Sifters, Screens, and Sieves...

[Tejaas]

Anyone wanna share what they have made/bought/improvised?

From portable hand-sized up to 20' tables... share what ya have!
Vibratory/oscillating creations are welcome as well!

If you really want to make this thread a good resource, be sure to include the specs of your cloth/mesh/screen/expanded metal for the folks wanting to build their own.

I thought it would be really cool to have a catalog with a wide variety of solutions... maybe we can make this thread a "sticky" if enough people chime in...?



~Tejaas~

 

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[ptsofnc]

Are you talking about screens for creeks/rivers OR screens for land dig sites? Lots of good variations all over the place that work well.

 

[Tejaas]

Are you talking about screens for creeks/rivers OR screens for land dig sites? Lots of good variations all over the place that work well.

Both!

I suppose homemade/modified sand scoops could be posted up as well if someone wanted...?


~Tejaas~

 

[Tejaas]

Not a single one of the 129 people who have viewed this dig/sift/screen, or even want to chime in?

Tough corral.


~Tejaas~

 

[southfork]

Here's what I use 1/4" inch screen .

 

[ptsofnc]

Here are some ideas on floating screens in creeks/rivers...easy to make.



OR see the 07/18/2015 thread titled "persistence pays off" in this forum.....a nice floating screen pictured there by gatorboy.
As far as screens for dig sites, lots of good options. You can use two sawhorses that you place a reinforced 2 1/2' X 3' screen (in some kind of reinforced frame) on top of. Arrange the sawhorses so that they are about waist high so as not to have to bend over too much. Before you do anything, make sure you can do these things lawfully in your state.

 

[NCPeaches]

Thanks guys for sharing those screens! Giving me good ideas!

 

[Twitch]

I've a decent portable dry sifter. I'll get a picture out tomorrow. I think it's pretty handy. Got the design from a guy in PA.

 

[willjo]

This is a sifter I have used for 20 years or more. the legs at bottom have two pieces of conduit brazed across bottom so it will not sink in sand and will rock.

 

[willjo]

Not a single one of the 129 people who have viewed this dig/sift/screen, or even want to chime in?

Tough corral.


~Tejaas~

Where is your sifter??

 

[Tejaas]

Where is your sifter??

That's partly why i started this thread - I've been getting stir crazy. The recent floods here in the TX Hill Country has for the most part kept me away from getting back out to our latest dig site... I've been pretty busy cutting, stacking and burning brush. I will admit that bow/rifle season has kept me in the butcher shed pretty frequently too, haha.

As soon as i get caught up and it dries out a bit more i will be back out there and get some photos to post up of our site excavation tables and equipment.

In the meantime, i have a photo or two from one of my postings here on TNET a good while back... I suppose for now i can cover all of my portable equipment.

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This is one of the 'test pit' tables i use. It is a fixed-top table that measures 3'x6' - with a 1/2" bed. I also use 1/4" drop-ins if i need to go down a size to adjust for site/material conditions.

We typically only use them for the test pits we survey prior to establishing a new field site because they are practically disposable (hence the hardware screen) and extremely portable. They are also convenient because the legs/trusses can be removed & reconfigured to adjust for whatever location/terrain/purpose we need... After about 6 months of regular use they start looking like they got hit by a train, so we scrap em and build new ones.

The photo below i also posted up a good while back - these points came off the table pictured above after its first use (8 hours) on a new site:

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We also keep a couple of the typical rocking-type screens on hand... We usually only use them when we are at the -really- remote sites doing shovel tests or the like and the truck doesn't have access - bluff tops, rockshelters, creek deposits, etc.

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I never go anywhere without a few 'trays'...
These are stock photos, but ours are identical with the exception that i stain mine a bit darker and seal them with a good coat of spar urethane:

We run them in 3 sizes, with each "pair" having a 1/4" or 5/32" perforated stainless steel option.
-2 each 12"x12"
-2 each 18"x18"
-2 each 24"x24"

Depending on the site/conditions is what dictates which trays come with.


Anyways, that about sums up the portable equipment i use.



~Tejaas~

 

[scepter1]

Here's a photo of the equipment we are allowed to use in Washington.

(nothing)

 

[Tejaas]

Here's a photo of the equipment we are allowed to use in Washington.

(nothing)

I'm sorry to hear that...

In a positive light, your photography skills are amazing, haha!


~Tejaas~

 

[Tejaas]

Just finished building, staining & poly-sealing another small screen.

~Tejaas~

 

[Tejaas]

Here is one of my tripod sifters that i use for site surveys.

This was taken yesterday as i was opening a test pit on an (currently grassed-over and fairly muddy) encampment i plan to excavate this winter.

The box measures 3.5' x 3.5'.

I like to weather seal the 2x6 frames and then use 3/4" water pipe mounted with elbows and flanges for a handle.

The beds are 1/2" expanded steel. Some of my sites will occasionally warrant the use of 'drop ins' (a 1/4" perforated steel bed with an angle iron frame that fits inside the 1/2" screen boxes i typically use).

Ran 4 buckets of topsoil thru the screen:

Here is a closeup of the box/bed for anyone interested: