A homemade rocker box works better than a pan to sift for gold. A rocker box can handle more gravel. A homemade rocker box consists of a washing box, screen, canvas under the screen, a short sluice and rockers under the sluice. The bottom of the box will contain holes about half an inch in diameter punched in it. The bottom of the rocker should be one board of any size. The entire size of the box depends on the individual. Ideally, it should be the size that an individual can easily carry around.
The main use of a homemade rocker box is to mine for gold in areas where water is scarce. It's the perfect tool for areas such as streams and waterways where little water collects. To use it, pour water over the box with a spoon or a dipper and then rock the box back and forth. The water will flow through the holes, leaving the gold pieces in the box. Clean the box once or twice during a day to remove any excess gravel.
Use scrap lumber to make a homemade rocker box. Buy plastic door mats and cut them up into strips to fit the bottom size of the box. This should be small enough to catch gold. Homemade rocker boxes can also be made from heavy sheet gauge aluminum instead of scrap lumber. This will make them sturdier, lighter and less likely to retain too much water.
Some helpful tips for using a homemade rocker box include setting the box so the end where you load the gold is higher than the other end. This will avoid too many materials getting stuck in the box. Experiment with loading the rocker box so it won't get overloaded during use. Use the proper amount of water to flush the materials in and out of the rocker box and to keep it flowing continuously. Keep rocking the box during the washing process to keep the materials moving.