A simple sifter accomplishes at the back end what an expensive shredder accomplishes at the front end of the compost operation. If you want to produce an attractive mulch for formal garden spots, then you'll really enjoy a sifter. Sifted compost is a beautiful mulch, and anything that does not pass through the sifter makes an outstanding catalyst when layered with fresh materials in a new pile.

There are many compost bins on the market, but very few sifters, and those I've seen appear too small to be very effective anyway, so it is best to make your own. You will want a large container to catch the sifted material. A large tree container (30" diameter x 20" tall), with four 5 gallon buckets inside works very well. A 30 gallon Rubbermaid container ($10 at Home Depot) alongside the sifting setup is handy for catching what remains on the screen so it can easily be put back in a new compost pile.

Using the following plan, you can assemble the sifter in a short time. Feel free to modify the plans to suit your needs or use any hardware or materials that are available for free. There are many ways to make this sifter. You can substitute 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth for the poultry netting to make a more selective sifter, but the poultry netting is best for a first-pass sifter. Photos of a 1/2" version are at the bottom of this page. The material list is not complete in that the machine screw, lockwasher, and wingnut sizes are not specified - those will be included soon.

Material List Item Quantity Cost 1/2" Galvanized Electrical Conduit 2 Pieces 10' each, or 2 pieces 36" and 2 pieces 40" $3 1" Poultry Netting, 36" wide 40" length $5 Plastic Zip Ties 16 to 20 $1 Machine Screw 4 $1 Lockwasher 4 $1 Wingnut 4 $1

Tool List Tape Measure Tubing Cutter or Hack Saw File 3 1/2 " Bench Vise Electric Drill 3/16" Bit Wire Cutters Pliers

Instructions
1. Measure the electrical conduit and cut two pieces 36" long and two pieces 40" long. A tubing cutter is easier to use than a hack saw, so use a tubing cutter if possible. The cuts need not be perfectly square but as close as you can manage. File the cut ends smooth.

2. Insert a piece of tubing 1" deep, vertically, into the vise jaws and close the vise to flatten the end of the tube.

3. Repeat step 2 for the remaining seven tubing ends, making sure that the flattened ends of each tube are parallel.

4. Drill holes in the centers of the flattened sections.

5. Cut the poultry netting to 40" long, being careful of sharp ends on the chicken wire. Use pliers to bend these sharp ends and align them with continuous pieces of wiring.

6. Using 4 or 5 zip ties, attach the 36" width section of netting to one of the 36" pieces of tubing. Leave the ties a bit loose for now.

7. Attach the two 40" pieces of tubing to the 36" piece with two of the machine screws, lockwashers, and wingnuts. The poultry netting should be between the two pieces of tubing. Loosely fasten the netting to the 40" tubing pieces.

8. Attach the remaining 36" tube to the 40" pieces with the screws, lockwashers, and wingnuts, again placing the netting between the tubing.

9. Tighten the zip ties and clip off their ends. The sifter is now ready to use.