capacity of rockers may be increased by using power drives. The use of such a machine was illustrated by the operation of George Graves in the Lynn district, Eureka County, Nev., during the summer of 1932. The rocker was 49 inches long, 27 inches wide at the top, and 21 inches wide at the bottom. It was 24 inches high in front and 21 inches at the rear. The screen had 5/8-inch round holes. The gold was caught on three aprons of canvas and wood. Rifes of 1/2-by 1/4-inch wooden strips were used on the aprons. The undersize from the screen passed over each apron in turn. Nearly all the gold was caught on the rst apron. The slope of the aprons was 3 inches to the foot. The device was rocked by an eccentric arm at the rate of forty 6inch strokes per minute. The capacity of the machine with two men working was 1 cubic yard per hour. Where gravel was free of clay the capacity was said to be as great as 3 cubic yards per hour. The cost of the rocker and the engine for driving it was $160. At $4 per 8-hour shift and 1 cubic yard per hour the labor cost of washing the gravel would be $1 per cubic yard. continued on page 11
10

Rockers, continued A number of small machines patterned more or less after the power rocker are on the market. They usually are built of iron or steel and driven by small gasoline engines. Although of various designs they generally consist of a trommel or a shaking screen to remove coarse material, a short shaking sluice to save the gold, and a pump to circulate the water. Some of them contain a settling tank from which the solids are removed by a rake or drag. These machines have an advertised capacity of 1/2 to 2 1/2 cubic yards per hour and cost $225 to $700. No operating data are available. (By: J.M. West Bureau of Mines publication, Information Circular 8517) Should you invest in building a rocker? They can be useful in areas where water is scarce and a sluice cannot be used. They are inexpensive to build and run, can be portable, require little water, process more material than a pan, and can be used in areas where a sluice or motorized equipment cannot be used.

, nkers ighba mps es, H re Pu Sluic ressu e/P Volum High

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Bob Butler Buena Vista, Colorado 719-395-2003

Further information and the history of rockers can be found on the GPOC website.

CAUTION: THE GPOC PROSPECTORS CODE OF ETHICS APPLIES TO YOU

The Bureau of Land Management recently contacted the GPOC Board of Directors to report that a club member was acting inappropriately at a BLM recreational gold panning area and was being told to leave. Needless to say this was very embarrassing because we have worked hard to show BLM we are respectable citizens and good stewards of the environment. The individuals actions violated many of the principles addressed in our Prospectors Code of Ethics. GPOC has subsequently revoked that persons membership. The BLM ofPice reiterated to us that their recreational gold prospecting areas are set aside for recreational use and are not intended to be mined for proPit. If youre trying to supplement your income, dont do it at Point Bar and Cache Creek. Failure to observe the BLM guidelines by a few could result in either or both of these areas being shut down for us all. The GPOC Prospectors Code of Ethics isnt meant to restrict our fun and success. Its meant to convey common sense and common courtesy. By following the code, we set a good example for other prospectors, and we show the government that prospecting is not a horrible desecration of public lands. We hope each member of GPOC will abide by these guidelines wherever you prospect they dont just apply to our GPOC claims. The members of the GPOC Board of Directors wish you safe and prosperous prospecting.

GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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11

Rocker Box Free Plans

Arizona Gold Prospectors Basic Design for a Rocker Box Bills Rocker Box
http://www.arizonagoldprospectors.com/diy.html Build your own prospecting equipment with links to several different sites with equipment plans. Some links do not work. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=How+To+Make This is an old design but gives you the basics. +Sluice http://www.angelre.com/de/tour2/images/design3c.gif +Box&view=detail&id=85C4CBBA58C5F57A7789503EF75 Several other plans for equipment are also provided. 5ADBD6AB5E3D3&rst=0&FORM=IDFRIR http://www.billandlindaprospecting.com/rockerbox.html Nice pictures and diagrams.

http://www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/les/how_to/ Bills_RockerBox.pdf Buckeye chapter of the http://www.buckeyegold.com/rocker.htm

Bills Rocker Box

PDF diagram le with dimensions. Detailed colored plans. Another source for goldohio@yahoo.com Rev: 03/30/09 plans Discussion about a rocker and how to use it with links.

GPAA Build Your Own Gold http://ezinearticles.com/?Build-Your-Own-Gold-RockerBox-Or-Gold-Cradle&id=1410815 Rocker Box Or Gold Cradle Building a Rocker Box http://www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/les/how_to/
Rocker_Box_Plans.pdf

Nice Plans. Department of Mines Bulletin No. 21 "Notes on Placer Mining in B.C." (also found on GPEX site) The drawing and the instruction was taken from Bulletin 21 Notes on Placer Mining in British Columbia originally published in 1946. Gives you additional comments. CANADIAN GOLD PROSPECTING FORUM - Gold Prospecting Forums>Gold Prospecting Forums General>Do It Yourself Projects>Chux Rocker box plans and tips. Gives you a good discussion of dos and donts as well as a diagram. GPEX has many other plans also. River rocker box plans 1, Rocker Box from Information Circular 6786, 1934 (which you cannot download), Rocker Box 3 Bulletin No. 21, issued in 1959.

Building and Use of a Rocker box

http://www.missourihills.com/html/rocker_box.html

Chux Rocker box Plans http://gpex.ca/smf/index.php?topic=2968.0 and Tips

Detailed Plans for Building a Rocker

http://gpex.ca/homemade-gold-prospecting-tools.html

Do It Yourself, Old Time http://nevada-outback-gems.com/design_plans/DIY_rocker/ This is an excellent web site for information. The principal use of Rocker_box.htm a gold rocker is for mining small deposits where water is scarce. Gold Rocker Box

Dunleys Rocker Outt http://www.placer-gold-mining-in-bc.org/minersmoments.htm

So perhaps the best use is in streams and waterways with very little water where some water is present, but not enough to run a sluice box. Unique old drawing with discussion about this rockers reliability.

GPEX Rocker Plans How To Build a Set of Rifes

http://gpex.ca/pdfs/Rocker%20Box%203.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9SRkISudyWI&feature=related

The detailed plans for building a rocker.

This is a video by Greywolf showing how he constructed rifes.

Join Jack Swick at the mouth of the Cripple River in Nome, Alaska as he gives step-by-step instruction on how to build a River Rocker Box. Learn what tools and materials are required. See the rocker in action when Perry Massie and Jack demonstrate how it works. Have fun building your own piece of equipment. You can buy an additional DVD. This plan is reprinted from Information Circular 6786, "Placer Mining in the Western United States" by E. D. Gardener and C. H. Johnson. It was published by the US Bureau of Mines in September, 1934 Michael Silva. 1986. CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION. DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Great information on several placer methods.Special Publication 87.

http://www.goldprospectors.org/Communication/ Jack Swick's River Rocker Box Plans For ArticlesandInformation/tabid/153/EntryId/110/JackSwicks-River-Rocker-Box-Plans-For-Free.aspx Free

Lapidary World

http://lapidaryworld.com/pdf/gold_rocker_box.pdf

Placer Gold Recovery PLACER GOLD RECOVERY METHODS PLACER GOLD ... Methods
www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_resources/gold/ Documents/SP87.pdf www.goldmining.net/buildrocker.html http://www.theprospector.com/html/buildrocker.html http://www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/les/how_to/ River_Rocker_Box.pdf http://goldprospectors.org/SearchResults/tabid/38/ Default.aspx?Search=Jack+Roc+Box

Placer Mining Rocker

Complete plans and discussion.

Placer Rocker
River rock River Rocker

Detailed plans and dimensions but no instructions for assembly are provided.

