need rock sorters

[TBat55]

I bought a 40# bag of "patio base" at Home Depot and need to sort the rocks by size. I don't want to make my own screens.

Anbody know where I can get a series of screens for HO size rocks? I remember seeing some a long time ago. They were round metal pans that you stack different ways to get different sort sizes.

[hminky]

I use common household strainers. They process enough volume to do the job.



I have a web article on the virtues and varieties of common paver sand at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/gravel/

Thank you if visit
Harold

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: They were round metal pans that you stack different ways to get different sort sizes.

What you are looking for are called "soil sieves". There are all kinds and sizes, ranging up to professional ones for engineering soil analysis. Do a Google search on "soil sieves" and it will turn up a bunch of hits. I even found one article on how to construct your own from coffee cans and screen mesh. Most of what I saw wasn't labeled by model railroad scale, so you probably need to have some idea of the range of particle sizes that you're loking for.


Regards

Ed

[TBat55]

Thanks egmurphy. That's what I was missing.

http://www.hogentogler.com/sieves/

Now all I need to figure out what mesh number for a 1 cu.ft. rock in HO. Learn something new everyday in this hobby.

[TBat55]

Found metal stacking "soil sieves" at dallasbonsai.com (shipping cost high):

Qty Name SKU Price Sub Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 T67 Soil Sieves T67 $11.95 $11.95 (1/8"+, 3 sizes)
1 T118- Separate Soil Screen T118Clr-9 $4.95 $4.95 (1/4"+)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub Total $16.90
Shipping: Ground $15.00
Tax Total $0.00
Grand Total $31.90

[hminky]

In my earlier post, the fry strainer has a 3/16x5/32 opening and most of the larger pieces aren't much larger. The regular strainer has a 5/64 opening and this is what it looks like:



The mule is 1/4 scale but the track is Atlas code 100 HO. This is the strainer I use for most of my ground cover it is the sand next to the grass. The ballast is straight play sand

The small strainer has a 3/64 opening. Since it sand most of the small particles are about this size:



There is very little dust in the sand. I mix it with base latex paint and stipple it on to get the texture on the embankment.

I find the strainers in dollar stores.

Hope that helps
Harold