Thats pretty cool man. I made a small sifter specifically to fit in my digging duffle bag. Works great and lightweight and has a rather large capacity for as small as it is. I'll get pics and post of all my custom tools after I go dig the crap out of FRL with them this weekend.
NOW THATS WHAT IM TALKIN ABOUT A HIGH QUALITY SIFTER NOT THE PIECE OF BLANKITY BLANK I BOUGHT FOR OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM SOUTH GEORGIA GEM STORE IT WAS A JOKE
Travis, You did a really fine job on it, most impressive. I am curious about why you did not put any cross bracings in the one screen. I guess it will be fine if you don't load it up too heavy. Is the whole thing light enough to pick up and shake sift? I do know it is alot easier on your back if you do not have to pick it up at ground level. It looks like you even varnished the wood. About the only extra thing I did to mine was sandwich the bottom screen edge with wood molding strips using thin diameter screws that don't split the molding. This really helps keep the screen tightly in place with wear and tear over time.
Again,.........great job!!!
And speaking of sifters.....seem they can be as unique as digging tools, check these out.
1. back to front page, way down at bottom, hit FIRE PIT JU-AUG 03. Half way down on left, I still use this one on some occasions. The 3 legs ate the lightweight 3/4 electrical conduit [ galvanised ]
2. Front page, fourth box down. JAN 2008 FINDS ..
Dan is using a traditional wood frame plain Jane. I use one slightly smaller with one huge difference...
One short side frame member is bolted to the BOTTOM OF THE SIDE FRAMES. This makes for a "lipless" screen that unwanted larger pieces can just be "wiped" off.
3. Front page [ last time ]. BOTTOM...top row left 11-20-05 YEAR END FIELD TRIP TO FLOYDS.
Go all the way to the bottom, 2nd row of pics UP.
I think thats Eric on the left with a huge surface area, PVC pipe rig. Cant remember gent on the right but thats a quality shaker rig, push/pull action.
Dc has posted his model today. That heavy wire frame " bread carrier " is a good deal.
Wow Hal. There's alot more sifter types than I thought. I guess the ultimate sifter would be the one that shakes for you!...Along with the flint detector.
Travis, I'm dredging up your golden oldie ! While checking out Bill Arnold's site, I clicked a topic I had not hit before. . . "NEW SCREEN". It's probably
very old by now but I just never hit the button.
Your original words above mention "a screen that shakes for you" . . . Check out the details on this one, that is superb engineering and construction !
Portable, fully automatic, a conveyor belt [ to keep soils from building up underneath ] fast !
Hit TEXASPOINTS.COM then TXDIGGER " NEW SITE " then, bottom right NEW SCREEN.
Actually I'm not fully correct in saying " FULLY automatic ", , , , ,
Someone still has to remove the artifacts from the screen.!
never dug or screened before , but that sure sure looks like a great lil rig you got going there , i was thinking of making a pvc style with the joints pinned , but i suppose i best wait and see if im any good at digging first lol
Sweet Hal, I will check it out. I saw some pictures from the TAAA. They are also using one of those new automatic sifters. I think they have just one. I had forgotten about this post I made a while back. Thanks for the reserection.
Travis i did not even remember seeing this before but I have. Are you getting alot of use out of it. if the rain does not stop bring it out use it as a strainer you can bring home points that are already washed and clean.
seriously. it could be used as a strainer roght now. i put several clear coats on this sifter. it sits under the trees and under a tarp at a camp i dig sometimes in henrietta. lots of birds there.
hey travis , thats cool , i go to henrietta often , well if its the one east of witchata falls . that does look like good hunting grounds around there , well good luck with the hunting
Right now I'm using a heavy duty metal screen, no sides, and hand sifting. But pretty soon I'm gonna build me a rockin' sifter. Regular box and screen but instead of legs use cattle panel, wood stapled on to each side so it makes a u. This puts a big limitation on the weight limit, as the panel will bend flat and no longer rock, but the potential benefeits should outweigh the bad( no pun intended). Really will save your back and hands, and I figured y'all would want to hear about it.
I look forward to seeing the Mark I prototype Trav.
I have never seen any power screen other than the full size with a lawn mower engine. They are designed to handle a full size bucket of soil. I was thinking
of a portable unit that a lone hand digger would find very effective. Just a modest size screen area, Maybe driven by a chain saw sized engine. Maybe folding [ lockable ] legs.
I wish I had a good bird point site to justify such a fun project.
I made a 4 1/2 square dump sifter with a counter ballanced weedeater engine made to handle a small farm tractor bucket or back backhoe bucket I have used it for years
Here's another creation. John ( & Magie ) made this neat [ huge ] screen for use in the Hand dig section of Rolands.
Thats a kids' backyard swing frame.
Thats lightweight roof joist frame with small screenin bottom. A top removeable screen with big
mesh for rocks, roots and blades larger than 7 inches !
Yes Trav1, it's time to resurect your original work from your youth ( make note of the posting date )...( I have destroyed the negative of the Chef's hat embaresment )
This topic concerns mainly Hand operated units...for those that are looking for ideas of all types...READ
the WORDS..( not just look at the pics )...There is description of where to see other diggers ideas.
Times have changed....Power anything is in...I am attaching two pics of power screens that are on the back lot at Chrisners
Thinking large, this model is about 7 feet high at the top. Note the engineering thinking that went into it...Different size mesh, "runoffs" for fire rocks, soil dump zone and the small hopper at the side where anything flint is dispensed in little plastic sandwich bags
Model #2 is more in tune with a "portable " configuration, it's maybe 24" X 36" well engineered
I'm mildly interested in making a powered "laptop" screener myself...I had a close look at this one....and I was REALLY impressed
The frame was probably made out of material found around a ranch...its 1/4 inch galvanised 3 X 3 steel
angle.. THE MOTOR IS EIGHT HORSE POWER
Must bounce two feet off the ground when the peddle is to the metal.
thanks, i thinking that the smaller points might be slipping by, the shaker gets pretty radical at times and this is with 1/2 mesh screen, its not a perfect world!! LOL
thanks, i thinking that the smaller points might be slipping by, the shaker gets pretty radical at times and this is with 1/2 mesh screen, its not a perfect world!! LOL
Easy fix. Just lay a smaller mesh over the existing and tie wrap in place. ( or use the rest of that 1/2 inch roll you have, offset )
wow Hal! I forget about this post from time to time. We moved out of that rent house 3 years ago. Crazy how time flies. That's a pretty cool new sifter pic. I guess we are always trying to be more efficient with our screens.