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Rocker Box Free Plans

River Rocker Box
http://minnesotagoldprospectors.org/creekbed.htm This club web site provides instructions for a rocker box as well as other plans. River Rocker Box Excellent photos, diagrams and instructions! This plan is reprinted from Information Circular 6786, "Placer Mining in theWestern United States" by E. D. Gardener and C. H. Johnson. It was published by the US Bureau of Mines in September, 1934 Click on rocker box for these old hand draw directions. Sluice box diagrams are also available. This plan is reprinted from Information Circular 6786, "Placer Mining in the Western United States" by E. D. Gardener and C. H. Johnson. It was published by the US Bureau of Mines in September, 1934 This is goldohio@yahoo.com Rev: 03/30/05 & pages with photos. Notes on Placer Mining in British Columbia. Bulletin 21. This excellent bulletin describes methods of small-placer mining as well as geology and placer formations.

River Rocker Box Plans http://www.buckeyegold.com/rocker.pdf Rocker Box

http://miningold.com/rocker.html

Rocker Box 1930s Rocker Box

http://www.twistedsticks.com/Gold/History.htm http://www.iowagold.com/HOWTOPAGES/ how_to_build_a_rocker_box.htm

Rocker Box

http://www.minnesotagoldprospectors.org/ RiverRockerBox.pdf PublicationsCatalogue/BulletinInformation/ BulletinsAfter1940/Pages/Bulletin21.aspx

Rocker Box Free Plans http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/

Rocker Box Instructions http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/rockerboxplans.html This page contains a collection of hints and tips sent in by some
of the best most creative, inventive prospectors around http:// www.goldfeverprospecting.com/resuhiandti.html

Sleek Freak Rocker

http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/CD3WD/APPRTECH/ G10TOE/P398.GIF

Excellent publication which discusses various equipment used in mining, including the rocker box. The handbook deals with analysis, mining activities, and energy, and contains hints on technical issues and work organization. It also includes information about historical mining machinery Homemade rocker box in action, in Colorado, video, with some things to keep in mind when using a rocker box

Using a Rocker Box You Tube

http://goldpanningsupplies.net/gold-rocker-box/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMYASvh0vTg&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mCPYsloZ9k&feature=related http://www.delostooleauthor.com/rocker1.html

Yukon Gold Rocker

This unusual rocker comes with wheels for easy portability. Other articles are available. Articles and Information by Delos Toole

The "puddling box" is a box six feet square, eighteen inches deep, arranged with plugs for discharging contents. The box is lled with water and clayey dirt containing gold. By stirring with a rake the clay Is dissolved in water and run off. Concentrated material collected In the bottom is washed later In a pan or rocker. It was used a lot in Australia and worked by horse power in 1860. Another instrument which is used in but a few parts of California at the present day is the pudding-box. This is made of rough boards. It is about six feet square and a foot deep. Very tough clay that cannot be worked successfully otherwise, is thrown into this box together with water. A man stirs this mass until it is thoroughly dissolved. He then removes a plug, a few inches above the bottom, and allows the thin mixture of earth and water to escape. The heavier portion with the gold remains, more water is added, and the process repeated. When sufciently separated in this manner, the pan or rocker is called into requisition to complete the work of parting the gold from the tenacious earth.
From: The Victorian Gold Fields 1852-3 An Original Album by S. T. Gill
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

California Notes, Chapter X, by Charles B. Turrill, San Francisco, E. Bosqui & Co., 1876.

