On Sat, 4 Jun 2011 09:09:26 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Jun 3, 10:15*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:


I use my **** shaker (compost screener) one day per year. The rest of
the time it takes up about 1.5 square feet of floor space in the shed.
IIRC it cost me about $5 to build it.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Anything that only cost about $5 to build and does not take up much
room sounds interesting. Can I have more details?

Dan
Basically a 1 x 2 foot box with expanded metal ($5) mesh bottom
suspended by a chain from one end in a frame. The other end has wooden
pillow blocks riding on a pair of eccentrics mounted on a half inch
shaft. These eccentrics have a larger diameter section concentric
with the shaft which also run in wooden pillow blocks mounted to the
main frame. The eccentrics were turned from 1 1/4" steel trued up and
drilled for the shaft, then offset 1/8" and the centre section turned
down to round (1") and parted into two pieces three inches long. The
pillow blocks are made from 2 x 4 maple from pallet material, grease
nipples (1/4-28) were threaded into drilled and tapped 1" long 3/8"
cap screws into tapped holes in the pillow blocks. A 1" ID washer
was used between the pillow blocks for clearance and to provide
positive longitudinal location. The bores of the pillow blocks are
about 1/32" oversize for free rotation and chassis lube liberally
applied. A 1/3 HP motor belted to the eccentric shaft turns it at
about 900 RPM. Both frames are made from scrap 2 x 4 cross bolted with
1/4" all-thread. The chain suspended end of the screen box hangs about
an inch bellow the driven end.
In use, I set the shaker on saw horses over the wheel barrow and put
three or four 3" stones on the screen to break up lumps then toss in
shovels full of compost and stir it around with a garden trowel and
pick out roots and lumps for further composting. I also mix in soil
from my pile of surplus materials from edge trimming etc.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada