Merkitch Sifter

[FLauthor]

Many of you have inquire about the Merkitch Sifter. I had one built in 1970 for $100.00 which was a lot of money then. It's almost 40 years old and it'll still do a good job around a fishing pier where a metal detector is useless.
I'm thinking of having it reduced to 12 inches wide as its a b-tch to pull at its current 18 inches width. Got any questions, fire away.
Like the Sandman said it will get the gold chains, I found my first gold ring with it the first time I used it. The blade cuts through the weed roots and it may take several passes to get down but it will get everything. Fishing weights, hooks, watches, knives, whatever falls off a pier. Trashy swimming holes full of bottle caps and junk, it'll get that and the goodies to.

 

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[Narthoniel]

Does it work in the water? How deep does it go? How easy is it to pull? What is it made of?

Looks like a very intriuging contraption. Thanks for posting about it
Anthony

 

[gmanlight]

And what have you found with it

 

[Sandman]

I made one of these years ago too. It is hanging in my garage where it will stay forever. I have found some goods with it but I was younger then when I could pull it through the sands. It is a real bear to pull out in the water because you can't get a good footing, but it will gather those gold chains that the other detectors can't see.

Thanks for posting, it brought back memories.
Sandman

 

[goldencoin]

And what have you found with it

ditto

HH
-GC

 

[DaChief]

Motorize it and we are talking. You could hook that bad boy to a self propelled lawn mower with oversized beach wheels and you would be in business until the authorities ran you off for the racket it would make. Other than that, I with the other old folk. I am 56 and in great physical shape but I can see about 15 minutes worth of work there that would quickly dim my interest. Sifting with any hand made contraption is a chore even in sugar sand.

You could market it as the next great workout machine though. Get in shape and get rich!!!!

I like it a ton though.

 

[FLauthor]

In the past, I recovered a couple of gold rings, lots of fishing sinkers, a few gold chains, a few silver coins and lots of sharks teeth. It is made of IRON with a hardware cloth screen. It is a water sifter and I've used it ten feet underwater using a hookah diving rig in my youth. It was a chore underwater but it cut through the weeds exposing the white sand underneath and made it easier to detect all those deeper coins at Florence Beach in Montverde. That's still a big swimming hole and probably loaded with coins and gold rings again but be fore warned, it will be trashy. Everything is off the end of the pier in 10 feet of water.
Now I can flip the blade backward to sift the sand but I have a metal detector for that. I built this thing before there were any underwater metal detectors that were worth their salt.
It worked great at Shark Beach in Venice, Florida digging deep to pull up Shark Teeth. Like the Sandman said, It's a Conversation piece. I'm pushing 60 and this thing is a bear to pull in the water. It's best use would still be a boat ramp or fishing pier or a spot that is real trashy. It will go as deep as you want but shallow - a couple of inches is best and easier to pull. The sand going in will sift through the screen like flour through a collander. Nails, fish hooks, coins, sinkers, rings, chains, pull tabs, screw caps are all collected. After a good long pull then pull it onto the shoreline and see what the screen holds.
Graffix Girl will probably inherit it from me one day as we TH together.

 

[graffixgirl]

Holy SH* FLAuthor, I told you I was getting more excercise and taking Vitamins but Dang!
Its a sweet idea and I love the innovation for sure.
I gotta' take a nap just from looking at that too long LOL

Hey thanx for the great day today, cant wait to hooka up with the soon!
GG