I made a portable relic sifter today!

[mr helton]

I have an old cellar hole by me that gets hammered because there are so few where I live. I decided that my new approach would be to dig and sift the dirt in and around the cellar hole, where the ground is almost a constant iron signal from nails and junk. I think this will help me not only clear out some nails and iron bits, but help me find other random things like marbles and such!

I built on some other relic sifters that I have seen posted around the web and came up with this simple idea, then built it after work today. Basically it starts up folded up so you can carry it like a briefcase. You pull down the legs and once they're loose, they freely swing so that you can rock it back and forth to do the sifting. I used 1/2" machine cloth for the filter part, and attached it using drywall screws and washers.

 

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[The Silver Pirate]

That is really cool. I have been wanting one for a while now. At the top of the legs where it joins the sifter, did you run a rod all the way through, or bolts on each side?

 

[mr helton]

That is really cool. I have been wanting one for a while now. At the top of the legs where it joins the sifter, did you run a rod all the way through, or bolts on each side?

Thank you! I assume you're talking about the "hinge" because that's the only place I used a bolt. I just used a normal bolt with washers on each end, then put a nut on the end until it was slightly snug, then welded the nut on in that position. I did one for each side instead of running one bolt through.

 

[Higgy]

Hey Helton, I really like that sifter. I have one that I built years ago made with 1/4" hardware cloth. It works well, but I guess i could step up to 3/8" and it would go a little quicker. Have you used it yet? I'm curious if it loses any small nails through it. There is one site I would like to sift that has a ton of small nails that are about 1" long. I'd probably lose a bunch through that 1/2" cloth. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on that.

 

[mr helton]

Hey Helton, I really like that sifter. I have one that I built years ago made with 1/4" hardware cloth. It works well, but I guess i could step up to 3/8" and it would go a little quicker. Have you used it yet? I'm curious if it loses any small nails through it. There is one site I would like to sift that has a ton of small nails that are about 1" long. I'd probably lose a bunch through that 1/2" cloth. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on that.

You know, I have used it and I was thinking of moving the opposite way. It felt like 1/2" was too big and that I was probably losing nails and things. I didn't see any in the dirt pile, and the dirt seemed pretty clean, but it just felt off. I think 3/8" would have been perfect but I only saw 1/4" and 1/2" and 1/4" seemed too small.

 

[Higgy]

You know, I have used it and I was thinking of moving the opposite way. It felt like 1/2" was too big and that I was probably losing nails and things. I didn't see any in the dirt pile, and the dirt seemed pretty clean, but it just felt off. I think 3/8" would have been perfect but I only saw 1/4" and 1/2" and 1/4" seemed too small.

Good Golly Miss Molly, I really never looked for 3/8" hardware cloth before. I just did a little internet fishing and didnt get a single bite on 3/8". There are some small 3/8" soil sieves out there for gardeners, but none for folks like us. Think I should stick with the 1/4" mesh?

 

[Higgy]

Well I found some, but its pricely. Lookie: McMaster-Carr

No doubt it would be awesome though.

 

[mr helton]

Well I found some, but its pricely. Lookie: McMaster-Carr

No doubt it would be awesome though.

wow that's way too much!

I think what I am going to try to do instead is make the thing flippable so that depending on the way you use it, you can either have 1/2" or 1/4" so that I can make the call in the field.

 

[Higgy]

wow that's way too much!

I think what I am going to try to do instead is make the thing flippable so that depending on the way you use it, you can either have 1/2" or 1/4" so that I can make the call in the field.

Thats a pretty decent idea. I'll keep an eye out for anything 3/8" that would be cheaper.