Suffolk sieve

Does anyone know what a suffolk sieve is? At least that is what my father called it. It's a sieve that you can stand up and throw spadefuls of soil at - brilliant for getting stones out of your soil. The soild largely goes through and the stones stay on the other side. My father made me one with a wooden frame with chicken wire stretched across it. It's getting a bit ropey now and I'm not much good at making things. I was hoping to buy a sturdy metal version but I cannot find any references to one on the internet. Does it have a different name? I feel that such a good tool must be available some where ...

 

This type of sieve is in common use in the building industry for removing small stones from sand for mortar or plaster. It is usually a screen made of small steel rods and set at 45 degrees, you throw shovelfuls full of sand at it, the sand goes through and the small stones are held back. The drier the better.

 

Yes I have seen these sieves in use for road construction in the 3rd world. Thing is I have quite a lot of earth to sieve and it doesn't need to be very finely sieved so the suffolk sieve is perfect for the job. If I were to use a hand sieve I would be there forever and probably have RSI by the time I'd finished. Perhaps I need to go to Africa to get one?

 

Just looked at that Amazon link, too pricey. I bought my riddle a few weeks ago from ALDI, £3.99 and it's stainless steel with three different sized mesh screens.

 

Maybe I am missing something but I just checked out that Amazon link and there were sieves of the hand variety but nothing like a suffolk sieve?

 

I've been googling like mad and finally found a picture of what I call a suffolk sieve.
There's one about 1/5 down this page
Try No Dig Gardening for Your Backyard Vegetables : TreeHugger

Maybe I should go into manufacture and sell them because they are a really effective way to sieve a large quantity of soil manually.

 

how to make one Toby Buckland makes a soil sieve | How to | Projects | BBC Gardeners' World and http://www.greenhouse-heater.co.uk/section.php?xSec=10 one to buy five items down the page

 

I have been after a good sieve for ages, the mesh on the one I have is way too small and it is so large it is tiring to shake. I had been looking out for one that moved; the kind of thing old gold miners used that you could kick and it would do for the work for you.
But that rotasieve looks quite robust and they deliver to France, yippee, so I've ordered one.

 

Go down to your local pond, river, stream, and get a free one with wheels on

Strong good quality, Usually branded ASDA TESCO or SAINSBURYS
Lay it back wheels and handle down chuck soil through it :-)

Jack McH

 

I'm just about to make one using my Belle cement mixer.

I'm going to use the bottom of an old mixer drum as it has the threaded section,then attatch it to the drum of an old washing machine.