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How to Make a Rocker By W.H.Storms Queensland Government Mining Journal. Sept. 14, 1912, page 436. The rocker usually has the shape indicated in the accompanying sketches, its peculiar form being due to the desire to get rid of any unnecessary wood. For this reason the upper part of the front portion is cut away, as shown. It is a good scheme to make a knockdown rocker, as it costs but little more, and when set up on the proper grade, it is as rigid and as enduring as one that is nailed for keeps. The illustrations show the details of construction of a portable rocker. Where the gold is ne a longer rocker is advisable, and where there is much clay in the dirt it is well to have a puddling box in which to stir the dirt thoroughly before placing it in the rocker, or the gold is almost certain to be lost, as the clay will carry it out. One side of a knock-down rocker is shown in the illustration, this side facing inward. The opposite side is exactly like it. The back slip in between the cleats at A; the bottom rests upon the cleats at B, the front at C; the diagonal cleat D supports the canvasapron frame; an upper centre piece extends across the top, resting on the cleats at E, and the sieve box rests on the cleats at F. The entire affair is bound together by six rods of -in. iron, each provided with an upset head and washer at one end, and a thread, washer, and nut at the other. Bolt holes are indicated by X on the gure. The nuts will be more convenient if made like those on the tail-board rod of an ordinary farm wagon. In fact, the six rods operate in exactly the same manner as the tailboard rod, and permit any desired degree of rigidity to be obtained by merely turning the nuts. In height the rocker need not exceed 16 in., and 18 is a convenient width for the outside dimensions. A good length is 4 ft. Dressed lumber is best to use in its construction, the screen box being of -inch material. The latter should be provided with cleats at the back and front for handles, to facilitate lifting it from its rests. The screen or riddle is usually made of thin sheet steel, sometimes of stovepipe, or even of a 5-gallon can. The perforations are usually about -in. diameter and can be punched in the sheet with a large nail or spike, if nothing better is at hand for the purpose. The holes are spaced in. apart. The screen is tacked rmly to the bottom of the box which ts inside the rocker, but should not be too tight. A box 15 3/4-in square and 4 in. deep is a good size for the dimensions previously given for the main part of the rocker. If too much play be given the screen box, it will soon rack the entire machine. This box should not sit deeper than 1 1/2 in. in the rocker box. The bottom of the rocker is made of a single board the full length of the rocker, and it tted on its upper surface with two rifes each in. high, as shown at II. On the lower side, and 6 in. from each end, are nailed two segments of a circle (the rockers KK), 18 in. long, 2 1/2 in. high and 1 1/2 in. thick. In the centre of each of these rockers is xed a spike which projects downward at least 1 1/2 in. The rocker, when ready for work, sits on a solid frame, or on two slabs, or heavy planks, lying on the
GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

ground and secured so that they cannot shift about when the rocker is in motion. They should be provided with holes into which the spikes will drop. One end of this foundation should be about 2 in. higher than the other. This xes the grade, but it may be necessary to give the rocker more or less grade than is here suggested, depending on the character of material to be washed, a light alluvial requiring less grade than gravel containing much iron rock, garnets, and other minerals of high specic gravity. On one side of the rocker and outside the box is nailed a vertical strip of wood 2 in. wide, 11/2 in. thick and projecting about 14 in. above the top of the rocker box. This forms the handle with which the rocker is shaken, the top being about 32 in. above the ground, which is a convenient height. The canvas apron is an important part of the construction of this concentrating machine. It should be made of wooden strips, the side being 1 in. square, the strip forming the top, and that of the cross piece near the bottom being 1 in. by 11/2 in. The pieces should overlap and be nicely tted. Some place a second cross piece midway between top and bottom of apron, but his is of doubtful utility. The canvas is not tightly stretched at the bottom of the apron frame, but is allowed to sag somewhat, so as to form a sort of depression or pocket, just above the lower cross piece. It the gold is at all coarse it is not uncommon to nd most of it on the apron when the clean-up is made. When the rocker has been placed in position, the gold-bearing material is dumped into the screen box, and the rocker is then vigorously shaken back and forth, but not too roughly, while at the same time the operator pours a stream of water upon the dirt from a dipper made of a 21/2-quart can, which may be tted with a wooden handle. Often where water is scarce, the tailings discharge into a pool and are shoveled out from time to time, so that the water is used over and over again until too thick with slime to be of further use, when the pool must be thoroughly cleaned and fresh water allowed to accumulate, or a new site for a dip hole selected, that operations may be continued. The water must be poured on with judgment. If it is added in too large a volume it is likely to wash the gold off the apron and even to carry it over the rifes on the bottom of the box. The stream should be steady in volume and sufcient in amount to carry the tailings out over the rifes without banking up over the bottom. Cleanups can be made as often as desired, but usually depend upon the amount of gold being caught. Generally a cleanup is made after every fourth or fth load. Do not attempt to ll the box completely, but allow the dry dirt to form a at cone on the sieve about as high as the top of the box at the centre but shallow around the sides. If too full, the dirt, clogs, slops over the sides and washes slowly. A good rocker, properly set and operated by an experienced man will save surprisingly ne gold. Many mills are provided with a rocker which is used in cleaning up battery sand, and for other purposes. The concentrated material is washed carefully in a pan, quicksilver being used where the gold is ne.
14

