Trommels are made in a wide variety of sizes, from small recreational units to very large ones for commercial mining operations and other commercial uses. They also can be made into recirculating units for use in areas with little or no water. Some varieties act mainly as a classifier with the revolving action being used to break up clay and separate any gold that might be caught in organic material or stuck to other rocks. Others combine this with a spiral sluice to also separate the heavier concentrates from the lighter materials. A couple of members own trommels, both bought from Columbia Mining & Equipment, 18169 Main, Jamestown, CA 95327, ph. 209-984-3893 at gold shows in Arizona, one of which is pictured here. They seem to work well and you can see the results quickly as concentrates are discharged at the top, usually into a bucket. These concentrates can be examined for gold at any time.
