Building a compost sifter

[Daniel Prince]

I am going to build a compost sifter. It will be a shallow box three feet long and two feet wide with wooden sides and a hardware cloth bottom. I bought two five foot long, five inch wide, redwood fence boards for the sides. I have a circular saw.

Should I miter the ends of the sides, or would a butt joint be adequate? Should I use steel corner reinforcements? Should I put the hardware cloth on the outside of the frame or on the inside?

Thank you in advance for all replies.

-- Whenever I hear or think of the song "Great green gobs of greasy grimey gopher guts" I imagine my cat saying; "That sounds REALLY, REALLY good. I'll have some of that!"

[bob haller]

Why go to all that trouble? Just have a pile surrounded by chicken wire fence with one end that can be opened, use shovel occasionally to mix.

this works fine, the tumblers are overkill if you ask me

[Phisherman]

No need to use expensive redwood, I used regular 2x4 lumber and made it so it sits over my wheelbarrow. I used rabbet joints on the corners secured with waterproof wood glue and two long deck screws in each corner. Butt joints are weak. Cut hardware cloth slightly smaller than the outside of the frame and nail a wooden strip over the hardware cloth edge. The hardware cloth may need to be replaced some day. My sifter is 20 years old, still going strong.

[willshak]

on 6/22/2009 3:21 AM (ET) Daniel Prince wrote the following:

[Bob F]

Wow! Did you actually try to read the post?

[Colbyt]

Redwood seems like a waste to me. I made mine out of pine 2x4 butt jointed.

I stapled mine to the bottom of the frame and covered the edges with some scrap 1x stock.

If you use the 1x stock I would add the corner braces. Butt joint will be stronger than miter in this case.

[Bob F]

I used 2x4s, which probably gives a stronger joint. Leave stubs on the ends so two people can lift it easily, for shaking or moving, thus butt joints. The sifting area should be slightly smaller than your wheelbarrow.

Wrapping the cloth up the outsides an inch or two will make a much stronger attachment. Store it out of the rain and off the ground, and it will last forever.

[bob haller]

Sorry I didnt understand:(

Found out this AM my dog puddle has mouth cancer...

very very bad

[SteveB]

Butts will be stronger than miters. Wrap the screen around the bottom, and staple. Then cover the fabric on the bottom with 1 by strips so when you sit the sifter down, you're not sitting it down on the cloth. I would put outside corner braces on it. I would also use through bolts on the braces instead of screws, as screws will work out faster. You can build one a lot simpler and cheaper, but build a hefty one, and it will last longer, and you won't have to stop and repair it every time you want to use it.

I have one made out of a commercial rock separating screen. Heavy, heavy, heavy, but nothing phases it, and it will last longer than I will.

Steve