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ROCKER (CRADLE) Gold Placers and Placering in Arizona. Eldred D. Wilson. Bulletin 168. Reprinted 1981. State of Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch
Next to the pan, the miners rocker (cradle), is the commonest machine used in placer mining. If gold values can be protably recovered with a pan or batea, rockers can be advantageously used since they handle somewhat larger amounts of dirt. Capacity With a fair-sized rocker, two men working together can wash from 2 to 4 cubic yards of average dirt in eight hours, but sticky clay and cemented gravel lower the capacity. Clayey dirt should be soaked and stirred up in a puddling box before it is put through the rocker or, otherwise, the clay (gold robber) may carry off some of the gold. The rocker catches coarse gold effectively, but aky, porous, or our gold is apt to oat off with the tailings. Construction Details The miners rocker (cradle), made in many sizes and shapes (no two of which are absolutely identical) consists of a hopper (screen-box), an apron, and a rifed box or trough which is open at one end. This trough is mounted on two rockers, which are set crosswise beneath the bottom. Other features are usually incorporated in its construction but the ones mentioned are the essentials. Rockers are made from 10 to 45 inches in height with an outside width of from 8 to 30 inches. Lengths range from 15 inches to 8 feet or longer. Short rockers are poor our gold catchers, long ones catch our gold between, but are difcult to transport, while extra high rockers make the shoveling and other work too laborious. The usual length is from 3 to 5 feet. Soft lumber, which will not shred or rough up under working conditions, is the best to use in the construction of the body of the rocker. The bottom should be made from a single board, free from knots and cracks, with the topside planed. When such lumber is not available, the bottom is covered with a piece of carpet, canvas, burlap, blanket, corduroy, corrugated rubber, cocoa matting, hide with the hair on it, or similar material over which the rifes are placed. Such a covering acts as a good our gold catcher and it is, therefore, a good idea to use it in all rockers. This covering should be taken up occasionally and cleaned of its gold (washed in a tub or burned and the gold panned from the ashes). Apron # The apron is a canvas-covered framework made of about 3/4X11/2 inch lumber. The side pieces are usually extended at the lower ends a little beyond the lower crosspiece, so as to allow clearance for the dirt. The canvas is tacked onto the framework so as to leave a sort of sag or pocket, about an inch deep at the lower end.

