Ten Best Practices for Drywashing Success - from the upcoming Mar/Apr 2025 issue of Gold Prospectors Magazine

By: Chris Ralph

1. Set up as close to the dig hold as possible, but leave room for tailings

Take time and think about where you will set up your drywasher. If you can set it up right at your dig spot so you can shovel directly into the drywasher, that is the best and most efficient location. If you do have to bucket up your gravel and carry it to the drywasher, try to get it as close to the dig hole as possible so you can minimize the distance you are carrying the buckets. Remember that drywashers are portable, so move your drywasher around as necessary to follow the golden paystreak.

2. Only process fully dry material

To get good recovery, the drywasher requires that the sand and gravels being processed be fully dry. If the gravels are damp, the drywasher will not work properly and will lose gold. Because of this, just a bit of rain can really ruin the ground in an area for several days and sometimes more. Even slightly damp dirt is a problem. If you can grab a handful and squeeze it together and the stuff stays as a clump in your hand, it is too wet. One alternative is that when the ground you want to run is a bit damp, it is common to spread it out on a tarp for an hour or two to let it dry in the sun before processing.

3. Thoroughly break up all dirt clods

The biggest problem with losing gold with a drywasher happens when there are pieces of gold...

Look to the next issue of Gold Prospectors Magazine to view this article in its entirety. 

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