Designed for cleanup work, not as a primary prospecting tool. Used to separate gold from the black sand concentrates. If there is a lot of black sand, it is very time consuming to separate out the gold by panning. This method separates out most of the black sand though some panning may still be required. These are especially useful when dealing with large quantities of concentrates produced by other methods.
These come in a variety of sizes, from 13 to 18 inches. All are round with spiral ridges, hence the name, and like gold pans are made in a variety of colors. Most use a 12 volt DC power source while others are manually operated, although they can usually be converted to 12 volts. Many are designed to recirculate water and even have a self-contained carrying case. Some units have built in agitators for a vibrating action. Several manufacturers claim that their units will work wet or dry, although wet methods are more efficient.
