# Steel sieve mesh?



## TimothyClaypole (13 May 2015)

I'm currently excavating to hopefully build a garage/workshop.

Being thrifty I refuse to pay for skips so the company can charge me for them then sell the soil I put in them as well. So I have gone the recycling/Freecycle route and set out to sieve the lot then I can offer it as sieved, bagged soil.

It's a mixed bag of soil, sub soil, and a nasty sandstone mix where the 50's garage base originally was. The back gardens of mine and the two neighbours were raised for some reason, probably some excess soil when they were built. So I'm going down to the same level as my neighbour to the left as he has dug his garden out in the past. So by sieving it I end up with a sandy mixture rather than rubbish no one wants.

I'm on my second sieve as the wire on the first wore out due to Machine Mart selling it for compost not sandstone. :mrgreen: 

But this one is heading the same way due to not enough welds and the thin wire is a nightmare to weld back with my terrible welding skills.












Does anyone know any heavier grade steel mesh that I could weld into the 1st sieve as a sturdier replacement?

I had a trawl on Ebay but most looks to be stainless steel.


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## blackrodd (13 May 2015)

That, in the building industry, is Expanded Metal Lath (EML)
It comes in various widths, on a roll or you can get sheets about 2500mmx700mm for £12.00,



http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Galvanis ... m/p/104089

Keep you going for ages, (cut with a thin blade angle grinder)
HTH Regards Rodders


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## Phil Pascoe (13 May 2015)

I made up a sieve with mesh and a wooden frame that fitted on top of a wheel barrow so I could just tip the soil where I wished. Saved a load of time.


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## blackrodd (13 May 2015)

Or one of these, right in the barrow!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=schep ... B500%3B600
Rodders


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## Phil Pascoe (13 May 2015)

I already had the mesh and the wood - mine was a sight cheaper.


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## blackrodd (13 May 2015)

I reckon you could make one using an old washing machine motor or adapt an old cement mixer.
I like the easy life now!
Rodders


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## TimothyClaypole (14 May 2015)

Many thanks Mr Rodd I'll pop and have a look at that in Wickes.

It's a hand cranked one from Machine Mart, there's no way I'd be doing using my old style sieve. I've knocked up a granite topped work area while I'm doing it. 

I looked at motorized ones but with it having the sandstone in it they would just jam all the time or not break it up as I can do by abusing it by hand as it were. (hammer) 

The waste is going a few bags at a time to the two local tip(s) so the less stone not broken up the better -


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## dickm (14 May 2015)

Most Expamet seems to be quite soft - appropriate size weldmesh might be a better bet. Even worth trying Freecycle - that's where the guard round my boiler fuel inlet came from.


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## Hitch (17 May 2015)

We used to make components for cement mixer seives for another local firm, cant remember exactly how they went now, but they were made from a heavy experf sheet, much heavier than the likes of what you will get in DIY shops.
They type that is used on trailer floors and such.


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## flying haggis (22 May 2015)

or 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?url=http:// ... UpLR9hRUNg


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## TimothyClaypole (22 May 2015)

Looks good but not up to the stuff I'm sieving. (hammer) 

Soil with stones/concrete bits then a sandstone sub base from a late 50's garage then compressed soil/sub soil on top of a sandy base.

I spend half the time bashing lumps up with the head of a hand sweeping brush.


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## TimothyClaypole (27 May 2015)

Tried a company but after a back and forth they decided they only sold stainless steel and it would cost more than a new sieve and they had a £30 minimum order blah blah etc.

"Supply metal mesh and steel mesh, woven wire in stainless or mild steel" - pretty sure that says mild steel. :roll: 

Try the diy or garden centre. Er thanks.

The plasters stuff I could poke holes through with my fingers so that's no good.


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## TimothyClaypole (19 Jun 2015)

Had to sort this myself (you can buy this sheet but it's more than I wanted to pay).

Draw out a template to fit the sieve, printed and glued to a sheet of steel. This is my second one as the steel I had to hand was 0.8mm for practising car bodywork with.





Then drill the holes out (badly) as I have a £15 drill press and a Bosch electric drill that can drill triangular holes... 

Weld in place of the mesh and give it a spin.





Works a treat, have hammered it with a few hours sieving and no problems. Jams a lot less than the mesh and no chance to tear it through sieving sandstone. Maybe a bit less efficient with less hole area than the mesh but much more sturdy. 

It's a bit thin so doesn't sit flat enough so the new sheet above is 1.5mm so will get that drilled and try it in my other sieve that wore out the same.


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## Beau (20 Jun 2015)

May be a bit OTT for what you want but I use an 8x4 foot sheet like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Welded-Mesh-P ... 1768601818 on a wooden frame. Use a rake to work the soil and rocks over it and rake the rocks off at one end. Can take a picture if interested.


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## Mcluma (20 Jun 2015)

How long have you been trying to dig out that hole? :roll: 

I would have got on with the dig, and start the build :lol:


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## -Matt- (20 Jun 2015)

Can't believe I've just seen this.... I could have got you a sturdier piece of mild steel perf quite easily!

Not sure if I'd have had the patience to drill all that out though!


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## TimothyClaypole (20 Jun 2015)

I've seen the bigger mesh but mine's 8mm so a bit finer, more work of course to bash everything through it.

I'm in no rush, I've zero budget to build anything yet so if it takes 6 months to get rid of it all for free then no matter. ;-) The guy who came years ago about leveling it off moaned that there was at least 20 tons etc. So far it's cost me the price of 2 sieves, a sheet of steel and some rubble sacks. 

Of course I could just get a mini digger and grab truck in and have it done in a day but where's the fun in that and the money issue, lol.


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