LOOKING FOR ROCKER BOX TIPS AND TRICKS.

[NUGS MONEY]

Hey guys and girls, hope you all survived the winter. Im after a few pointers before I finish up the rocker I've been planning, things like ....

Does the top classifier need to be dead level?

Can you run your rocker at a slight angle, like 1 degree?

How far side to side should you rock?

How likely are you to lose gold through improper rocking? I fear that when you link a hand pump to the rocker you may compromise the perfect rocking technique for maximum pump action!

Do you think you could safely pan as much material as you could safely rock, without losing gold?

Best matting? ( Im thinking backless moss on ribbed matting? )

Best hand pumps?

Best length/width?

Finally, is it really worth the time? I hear some people say its hard work, slow and inefficient. I feel it should be slightly easier than the pan or cresswell, right?

Although I have done extensive research myself it would be good to hear what actually works and what other people are doing in the field.
A picture tells a thousand words, so I would love to see what people on here are doing. I must have seen almost every rockerbox or gold cradle google can offer.
Yobs- if you read this hows yours going mate? Made any refinements or observations ?
The rain has literally just started as I type so the sooner I hear back from yall the better ] It has been so dry here, geez it would be great to get a bedrock scrubbing down-pour, but I do doubt it.
Cheers n beers, NUGS

 

[Occasional_panner]

Mate you are talking about an outdated bit of technology that never really got refined (by modern standards)
The only reason people are looking at them now is for legality reasons, not because it's a fantastic design.
I reckon you'll have to do a lot of tinkering to find those answers.
Also what works in Beechworth won't work in clay soils like Creswick, so matting angles, bla bla will be different with the material to be washed.
Your idea of backless moss on ribbed matting is good. Most designs of sluice/banker require constant water flow, with the cradle it's intermittant.
Perhaps a deepish channel in the shape of a forward facing arrow under the moss with a reasonable size collection trough at the point may funnel heavies into it ???
That may take the punishment of the rocking action a tad better than ribbed and hang onto the gold better, as long as the trough was deep enough.
Perhaps a series of them and then ribbed matting at the end as a last defence.
If you can nut this one out you'll sell heaps if interested.
Good luck

 

[NUGS MONEY]

Fantastic stuff there OP!! V ribbed matting, as opposed to the horizontal, sounds like a bloody ripper of an idea! I didn't even think!
Your point about changing soils is also extremely valid and I will definitely incorporate the ability to change matting, classifying size and angle. (The angles are whats getting me stuck, though I think I could resolve this in the classifying section instead of on the body).
I'm also hoping to be able to turn it into a banker by adding a different hopper and matt.
I must admit I am also going in this direction due to legal/restricted water reasons, wasn't really looking to capitalise from this idea for anything though, other than the gold it catches . Really appreciate your response, some cracking advice there. Thanks.

 

[AussieChris]

Check this out, Chris from Vo-Gus Prospecting uses a nasty old DIY rocker with wire and hessian as matting...and he kills it :lol:
There are a few more videos of it in action on his Youtube page.

[video=480,360]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgZ2HQPuAnU[/video]

 

[NUGS MONEY]

HA! YES! This guy is great! Is he on the forum? I respect his approach to prospecting immensely and follow him on youtube :8 .
Thanks for the link A/C I'm gonna watch it again

 

[Bazz]

Hey Nugs

Yobskin has a bitchin rocker, but you already know that I also have one which I copied from John Jacobs on the university of you tube

JJ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC15MMsDxofpY_01CvNBZSMw

I've used mine in 7 different locations and got some colour in 4 of them, each had different soil types and I've not had to change the set up or type of mats

Anyway, I might have got lucky on that front..

Cheers

 

[Occasional_panner]

Hey Nugs, what I was talking about was underneath the miners moss was to have a fairly deep channel in an arrow shape router cut into the bed of the rocker (you might find deep v matting, I was thinking 4-5mm deep channel), any heavies going through the moss would make their way to that, then at the front of the arrow a deep pocket, like an open jar could be cut into the base, (or even an actual jar screwed in from underneath, perhaps a baby food sized jar)
I had that idea as the heavies should make their way to the pocket/jar any incoming lighter material will just get washed over the top.
That's a little similar to how you place a bucket or pan at the end of your banker to check for any losses, the heavies stay in the bucket and the light stuff keeps getting flushed out.
So if you had a series of those arrows on the rocker bed (they could be close together) then ribbed matting at the end.
Might not work at all, just a wild thought, probably worth a crack.
With the jar you could screw the lid underneath the cradle, then cut the centre out so you have a hole right through, similar to how people do it with a miller table.
Clay soils is where the challenge will be, without a pumps pressure and jets, this type of device will struggle.

 

[Occasional_panner]

Just thinking about that idea again, I reckon miners moss will probably need too much water to make that idea work.
If there was something similar but a lot thinner that may work better with minimal water.
Maybe this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncB7XdUEriQ
Or this at 8mm http://matworld.com.au/mats-matting/wayfarer-unbacked/ local too

 

[AussieChris]

I had Vortex Dream Mat in mind if and when I finally get around to building a rocker, still scrounging parts/materials. Dustin sells these smaller squares for gold cubes.

 

[Bazz]

I had Vortex Dream Mat in mind if and when I finally get around to building a rocker, still scrounging parts/materials. Dustin sells these smaller squares for gold cubes.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...08451469_gold_cube_front_corner_view_800x.jpg

Hey AC
I been looking at dream mats for my rocker but I could never get the equation straight in my head......

I mean angle of the slope x amount of water flow x rocking motion = ??????? Could be over thinking it!!!

