If you build such a screener, you can use 1/4 or 1/2 inch hardware cloth
wire depending on how fine you want to screen the dirt. I have used expanded
wire (stucco or plaster) lath and found the sharp edges help to clean the
material. Don't build a square that you have to shake by hand, build it on a
slope and long enough so that a wheelbarrow can fit under it to catch the
bulk of the good soil. The screen on a slope, about a 45 degree angle, will
allow you to shovel the material onto the top area and allow gravity to pull
in down the screen cleaning the material with the gravel dropping off the
bottom. If the material is sticky you may need to shovel it back over the
screen a few times to get it cleaner.

Shaking a sieve or screen by hand is backbreaking and very slow. Shovelling
on a slanted screen is easy especially if a wheelbarrow can catch much of
the good soil. You will be able to much more work with less effort.

I have used one for hundreds of wheelbarrow loads cleaning old junk, rocks
and roots from good soil for my gardens.

"N8N" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 9, 9:47 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"jim menning" wrote in message

...



"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...

There a misnamed product called hardware cloth which is not cloth at
all,
but metal mesh with 1/4" square holes, perfect for sifting soil. Call
some real hardware or farm supply stores. You'll have to build a frame
out of wood and staple or screw the cloth to it. Your imagination
should
tell you the details.

http://www.umaine.edu/sustainability/images/Compos5.jpg

Bingo! The contestant from somewhere wins 3 cases of virtual beer and
1200
bags of Fritos!

Thanks guys, that is perfect, I just didn't know what it was called.
That'll help quite a bit!

nate