Built my first sifter

fongu

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Mar 30, 2012
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I built my first sifter and it may not be exactly square and the noodles may not be the same size but it floats. I used 3/4 X 4 inch cedar and 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the side. I put 1/2 to 3/4 on the sides and stapled with 9/16 staples on the side and bottom for strength. It floats and I hope to test it out Monday. My first sifter 001 (Custom).jpg My first sifter 002 (Custom).jpg My first sifter 003 (Custom).jpg My first sifter 004 (Custom).jpg My first sifter 005 (Custom).jpg My first sifter 006 (Custom).jpg
I tied 1/8 heavy twine in 5 foot length and tied it to a carbiner to clip to my belt or finds pouch.
 

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fongu

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I built this from the one I saw in the garrett video and emailed Rusty and he gave me the size. It's 16 X 16 inches.
 

cdv1

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Now get back to the river and get some more gold....
Sifter looks good and will function well. Making one without metal fasteners and screen has an added advantage of being able to use your coil in the sifter to locate smaller targets that may not be seen easily.... FYI for Rev.2 if it comes to that....

Cliff
 

FLauthor

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On mine similar to your except its 15 years old, I placed half moon moulding over the wire to protect it from wear. Take a piece of scrap wood bevel cut at angle and place in one corner to hold bottle caps, pull tabs during cleanup or hold your water bottle. Good job!
 

lookindown

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I built one just like that for shark tooth hunting in the Peace River...it works great...mines 24x24.
 

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fongu

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I would have liked to build a larger one lookindown, but wanted to see if this size would work in the river. Sadly, I haven't been able to test it yet. I planned to go Monday and something came up and my Mama was sick today. She has surgery scheduled tomorrow and she is 82. I would appreciate prayers for her safe recovery. Maybe Saturday I can try this thing out if I can get somebody to sat with her for a few hours. Flauthor, I may add some molding and other stuff to it in the future. I've been trying to get your book on Forts, Camps and Batteries in Georgia, from the public library, but so far I haven't located it. There is an old fort near the river where I detect, but it's off limits to detectors. cdv1, I used metal even tho it meant I couldn't use my coil or propointer to scan the sifter with because I wanted extra strength to handle the large loads of stuff in the areas near the shore and I will have to depend on my eyes only. I've lost quite a few targets this way because when the sunspot scoop gets full of mussels, rocks or gravel or all three and the coins and silver jewelry are black looking it's hard to separate them especially in the deeper water. As soon as I get in the river with it, I will post my finds and maybe some photos out in the water if I can get my digital camera out there someway without dunking it.
I also intend to put a strip of 1/4 inch hardware cloth inside my scoop because when I get amongst a lot of 22 casings and other small trash they continually fall out of my scoop and maybe if I get some of this trash cleared out, I can find some more good stuff. HH
 

lookindown

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Mar 11, 2010
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I would have liked to build a larger one lookindown, but wanted to see if this size would work in the river. Sadly, I haven't been able to test it yet. I planned to go Monday and something came up and my Mama was sick today. She has surgery scheduled tomorrow and she is 82. I would appreciate prayers for her safe recovery. Maybe Saturday I can try this thing out if I can get somebody to sat with her for a few hours. Flauthor, I may add some molding and other stuff to it in the future. I've been trying to get your book on Forts, Camps and Batteries in Georgia, from the public library, but so far I haven't located it. There is an old fort near the river where I detect, but it's off limits to detectors. cdv1, I used metal even tho it meant I couldn't use my coil or propointer to scan the sifter with because I wanted extra strength to handle the large loads of stuff in the areas near the shore and I will have to depend on my eyes only. I've lost quite a few targets this way because when the sunspot scoop gets full of mussels, rocks or gravel or all three and the coins and silver jewelry are black looking it's hard to separate them especially in the deeper water. As soon as I get in the river with it, I will post my finds and maybe some photos out in the water if I can get my digital camera out there someway without dunking it.
I also intend to put a strip of 1/4 inch hardware cloth inside my scoop because when I get amongst a lot of 22 casings and other small trash they continually fall out of my scoop and maybe if I get some of this trash cleared out, I can find some more good stuff. HH
Yours should be plenty big enough for metal detecting. I built mine so big so I could put four or five shovels full in at one time looking for random shark teeth. For metal detecting, I would have built one your size. I have the 1/4 hardware cloth in the bottom of my scoop and it works great on small targets.
 

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fongu

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I finally got to the river yesterday and tried my sifter and it worked beyond my expectations. I only had 2 hours and found 5 pennies and lots of pull tabs and junk, but it handled what I dumped into it and I hope to go back later Thursday or Saturday when I can take my time and really find something good. With the jewelry I've found at this site since last November and the stuff the other two detectors that work this area have found, there's lots more waiting for my coil and scoop. HH.
 

Sir Gala Clad

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Jul 9, 2012
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I built my first sifter and it may not be exactly square and the noodles may not be the same size but it floats. I used 3/4 X 4 inch cedar and 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the side. I put 1/2 to 3/4 on the sides and stapled with 9/16 staples on the side and bottom for strength. It floats and I hope to test it out Monday. View attachment 838892 View attachment 838893 View attachment 838894 View attachment 838895 View attachment 838896 View attachment 838897
I tied 1/8 heavy twine in 5 foot length and tied it to a carbiner to clip to my belt or finds pouch.


For unprotected waters, I prefer a smaller round sifter made from a 15 inch innertube with a garret gold classifier pan laced inside.
It provides extra safety, as I can float on it in an emergency, and it does not have edges.
Also, I use a vibratech 580 water proof pin pointer to find targets in clay / mud/ shells which are difficult to sift.
 

Sandman

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I too used to use the Garrett gold classifier with the inner tube and it worked great. The only disadvantage I found was carrying it back to the car or wanting to hunt the dry sand on the way back.
 

gobble-gobble

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own, excal 1000, excal. II , explorer II, Fisher CZ21, Vibra-Tector

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REal nice job ,now fill er up with TREASURE:thumbsup:
 

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