Chilean Mill and Jig

A vibrating jig separated heavy minerals from lighter waste material as water was forced upward through a screen with a shot bed made of lead shot or old nuts and bolts. Pulsating action combined with water caused lighter particles to float away while heavier material settled to the bottom. A Chilean Mill used steel rollers to crush ore to a fine consistency as it washed into the mill. The slurry of dirt and water escaped through screens along the sides of the pan and into a gutter that carried it to the jig for further processing.

Idaho · United States