Making a floating screen

[beerguy]

What do you guys use for the mesh in a floating screen?

I am thinking a cedar frame, foam pipe insulation for some floats, but a non-metallic screen with 1/2" holes I cannot find.

Just wanted to know the prevailing wisdom.

 

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[Tejaas]

Wish I could help you, but 'non-metallic' isn't my area.

Whatever you come up with, stop by here and share your end product!

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/north-american-indian-artifacts/481355-sifters-screens-sieves.html


~Tejaas~

 

[beerguy]

Great thread, Tejaas. I will post what I make, as I am making a floating screen and a sand scoop.

 

[OBN]

You want to go light weight, make it metal free. Nothing worse then having to lug one more heavy thing, also you can swing the detector over to check to see if the target is in the sifter..
old bread tray, pool noodles, tie wraps straps, nylon rope and Polyethylene Plastic Mesh, Nominal .26" Opening, 36" Width, 3' Length

McMaster-Carr

 

[47thelement]

I've hunted with OBN and have a basically idententical sifting raft. They are awesome. I used hardware cloth in mine

 

[ARC]

You know where the best place to get plastic mesh screen is ?

An Air Conditioning guy... Company... Or AC supply house.

Older units have it as a "shroud".

Go to an AC Comp or supply that has been around awhile.

 

[flgliderpilot]

This might work, select plastic as the material type

McMaster-Carr

 

[CASPER-2]

I did an article on them - will PM it to you

 

[Tejaas]

I did an article on them - will PM it to you

Ah, c'mon Casper!

Do we gotta beg ya to share?

[emoji13]

~Tejaas~

 

[beerguy]

Thanks for the info, everyone. I have requested a sample from a site that has netting for aquaculture.

We will see how it goes.

 

[RustyGold]

This screen came from the center of a round pool float, an Intex product.



I thought it would make the perfect bottom for a floating screen.
v
It's about 24" in diameter with an 18" center of netting. Completely waterproof and heavy duty.

Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Intex-River-Lounge-Inflatable-Diameter/dp/B000PEOMC8/?tag=treasurenet01-20

 

[pencil5757]

I used a Garrett classifier cable tied to a small car tube with a dog leash works awesome and no metal in it!

 

[flgliderpilot]

Is the purpose of a sifter to avoid losing the small items? Seems like more work

 

[beerguy]

Glider, I envision being up to my neck in water holding the scoop with a target in the basket. I want the ability to dump the target and debris into a sifter to make recovery easier. Probably not needed for all targets, but I wanted the option.
I saw a video of someone recovering targets this way and thought I want to give it a try.

I agree that it may be more work on some targets, but probably will not be used on all recoveries.

Also, I figure that I can float my scoop on it until it is time to recover a target.

We will see how it goes.

 

[flgliderpilot]

FWIW I once met two very experienced detectorists, who had been detecting for like 30 years and travel the world only to detect. They were using these floating sifters.

 

[agflit]

I used a Garrett classifier cable tied to a small car tube with a dog leash works awesome and no metal in it!

^

this

 

[OBN]

Is the purpose of a sifter to avoid losing the small items? Seems like more work

Hunting areas with Clay, Shells, Rocks can be a challenge when looking for something. Most of the time the gold stands out for it separates very easy but silver and other items the colors mix right in making it tuff to find among other similar colored debris. Sifters best used places are Lakes, Bays, Rivers, Coves. Calmer water areas..

 

[pencil5757]

This is kind of like mine but I used a small tube.

I use mine EVERY target Just scoop one up and put it in the floating sifter and rescan the hole scoop till you have no signal in the hole then shake the sifter a couple of times and you got it!

 

[beerguy]

Thanks for the tips. I ordered some mesh from McMaster Carr. Can't wait to get in the water!