Instead of the sag pocket, some persons fold back the canvas and make one or more cross pleats that act as rifes and pockets. The material that passes through the screen of the hopper falls onto the apron where some of the coarse gold and other heavy minerals are caught, the balance washing over the end of the apron onto the head end of the rocker. The apron should t loosely enough so that it can be readily removed and cleaned after several batches have been worked through the rocker. The concentrates from it are accumulated and washed in a pan. Rifes # Rifes, as shown in Figure 9, are used to catch the gold that washes over the apron. When the dirt carries so much black sand that its banking up behind the rifes prevents the rifes from catching the gold, some, if not all, of them are dispensed with and a covering of carpet, blanket, burlap, cocoa matting, or similar material is used to catch the gold. Wire cloth, wooden cleats, or metal strips, tacked down over the covering hold it in place and act as rifes. Hopper or Screen Box " A typical hopper (screen box) is shown in Figure 9. The ends should t loosely, but not too loosely, in the rocker. About half an inch of clearance between the side of the rocker and the sides of the hopper gives the proper bump. The cleats that support it should be set so that the bottom of the hopper is nearly level when the rocker is set up on its bases. The screen or bottom of the hopper is usually made from thin sheet metal (about 18-gage iron). Some use the tin from a 5-gallon oil can. This is perforated with holes about inch in diameter, spaced about 2 inches apart. Some do not punch the holes in the sheet metal of the hopper screen right up to the ends of the hopper, but leave from 3 to 4 inches of solid sheet metal at one or both ends. This is done so that all of the ne stuff that passes through the screen will fall onto the apron for a preliminary concentration. Some operators use inch or larger wire screen cloth for this purpose but it does not work very well. Slope of Bottom " The slope or grade for the bottom or oor of the rocker depends upon the character of the material being handled and is determined by the cut and try method. Light material requires a atter slope than gravel that contains much heavy minerals. The usual practice is to give the bottom a slop of about 2 inches in 3 feet, which can easily be done by setting one base plank higher than the other. Some people make one of the rockers about 2 inches higher than the other rocker and use level bases. A heavy plank is usually used as a base under each rocker, and these planks should be well secured so that they will not move and shift around when the rocker is in operation. Cross pieces nailed from one plank to the other make the base more rigid. A hole or groove in each base (plank) must be provided to take care of the spikes that prevent the rocker from working down grade.

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Rocker (Cradle) continued Cleats fastened to the lower side of each plank are sometimes used instead of spikes. Operation # Enough material is dumped into the hopper (screen box to ll it from one-half to two-thirds full. While a stream of water is poured over the material, usually from a dipper, the rocker is given a rocking motion and kept rocking. Small rockers are usually rocked by hand but motor power is being used more and more for this purpose. The material is worked over and the clean stones and boulders are picked out, inspected, and, if found valueless, discarded. The water washes the ne material through the screen onto the apron where some of the gold and heavy minerals are caught. The material that does not remain on the apron washes over it end onto the bottom of the rocker where more of the gold and heavy minerals are caught behind the rifes. The lighter, worthless material washes over the rifes and out of the rocker. It is advisable occasionally to test, by panning, some of the tailings (waste) owing out of the rocker to nd out if gold values are being lost. Water # The water should be added in a steady stream and the volume should be sufcient to carry the waste out over the rifes without banking. Too much water may wash the gold out of the rocker with the waste, while too little, especially if much clay and black sands are present, will not allow the gold to settle and be caught. More water is usually used in rocking than in panning, the amount varying much. If used sparingly, especially if some of it is reclaimed by the use of a settling basin and used over again, the amount of water needed varies from 50 to 150 gallons or from two to six barrels of water for each cubic yard of dirt put through the rocker. Some nd it more advantageous to haul the gravel to the water than the reverse.
With a fair-sized rocker, two men working together can wash from 2 to 4 cubic yards of average dirt in eight hours, but sticky clay and cemented gravel lower the capacity. Clayey dirt should be soaked and stirred up in a puddling box before it is put through the rocker or, otherwise, the clay (gold robber) may carry off some of the gold. The rocker catches coarse gold effectively, but flaky, porous, or flour gold is apt to float off with the tailings. Construction Details. The miner's rocker (cradle), made in many sizes and shapes (no two of which are absolutely identical) consists of a hopper (screen-box), an apron, and a riffled box or trough which is open at one end. This trough is mounted on two rockers which are set crosswise beneath the bottom. Other features are usually incorporated in its construction but the ones mentioned are the essentials.

Cleanups # The frequency of cleanups depends upon the amount of gold being caught and how the rocker is functioning. It is advisable to watch the concentrates behind the rifes and govern the frequency accordingly. The apron, where most of the coarse gold values are caught, should be withdrawn and cleaned of the accumulated concentrates after ve or ten batches of dirt have been put through the rocker. Less frequently, once or twice in an eight-hour shift, the rifes are cleaned of the concentrates that have collected behind them, but the richness of the concentrates governs these factors. After a quantity of these concentrates has accumulated, they are cleaned and the gold is separated from the worthless stuff as already outlined under panning. Construction Details for Knockdown Rocker " Figure 9 shows a knockdown rocker and is taken from the article entitled How to Make a Rocker, by W.H. Storms in the June 24, 1911, issue of the Engineering and Mining Journal. A longitudinal section through the center of the rocker, an end view, and a hopper (screen box) are shown. A-Cleats-The back (N) slips in between them. B-Cleats-To hold bottom (L) of rocker. C-Cleats-To hold front crosspiece D-Cleats-To support canvas apron E-Cleats-To hold top crosspiece F-Cleats-To support hopper (screen box) They should be placed so that the bottom of the hopper is about level when the rocker is set up on its bases. X-Bolt holes for -inch iron bolts used in holding rocker together I-Rifes-3/4-inch high by 1-inch wide. H-Handle for rocking rocker (Some rockers have the handle fastened to the hopper.) K-Rockers L-Bottom board of rocker (1-inch lumber dressed to -inch is heavy enough) M-Spike to prevent rocker from slipping down grade N-Back of rocker
96

Rockers are made from 10 to 45 inches in height with an outside width of from 8 to 30 inches. Lengths range from 15 inches to 8 feet or longer. Short rockers are poor flour gold catchers, long ones catch flour gold better, but are difficult to transport, while extra high rockers make the shoveling and other work too laborious. The usual length is from 3 to 5 feet. Soft lumber, which will not shred or rough up under working conditions, is the best to Use in the construction of the body of the rocker. The bottom should be made from a single board, free from knots and cracks, with the top side planed. When such lumber is not available, the bottom is covered with a piece of carpet, canvas, bUrlap, blanket, corduroy, corrugated rubber, cocoa matting, hide with the hair on it, or similar material over which the riffles are placed. Such a covering acts as a good flour gold catcher and it is, therefore, a good idea to use it in all rockers. This covering should be taken up occasionally and cleaned of
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Next to the pan, the miner's rocker (cradle), Plate XI and Figure 9, is the commonest machine used in placer mining. If gold values can be profitably recovered with a pan or batea, rockers can be advantageously used since they handle somewhat larger amounts of dirt. Capacity.
.-101

Quantity of gravel that can be panned in eight hours. The amount of gravel that can be panned in eight hours by a fairly good panner is about fifty pans or about % of a cubic yard. One cubic yard of average gravel in eight hours is about the maximum that can be carefully panned by a very skilled panner when all conditions are favorable. If the gravel is cemented or if sticky clay is present, this quantity is reduced.

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GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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PROSPECTING THE INTERNET

http://westernminingalliance.org/ Western Mining Alliance Advocating for Miners and businesses Open Pit Mines from Space Wired Science http://www.wired.com/ wiredscience/2009/10/ gallery_mines/ Glittering Gold Page showing historical photos of gold from the American 49ers rush Alabama Gold Mining The Nugget Shooter Bill Southern's Site in Arizona Arizona Gold Prospectors Gold Mining and Prospecting with Metal Detectors, Drywashers, Dredges, SluiceBoxes, Hard Rock Gold Mining Gold Nugget Hunting, Nugget Shooting and More Dave and Maria McCrackens website based in California. A very professional and long standing prospector. http://www.goldgold.com/ Basement Chemistry For the Prospector http:// webpages.charter.net/kwilliams00/bcftp/bcftp.htm With a little common sense and attention to detail anyone can use chemicals to recover metals in complete safety. Gold Panning instructions http://www.icmj.com/ beginners-corner-detail.php? id=3&keywords=Gold_Panning_Instructions How To Mine and Prospect For Gold http:// www.icmj2.com/BegCorner/ USGSHowToMineForGold.htm This Bureau of Mines publication, Information Circular 8517, was released in 1971. Since that time, changes in Federal regulations have made it possible for individuals to purchase, hold, sell, and otherwise deal with gold. Sluicing Instructions http://www.icmj.com/beginnerscorner-detail.php?id=1&keywords=Sluicing_Instructions

