Floating Screen?

Cupajo said:

Just how old does one have to be Craig?
When did you start water hunting?
In 1982/83 I bought two Garrets XL500 PI machines like Mel Fisher used treasure hunting in Florida and recovered more than a 100 gold rings with them from Long Island Sound Beaches!
I designed and built the sifter Frank used as a guide for his exquisite version that you have and still have mine after years of hard use ready for my next hunt!!

OOPs, Sorry Pal I think you musta hit a nerve!!!

GL&HH,

CJ

PS I still have those XL-500's and wouldn't be surprised if they could still find goodies out there!

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Cupajo said:

Just how old does one have to be Craig?
When did you start water hunting?
In 1982/83 I bought two Garrets XL500 PI machines like Mel Fisher used treasure hunting in Florida and recovered more than a 100 gold rings with them from Long Island Sound Beaches!
I designed and built the sifter Frank used as a guide for his exquisite version that you have and still have mine after years of hard use ready for my next hunt!!

OOPs, Sorry Pal I think you musta hit a nerve!!!

GL&HH,

CJ

PS I still have those XL-500's and wouldn't be surprised if they could still find goodies out there!

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OBN said:

I remember Frank had asked me where I got the netting, and I shared McMaster Carr. I was shocked when he said it cost 64 dollars, some how he got the wrong one. But he sure made good use of it!

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OBN said:

I remember Frank had asked me where I got the netting, and I shared McMaster Carr. I was shocked when he said it cost 64 dollars, some how he got the wrong one. But he sure made good use of it!

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Cfmct said:

Are flexing here Lew... that is the way you want to go? my first 5 years 264 gold rings with my Whites PI PRO... when you hunted you could have scored a lot more... heard stories that the first hunters if they didn't score 25 gold or more in a weekend they had a bad weekend... Mike Robinson got spoiled by the huge numbers he was finding back in the day... Gary storm and I talked quite a bit about all the gold he found at the spots I hunt today... of course he was diving...and btw I started in 2006 with PI JOE and a good friend who passed away..

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RandomTask said:

1st Experiment going to give it a try in the AM let you know how it goes. Also a side note it needs more holes lol

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Cupajo said:

The screen material is pretty thick. I haven't measured it, but it is perhaps 1/4" thick and very strong!! (When the rain stops I'll measure it & post.)

Strong, very well designed traps to secure the sifter screen with it sitting high in the floaties, Very sturdy sifting screen (with holes pre-drilled at the factory). V-slot for the scoop are all Franks innovations!!

Several generations of water hunters would never wear this thing out!!

Great Job Frank!!!

Proud to know Ya,

CJ

Yep, 1/4" plate not screen!!


"Flexing? Craig I don't even know what that means!

CJ

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Cfmct said:

You need more holes.... you want it to

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Cfmct said:

You need more holes.... you want it to drain properly...

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RandomTask said:

Good Morning. Wow we got some rain last night! Free Car Wash! Alright i will post some new pics after i drill some more holes.

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Cfmct said:

The guy who made my sifter fsa46, took him 2 days to drill all the holes... he cut a white plastic barrel leaving about 6 inches in depth... I can scoop 5 to 6 full scoops into it and most everything with drain thru the holes unless I am hunting sticky mud which I do hunt alot so I search it with my PPer, its the only time I use a PPer at the beach... if I don't use my sifter the PPer stays home...

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RandomTask said:

So i added more holes and thing works great i tethered it with a extra strap that came with my waders to my belt. This is exactly what i needed thanks for the help. Gotta get out to the spot i wanted to hunt via kayak post some pics if i find anything

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Cfmct said:

if you hunt deeper water, add a cord with weights on it so the sifter stays put until you need it... the guy who built mone put like a 1 pound lead weight to keep it from coming close to you from currents while you are hunting otherwise you will spend time pushing it away..

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Cupajo said:

Heavy zip ties are the way to go!! They hold up well!!
The white tub can be the bottom part of a 50 gallon barrel with lotsa holes just small enough that a .22 cal bullet can't fall through.
Allow about 1/2" of space from the holes to the curve at the side for maximum strength.

Another post from he past-------------------

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Cupajo said:

Mar 3, 2012


A Hunter Friend from Australia asked for more details of my sifter and this AM I thought I would oblige with a short photo essay illustrating every point I considered when I built mine.

My desire was for a highly functional sifter that cost as little as possible and I built several over the years using metal screens, inner-tubes, etc.

They all worked, but I couldn't use my coil to determine if I had the target in the pile of stone etc. dumped from my scoop and as I got older, with eyes to match, I wasn't able to use a pin-pointer to find the tiny targets.

