ShadowTek wrote:
I have a pile of leftover driveway gravel (about a pickup bed full) that I'm planning on recycling
for french drain filler, but it's very dirty and full of sediment. I
spent most of the afternoon trying to spray it clean with a garden hose,
but I wasted a massive amount of water, and I didn't get very far.

I eventually began raking out about a third of a wheelbarrow load at a
time and washing just that, which seemed to go faster than trying to
tackle large amounts at once, but it's still going to take a while at
this rate.

I think the best solution would be to build a washing frame out of 2x4s
and some fine wire mesh to hold the gravel while allowing the sediment
to be flushed out through the bottom, but I'm not really dealing with
such a large pile that it warrants taking the time to make a trip to the store, buy a
roll of mesh, and build the frame.

I've also read where some people used composter drums or concrete mixers
to roll and wash their gravel, but neiter of those are at my disposal.

Anybody know of faster way of getting it done?


Rake it out on a solid surface, let it dry, and hit it with a leaf
blower? The fines should take flight before the gravel chunks do. It'll
take a little practice, like blowing leaves out of garden without
blowing out the mulch.

But a screen box and a wheelbarrow is the traditional way to do it.
Hardware cloth is what you are looking for- you may not even need a
frame, just a wheelbarrow. Bend it over the top, and hold in place with
bungee cords. Put a shovel on, shake, and then scrape the 'clean' gravel
off the other side. Once barrow is full of fines, take it out back and
dump it. If you can get the pile dry, you don't need to use water- it'll
separate clean enough.

Or just give it away on CL or freecycle, and have a short load of washed
gravel delivered. It ain't expensive. All depends on what your time is
worth.

--
aem sends...