l Show d Minera r Gem an enve Annual D inks The 44th Related L Societies eralogical on of Min ays it all! Federati e name s ual Show American nding - th hou of our ann rado Rock ise Mart - location Colo erchand ral Show Denver M and Mine and sociation ston Gem Hou ineralogy logical As nce on M al Minera n l Confere Internatio ternationa etc M6 - 6th In M& ls, fossils, ing, minera ocieties ockhound Museums logical S bsites - R of Minera lorado We link portal Co ederation tain F e mineral side cky Moun t extensiv Ro mos nna Chirn the web's ed the Do - award The Vug y Museum M Geolog CS r 2010 Trophy fo

Denver Gem and Mineral Show

Q: Who puts on the Denver Gem & Mineral Show? A: Members from eight different clubs and societies in the greater Denver area volunteer to bring you the Denver Show each year. This association of clubs is called the Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council. Q: How long has the Show been in existence? A: Each Denver-area club put on their own show back in the 1950s, but soon thereafter (in the early 1960s), the clubs joined forces and created what is now known as the Denver Gem & Mineral Show, the second largest such show in the United States. Q: The Denver Show is at the "Denver Merchandise Mart." Where is that? A: The Merchandise Mart is on 58th Avenue in Denver, just east of I-25. A map showing the location of the Merchandise Mart can be found on their website. Q: What is the name of the Show Hotel and what is the address? A: Quality Inn North, 401 E. 58th Ave., Denver, CO 80216 USA Click here for details. There are also other hotels in the area. Q: I heard there is another show that occurs at the same time as the main Denver Show. Where is the other show and how can I get to it from your show? A: Yes, there are several other shows in the Denver metro area at the same time as our show. The largest of the other shows is the one that is put on by Martin Zinn Expositions, L.L.C. Please see their website for show information. You can travel between the two shows by FREE shuttle. The shuttles usually depart from the main show's north entrance every 20 minutes or so. You can see a list of all the other shows on the Jewelry Show Guide's Denver Fall Show Guide website. Our show is listed as the Denver Gem & Mineral Show.

In this newsletter, GPOC provides links and references to other websites. GPOC has no control over information at such sites hyperlinked or referred to. These links and references are being provided for the convenience of the readers, and GPOC does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for the content, nature, or reliability of any linked or referenced website or any link contained in a linked or referenced website. GPOC takes no responsibility for monitoring, updating, supplementing, or correcting any information on any linked or referenced website and makes no representation or warranties regarding such information.

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THE PROSPECTORS QUILL Mailed

The Quill is available online only UNLESS you wish to receive it by mail. If you wish to receive The Prospectors Quill in print your yearly subscription fee will be $15.00 for a mailed copy. Look at your mailing label and it will have when you need to renew your membership. Take the number of months left on your membership and multiply it by $1.25. That will be your cost for the rest of your CURRENT membership. DATE

Gold Panning & Prospecting For Fun

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FREE Gold Panning Tips 1,000 GPOC MEMBERS CONTACT OVER Informative! quill@gpoc.com Read our equipment reviews and Prospectors Blog. Allow for a 3/8 margin on all sides of your advertisement. Answers to your questions: Finding Gold, Metal Detecting, Payment must be received before placement. Send Dredging. advertisement with check to: GPOC Quill Editor, PO Box 1593, Visit 80901 Site changes weekly! CS, CO often!

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GPOC The Prospectors Quill Vol. 38 No.9

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The Prospectors

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