While on a dump run one day I saw several tubs some commercial fisherman had tossed into the bin there for such things. They were sturdy and could be easily cut to the size I needed and were free!

The one I chose is 20" in diameter, (I cut it to) 5" deep and handles the scoop load nicely. I wouldn't recommend one much smaller unless you are hunting only in sand. I prefer the white bottom for visibility and that it be flat to allow for easy sorting through the debris.

A sifter larger than 24" will tend to be too large in must hunting situations,

Using the idea of drilling hundreds of small holes, borrowed from KaptKosmic, I proceeded to build the sifter illustrated here.

My experience had been that inner tubes as floats were a pain in that they required replacing from time to time and were usually flat when I needed them.

Solution=Floaties which I also found at the dump and later at Walmart for less than $5.00. The larger the diameter the better. On my sifter I used only one which lasted a couple of seasons and then started to shred apart.

The blue floats I am currently using were salvaged from a floating pool chair I came across at the dump. They are the perfect size to keep the sifter floating high in the water.

In the pics you will notice I placed the holes for mounting the Floaty low on the sides to keep the bottom high in the water. This works out well when in the shallows and makes locating targets easier too. I started out lacing a cord through the holes to secure the Floaties, but graduated to all plastic, electrical quick ties as a fast, inexpensive method.

The bottom curves as it reaches the wall of the sifter and allows dragging a target up the side when wearing gloves so that I can pinch it between my fingers without struggling to grasp it as it lays flat on the bottom. (Harder to do in rough water where sometimes I am able to cause the small target to lift off the bottom by a short brisk push down on the sifter bottom. The water jetting upward through the holes will often lift the target enough to grab it.)

The tow line is anchored into the side via two holes through the side for a strong attachment that has worked well for several years now.

There is a loop in the draw-string to the nylon mesh trash-bag where it is tied on for me to slip over the scoop handle for easy transporting on my shoulder to and from the water.

The draw-string is left over a foot long to provide distance from the sifter as the larger finds contained there-in, all smaller finds are secured in my waist pouch, will interfere with using the coil to locate finds if it is too close.

The tow-line has a brass snap hook (Notice in pics 2 and 3 how this hook is used to secure the weights etc for travel.) I dug up one day that attaches to a stainless loop of heavy wire on my belt at the center of my back. This keeps the tow-line out of my way most of the time.

This line used to be shorter, but then the sifter was in my way too often so I made it longer and placed a 1Lb.weight on it to keep tension on it when I step toward the sifter.

The sifter is now out of the way most of the time and I don't find myself chasing it with my scoop-load in windy conditions or when the current is strong enough to push the sifter away as I step toward it.

Tension on the drag-line with the 3 Lbs. of weight at the end keeps the whole rig under control most of the time and allows me to concentrate on the target and not have to be battling the sifter as water conditions change.

I think I have covered all pertinent details here, but let me know if there may be any I missed.

GL&HH,

CJ

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OBN said:

I keep mine tethered to my belt on my finds pouch, when I fell into the hole and came up flat on the waters surface, unable to get my feet back on the bottom the sifter saved my head and upper body from going under. I was able to pull it in and keep my shoulders and head rested on it. My boots had filled with air and they were not going to do anything but float.. I do believe the sifter was one reason I survived.

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OBN said:

I keep mine tethered to my belt on my finds pouch, when I fell into the hole and came up flat on the waters surface, unable to get my feet back on the bottom the sifter saved my head and upper body from going under. I was able to pull it in and keep my shoulders and head rested on it. My boots had filled with air and they were not going to do anything but float.. I do believe the sifter was one reason I survived.

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Surf Master said:

Glad your still with us buddy , better work on bull shark repellant next , your still a Free Happy Meal out yonder ! Better play safe like Craig ! Knee Deep

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OBN said:

I keep mine tethered to my belt on my finds pouch, when I fell into the hole and came up flat on the waters surface, unable to get my feet back on the bottom the sifter saved my head and upper body from going under. I was able to pull it in and keep my shoulders and head rested on it. My boots had filled with air and they were not going to do anything but float.. I do believe the sifter was one reason I survived.

View attachment 583453

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OBN said:

I keep mine tethered to my belt on my finds pouch, when I fell into the hole and came up flat on the waters surface, unable to get my feet back on the bottom the sifter saved my head and upper body from going under. I was able to pull it in and keep my shoulders and head rested on it. My boots had filled with air and they were not going to do anything but float.. I do believe the sifter was one reason I survived.

View attachment 583453

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Cfmct said:

How come you haven't posted all that Manticore gold you have been recovering with your pristine scoops? Come on Earl, its July/August post it dude...

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