The D Mat looks like the go but I suppose I should stop being a cheap skate and fork out the dough and have a crack :8

 

[AussieChris]

I have the 12" sluice with the Dream Mat, I'm really happy with it, I know it likes a fair bit of water but I'm pretty sure it would clear in a rocker box as long as you had a decent hand bilge pump. Some of the cheaper eBay ones only push out as little as 35 L/min, I was lucky to "steal" one from a garage sale for $20 that is rated to 120 L/min. I get crazy stuff in my head like imagine if you could power it with a small water wheel......need 2 trucks to cart everything around in hehe.

 

[ballarat_gold]

There not the most efficient way of doing things but still get the job done. Mines in this post https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22718

I dunno about all day prospecting with one but it certainly does ok sampling buckets.

 

[Chrisco]

Gday,
I built one last year and used it in central Vic. I just made it a metre long with three inch high riffles in the sluice box and two angled removable slides with a riffle each under the hopper. I made it all out of timber and used no matting or carpet, just the timber bottom. When set up right you will not find any gold in the bottom riffle coz the four further up will catch it all.
I found gold from small nuggets (.5-1g) to flour gold size and it had no trouble catching them, usually in the first 2-3 riffles.
When in clay ground you will need to puddle the dirt to break it up. Clay holds gold so every skerrick must be broken up in the puddler. If little balls of clay pass through the box they are washed through so you will lose any gold that may be in them and it will also pick up gold as it rolls through, this goes for any process you use including the dish.
I found it processed dirt very quick and you don't need pumps, just a puddle and a dipper. The beautiful thing is they don't need much water to work and are second to none for catching all gold.
If your finding gold in that last riffle your losing gold so set it up so there is no gold being caught in the last riffle.

Chriso

 

[Jemba]

Taken from

Hydraulic and placer mining / by Eugene B. Wilson. Wilson,

 

[NUGS MONEY]

Hey Nugs

Yobskin has a bitchin rocker, but you already know that I also have one which I copied from John Jacobs on the university of you tube

JJ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC15MMsDxofpY_01CvNBZSMw

I've used mine in 7 different locations and got some colour in 4 of them, each had different soil types and I've not had to change the set up or type of mats

Anyway, I might have got lucky on that front..

Cheers

There not the most efficient way of doing things but still get the job done. Mines in this post https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22718

I dunno about all day prospecting with one but it certainly does ok sampling buckets.

Thanks for your reply and link baz and B/G, if you guys are finding some yellow with one that gives me hope :Y: your little rocker B/C looks great, i reckon mine will be very similar.

 

[NUGS MONEY]

I had Vortex Dream Mat in mind if and when I finally get around to building a rocker, still scrounging parts/materials. Dustin sells these smaller squares for gold cubes.

Cheers A/C love the look of them dream mats hey, I didnt know you could get squares like that. :Y: :Y:

 

[NUGS MONEY]

Hey Nugs, what I was talking about was underneath the miners moss was to have a fairly deep channel in an arrow shape router cut into the bed of the rocker (you might find deep v matting, I was thinking 4-5mm deep channel), any heavies going through the moss would make their way to that, then at the front of the arrow a deep pocket, like an open jar could be cut into the base, (or even an actual jar screwed in from underneath, perhaps a baby food sized jar)
I had that idea as the heavies should make their way to the pocket/jar any incoming lighter material will just get washed over the top.
That's a little similar to how you place a bucket or pan at the end of your banker to check for any losses, the heavies stay in the bucket and the light stuff keeps getting flushed out.
So if you had a series of those arrows on the rocker bed (they could be close together) then ribbed matting at the end.
Might not work at all, just a wild thought, probably worth a crack.
With the jar you could screw the lid underneath the cradle, then cut the centre out so you have a hole right through, similar to how people do it with a miller table.
Clay soils is where the challenge will be, without a pumps pressure and jets, this type of device will struggle.

Hey O/P appreciate you giving this one some extra thought, your ideas have now caused me to really rethink a few critical elements I thought I had figured out thanks I will be sure to post my results. :Y:

 

[NUGS MONEY]

Gday,
I built one last year and used it in central Vic. I just made it a metre long with three inch high riffles in the sluice box and two angled removable slides with a riffle each under the hopper. I made it all out of timber and used no matting or carpet, just the timber bottom. When set up right you will not find any gold in the bottom riffle coz the four further up will catch it all.
I found gold from small nuggets (.5-1g) to flour gold size and it had no trouble catching them, usually in the first 2-3 riffles.
When in clay ground you will need to puddle the dirt to break it up. Clay holds gold so every skerrick must be broken up in the puddler. If little balls of clay pass through the box they are washed through so you will lose any gold that may be in them and it will also pick up gold as it rolls through, this goes for any process you use including the dish.
I found it processed dirt very quick and you don't need pumps, just a puddle and a dipper. The beautiful thing is they don't need much water to work and are second to none for catching all gold.
If your finding gold in that last riffle your losing gold so set it up so there is no gold being caught in the last riffle.

Chriso

Cheers Chricso :Y: I would love to see a photo if you can be bothered snapping one next time you set it up , your results sound very promising and your response clear and concise. Thanks for your input I feel I may send you a pm in the future with some more questions. All the best :Y:

AND jemba, legend, thanks for coming out with the old school goods as always, that was a good read :Y:

If anyone else has photos of their rockers I would love to see them. Thanks for the responses guys,
Cheers n beers, NUGS :Y:

 

[Chrisco]

Gday Nugs,
Cradle is in storage at the moment as we are travelling but happy to photo it one day. Also happy to chat about any other questions too.
Always learning something new in the gold game.

Chrisco

 

[NUGS MONEY]

Cheers Chrisco :Y: :Y: