If you want to learn more about how to build a compost sifter, you have to take a close look over the free plans in the article. One of the great benefits of composting is to create a soil booster that will add strength to both your indoor and outdoor plants. However, the compost might not have an appealing appearance, with all the vegetal and kitchen residues. In this situation, the sifter comes handy as you can separate the resides from the trash from the mature soil. Building a small sifter is a straight forward process if you follow the step by step tutorial.

If you want to get the job done in a professional manner, we recommend you to plan everything with attention, as to prevent costly mistakes and to build a professional garden bench. Invest in high quality materials, such as cedar, pine or redwood, as the bench will be exposed to all kinds of weather. Apply a few coats of paint over the components, to enhance their appearance and to protect them from bad weather.

Compost Sifter Plans

Building a compost sifter

Materials

• A – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 24″ long, 2 pieces – 15″ long FRAME
• B – 4 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 24″ long, 2 pieces – 15″ long TRIMS
• C – 1 piece of mesh – 18″x24″ long  SIFTER
• D – 2 handles HANDLES

• 1 piece of 2×4 lumber – 8′
• 1 piece of 1×2 lumber – 8′
• 1 piece of 1/2″ mesh – 2’x2′
• 50 pieces of 2 1/2″ screws
• wood glue, stain/paint
• 2’x2′ mesh
• handles

Tools

• Hammer, Tape measure, Carpentry square
• Miter saw, Drill machinery, Screwdriver, Sander, Router
• Safety Gloves, Safety Glasses, Respiratory Mask

Time

• One day

How to build a compost sifter

Building the frame of the sifter

The first step of the project is to build the frame for the sifter. Cut the components from 2×4 lumber at the right dimensions. Drill pilot holes and insert 2 1/2″ screws to assemble the frame. Make sure the edges are flush and add glue to the joints. Make sure the corners are square for a professional result.

Attaching the mesh

Cut a piece of hardware mesh and staple it to the frame. Make sure the mesh doesn’t have folds for a professional result.

Fitting the bottom frame

Build the bottom frame from 1×2 lumber. Drill pilot holes through the 24″ components and insert 2 1/2″ screws into the perpendicular components. Make sure the corners are square and add glue to the joints. Fit the bottom frame to the sifter and align the edges with attention. Drill pilot holes and insert 2 1/2″ screws to secure the frame into place.

Fitting the handles

Attach handles to both sides of the sifter, as shown in the diagram. Center the handles to the sides as accurately as possible, for a symmetrical result.

How to build a compost sifter

After assembling the sifter, you have the perfect opportunity to test it. Make sure you start with a small quantity so that you can learn the technique. Without a compost sifter spreading a compost on your garden soil is hard, as you need to separate the trash, the stones and the residues from the matured compost. You can adjust the density of the mesh according to your needs.

Compost sifter plans

We recommend you to check if the components are locked into place properly and structure is rigid enough for your garden. Make sure there are no protruding screws or sharp edges. If you are tight with the space in your workshop, I have a good news: these sawhorses are stackable.

PRO TIP:  Check out the rest of the project to learn more about building garden projects.

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