Learn the Tricks

Equipment

There are many ways to find gold and recover it. We encourage our members to learn and teach others the techniques of gold prospecting. This page describes some of the equipment and techniques you will need when you start digging in gold bearing country. What is presented here, on this page, is only basic information. To get more information head to the Internet, or talk to a knowledgeable prospector (see our Contact Us page).

Classifiers

A important part of extracting gold from dirt and rocks is the process called Classifying. Each step in classifying increases the concentration of gold in your dirt, resulting in better "cons." Classifying can be done many ways. The image below shows one of the simplest devices, a set of three classifiers, each of which can fit over a standard 5-gallon bucket that you can purchase at one of the big box stores. These classifiers are uniquely described by the spacing in the screen that you see in the bottom of each classifier. From top to bottom, these are #2, #4 and #30 classifiers, in other words, the grid in the top classifier has a screen spacing of 1/2-inches, next one down has a screen spacing of 1/4-inches, and the bottom one a screen spacing of 1/30-inches. You can buy classifiers with other screen spacings, but a #2 and #4 will serve you well when starting out.

Trommels

A Trommel is a special type of classifier, but its job is the same: increase the concentration of gold in your dirt, resulting in better "cons." Trommels come in many sizes, configurations, used with water or without water, and are operated by many methods, but they all are made with a classifying screen that is bent into a cylinder, attached to a cylindrical structure, and the whole assembly is rotated.

Gold Pans

Panning is the most common technique for separating gold from dirt and rocks, and it is a high-recommended skill that every gold prospector should learn and use. While it is not necessary to run your dirt and rocks through a classifier, it is advisable, because it is easier to separate the gold from the dirt and rocks if they are all about the same size. Even though you can pan the dirt dry, or dry pan, panning using water is much preferred because the recovery rate of getting the gold is much better. When you get good at panning, you can take your dirt from the ground and do all the processing down to just gold. If you are panning to just increase your cons, then see the section called Processing Cons.

Gold pans themselves come in many shapes and sizes. Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of the more common pans you'll see on the market.

Banjo pan
Batea pan
flat pan
Garrett Super Sluice
Gold Claw
Gold Hog Flow pan
Pyramid Pan Pro

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Snuffer Bottle

This simple but extremely effective device is used while panning for gold with water. A snuffer bottle is used to extract the gold out of a pan.

Here is a snuffer bottle, in a homemade (optional) lanyard, in a small gold pan.

Dry Washers

Dry washers are mechanical devices that have been used for many years. They can only be used in very dry environments, like we have in New Mexico. Dry washers of old are very similar to dry washers used today, the only difference being the use of modern materials and drive mechanisms. Dry washers are used to increase the concentration of gold in your dirt. Even after running dirt through a dry washer, the concentrated dirt, or cons, still need to be processed further. See the section called Processing Cons.

Mike Ault with his Keene 151 Dry Washer. This dry washer will keep 3 young men busy!

Sluices

If water is available a sluice is a great way to separate gold from dirt and rocks. Sluices come in many sizes and shapes, but they all use water. Like classifiers, trommels, pans and dry washers, sluices are used to increase the concentration of gold in your dirt. Even after running dirt through a sluice, the concentrated dirt, or "cons," will still need to be processed further. See the next section called Processing Cons.

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Processing Cons

Processing cons can be done by many techniques. Again, it's a process of increasing the concentration of gold in your dirt, but this time the goal is to get down to just having gold. The more common techniques are panning, DIY processing sluices, Gold Cube, Blue Bowls, spirals, Miller tables, shaker tables, and gold tubes, to mention a few.

Panning is the most common technique for processing cons, and it is a skill that every gold prospector should learn and use.

Metal Detectors

A Metal Detector is the relatively new high-tech way to find gold. It certainly does not replace the "old" techniques, it is just a new tool to prospect for gold. It is important to note that gold is best found with a metal detector that is designed specifically to find gold. A treasure hunting metal detector will find a large gold object, like a coin, ring or bracelet, but it probably will not be able to detect the small nuggets of gold.

Here is a list of companies, in alphabetical order, that design and make gold metal detectors:
Fisher
Garrett
Minelab
Nokta Makro
White's Electronics (now owned by Garrett)

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Prospecting equipment requirements

Still not sure what to bring to prospect for gold? Below is a list compiled by a long-time GPANM member, Wes Lovett. If you prefer to download a PDF copy of this list, click here.

Demonstrations

This section has a number of YouTube videos that demonstrate how and what goes on in the processing of gold from the dirt.

What's the best pan?

There are numerous pans on the market. Below are YouTube videos showing a few pros evaluating some of the pans.

Dan Hurd evaluates the Pyramid Pan Pro, Gold Hog Flow Pan, Gold Claw production Pan, Garrett Super Sluice, a Flat Pan, and a Batea Pan.

Gary Honan has an excellent video on panning, but he starts out discussing what makes a good pan.

Chris Bogus and the Batea pan.

trommels

As mentioned earlier, trommels come in many sizes, configurations, used with water or without water, and are operated by many methods. Below are two YouTube videos showing homemade trommels. A gold processing trommel seems to be a device that attracts the DIY'er.

Allan Guthmiller and Alan Robertson are two of many who like building and using trommels. They are included here because they are good at explaining how to build trommels and using them.