How to Sift or Size Gravel

To size gravel for home projects, a soil sifter is an indispensable tool. It is made from steel mesh stretched across a wooden frame, and you accomplish the sizing by sifting gravel through the mesh. Sifters have a number of uses in gardening and homesteading; in addition to sizing gravel, you can use them to "dust" fertilizers evenly onto your home garden, clean seeds and create debris-free potting soil. You can even use cleaned screens to dry fruits and store vegetables that need air circulation to remain fresh. Once you have made the sifter, sizing gravel is a simple process.

2-by-4-inch lumber, cut into two 24-inch pieces and two 20-inch pieces (waste lumber is fine)
Roll of 24-inch-wide steel screen in desired mesh size; this should be large enough to let through everything but gravel in your preferred size or larger
4 screw-in steel plates, approximately 20 inches long by 1 inch wide
3-inch drywall screws
Power drill
Wire snips
Box or wheelbarrow
Shovel or trowel
Work gloves
Bucket

Instructions

Building the Sifter
- 1
  Assemble all your materials on a flat, work surface.
- 2
  Cut a 2-foot section of wire from the roll using the wire snips.
- 3
  Screw the two 20-inch end boards to the two 24-inch side boards, using the power drill and at least two screws per corner. Drill through the side pieces and into the ends of the cross pieces. You should have a simple frame with the two shorter pieces screwed inside the ends of the longer pieces, like a ladder that's been cut off just above and below two of the rungs.
- 4
  Place the pre-cut piece of wire steel mesh on top of the frame, and affix it on all four sides with the steel screw-in plates, using the drill to make sure the screws are in securely. The mesh will be stiff and should not require stretching, but make sure it is pulled smooth and there are no bends in it.
- 5
  Trim the ends of the mesh with the wire snips.
Sizing the Gravel
- 6
  Place the sifter across the top of the box or wheelbarrow so any debris can be caught in the receptacle.
- 7
  Shovel gravel or gravel-permeated dirt on the sifter. Wear work gloves to protect your hands.
- 8
  With your hands or a trowel, sift and push the gravel or debris through the sifter until the only pieces of gravel left are the desired size or larger.
- 9
  Pick out any outsize pieces of gravel, and save the desired size of gravel in a bucket.

Marble Finishing Techniques

Landscaping Ideas for an Adirondack Look

Overall Landscape Planning

How to Sift or Size Gravel

Instructions

Building the Sifter

Sizing the Gravel