Classifier Sieves information and questions

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StoneTheCrows said:

Yep, I'm thinking the ones like in the video are the go.
Bunnings have 98c buckets. They only have the lip at the top, so gluing (or forming with Sicaflex) ) a band of material around each unit should work to get it sitting at the right height inside the next unit.

Off to the stainless mob soon to see about the mesh. With a bit of luck they might even be able to cut the circles out for me at a reasonable price.
 
I have had these sitting in my watch list for ages https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5pc-CLA...827565?hash=item20d19f3d6d:g:yIoAAOxyQyJRk6mW This seller is the "cheapest" I have found and has many other packages available, you can even choose your own guage. I watch the dollar go up and down, even worked out the postage from MyUs.com but honestly, I probably don't even need them, I have a set of the bushtracks ones, if you shop around you can get them for under $40. They are ok they don't sit down in a bucket very well though. I have a Garrett and a Minelab (found it in new condition sitting on the ground at Coles Bridge!) they both sit down into a bucket well, so much easier to wet classify.
I watch blokes on Youtube use multiple sieves for testing cons they rate like "KleshGuitars" but don't really see the point. If I bring cons home I take my time panning them, I don't miss much.
If you think you are missing fines in the 100-300 mesh range make a homemade blue bowl, pan into one of those kids pools and then when you get a good load run it through the bowl.
 
You can get these quite cheep from bee keeping stores..they are about 25cm across and come in a few sizes..there for straining honey :Y:
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there is a much smaller mesh than this :Y:this one slides back and forth on a frame it sits on a bucket.
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Mike Marsupial said:
Off to the stainless mob soon to see about the mesh. With a bit of luck they might even be able to cut the circles out for me at a reasonable price.

The stainless mesh cuts easily with scissors, a bit like cutting light canvas. I made some gas mains filters when working as a toolmaker, just made a paper template and drew around with a permanent marker and then cut with the scissors. The filters were conical with an overlapped and folded seam. Ken.
 
Some great ideas and sources coming in!

I found the meshes in the sizes I wan, BUT now I know why some sieves are so expensive. 50 mesh (approx) is about $150/m2 and 70 is close on $200!!!

I visited both steel suppliers, a few fabricators and a couple of scappies in town, and a door screen mob gave me a roll of used stainless mesh from a door for FREE!

I've just finished removing what looks like a 40 or 50 stainless mesh from a frypan spatter screen from its frame, so now I'll be able to make a 2 stage stack (20 and 40-50) which I should be able to wet jig in a 20L MaxiPail (Bunnings). Each stage is about 8cm deep, so there will be room for another one or two stages later.

I'll post photos when it starts coming together :)
 
Hehe I looked into some stainless steel mesh too for some saruca's out of bicycle rims........I got a shock at the price of anything above 300mm width. Even direct from China it's a killer!
 
AussieChris said:
Hehe I looked into some stainless steel mesh too for some saruca's out of bicycle rims........I got a shock at the price of anything above 300mm width. Even direct from China it's a killer!

It must be tricky to make the mesh, especially the fine stuff. The only really fine stuff I found in town today was 316. The bloke reckoned they usually only sell it for medical and scientific use - maybe that's why it has an outrageous price tag.

Anyway, I just finished making two stackable sieves. One is about 20 mesh and the other maybe 40 or 50. The Sicaflex needs a few minutes to dry before I take photos.
 
I did swipe a SS deep pot from the cook, cut the base out leaving a small lip, just enough to hold some SS 10mm punched sheet in with a couple of wide head rivets, fits snug into a 20ltr bucket.
got two handles on it. Good tuff little unit.
Yep, I did get a bit an ear bashing over it.
Should be able to pick them up cheap at garage sales and op shops.
 
I spent the morning trying to get fine stainless mesh at just about every likely place in town and wound up being given a roll of used stainless door mesh for free and almost having a heart attack at the cost of 316 type fine meshes, so I didn't buy any but I did a few more buckets from Bunnings, and some more Sicaflex.

A few days ago I did the rounds of the supermarkets, K-Mart, Big W, and all the rest and found fine stainless anti-spatter screens for frypans. So about lunch time I got to work with an idea I cooked up last night (inspired in part by some of the bucket-sieve ideas online but with a focus on stackability for jigging and low cost). I'm happy with the results so far, but the proof of the pudding is seeing how they go when jigged together in a 20litre bucket. I'll give that a go tomorrow.

Almost every plastic surface you see is double skinned with Sicaflex between the layers. The plastic is all from 98c Bunnings buckets. It takes two buckets to make each sieve.

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Top view

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Bottom view (wish it was a nice chick's)

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Another bottom view

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Another top view

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Two stacked

The two you see here are roughly 20 mesh and 40-50 mesh. There's room in the 20litre bucket for two or three more of these to be stacked (making a total of four or five) and hopefully jigged all at the same time. I'll have a better idea tomorrow when the glue is a bit more dry.
 
Found a bit of problem, but it wasn't difficult to fix. The diameter of the 20L bin decreases a bit at the bottom. I had to trim around the bottom sieve to reduce its diameter.
Also, there is not much clearance for a wire handle. Vertical holes have to be drilled through the rim of the bottom sieve. The top sieve just needs notches filed.

Anyway, it works pretty well.
 

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