How To Build a Worm Casting Compost Sifter

[@catherinemix51]

you understood the assignment! The addition of chutes is GENIUS!! Thank you, we will build ours this week!

[@tealtoad19]

Hi Chris, Mike Laine here from Mike's Trommel. What a great video you have presented. I thought it was well planned out and easy to follow. I have used the trommel for gold, gem stones, archeology, arrowhead retrieval, compost, worms, concrete sifting, aggregate classification and even chicken poop bagging! Every time I do a search I find another use. When I first designed it in 2009 the trommel was primarily targeting prospectors but soon branched out to many areas. I wanted a classifier that could be carried at least a mile away from the truck, along with a shovel, buckets, water and other gear in one trip without much effort. Motorizing it complicated the build with battery weight, motor, power cords, gearing, and engineering. I couldn't justify the use of sprayers, pumps, and hoses necessary to have a wash station either. KISS (Keep it Simple) has always been my aim. Besides, the hand crank is very easy to use. I like the all-thread and have built smaller trommels out of 3/4" PVC using it. If a prospector was to use all-thread I would advise installing two on each end of the barrel due to the extraordinary weight and density of rock. Again, I like your build and presentation. PS. The mil rating on Home Depot (Homer Buckets) beats Lowe's hand down! Cheers, Mike Laine mlaine.epizy.com/Trom

[@paultrudeau95]

This is the most complete, detailed How-To video I have watched in 2 years! VERY nice job illustrating this build. Hope to explore more of your videos!

[@Hopinforpeaceonearth]

This is absolute genius!!! I wish you had more than 3 videos. Your step by step is extremely detailed. Thanks for posting this video. I know it took a lot of time. Well done!

[@folsterfarms]

This was one of the best “How to” videos I have ever seen! Very well done.

[@adamjones9506]

Was looking at a stupidly expensive sifter and, even having to purchase a jigsaw, your compost sifter is miles ahead. Inspiring work, thank you very much.

[@kitsurubami]

4 to 5 years later and I am so glad I built this! I use it all the time in my gardening and I enjoy using it. Go make one!

[@paulabeattie8565]

Excellent video - clear, concise without unnecessary annoying chatter.

[@pittfan346]

Best instructional video I've ever seen. Very direct and to the point. On my way to lowes hardware now.

[@Kevin-wo3kp]

This is the very best video of its type I have seen. It's given me the confidence to give it a go. Thanks for sharing.

[@georgeevans9159]

Kevin H i

[@SuperQuickfix1]

@@PlantedByChris did a video on using bushings for bearing. That way you can glue up and replace the bushings easily.

[@dysfunctional_vet]

well done, editing is professional, information is concise, presentation is first class. WELL Done!

[@michaelgaryanderson]

Hi Chris. I've been generating more compost and vermicompost recently so I started researching better ways to sift the finished product. I really like that your design is practical, affordable with all the materials easy to find at the local hardware store. The only thing I may change is using less plastic in the design. Of course, that would probably increase the price and take a little more work. Great design! Thanks for inspiring us.

[@scottwillis5434]

Excellent video, thank you! When cutting all-thread, it's helpful to put the nuts on first, make the cut, then unscrew the nuts to force the threads back into shape. Grinding the end to a cone shape or using a fine file with a narrow edge to restore the thread groove can also help.

[@christopherbrewster9236]

I can't really complain about this video since it was free to me and 90% of the steps were demonstrated. Well done. I just finished mine and it worked great. Thanks so much for this demo!

[@BKGallent]

Kudos sir! I made screen-drawer suspended on an 8 ft frame that I was able to shake through 18 bushels in an afternoon but I admire the compactness and thoroughly well thought out design. You have brought to fruition a design I've had rambling around in my head but didn't see how to do it. Thank you. WONDERFUL!

[@pageoanedwards5050]

Brian Gallentine can you post picture or video of yours also?

[@az82ce]

That, my friend, is the darnest thing i have seen lately. Very well done

[@sandrarichardson2713]

REALLY nice work and super step by step instructions. Being a woman....seeing the finished product...it made me think of an ironing board with the middle cut out and the sifter set inside the hole. lol I don't know that that would work but it was a weird thought. Appreciate your time to present this...it might be time consuming to build it originally, but the time it saves in sifting worm castings would be marvelous. Thanks and Jesus bless.

[@ohhansel]

Dude you should be way proud of yourself for being so awesomely clever. Just a great elegant and simple design. I'm building one for my brother-in-law for Christmas he's going to be in worm heaven. Thanks for taking the time to put this out there in the universe.

[@Polusplagchnos]

Thank you for the ideas, the work, the demonstration, the step and parts list, and your genuine human decency. Bless you and hope to see you on the other side!

[@renatobautista563]

This is the best video tutorial that I can use for my (2) 55 gallon composter. Really love it.❤❤

[@FortifiedSoul]

This video helps me a lot. This is by far the best DIY tutorial vid for worm casting separator. Good job chris

[@dkschannal5264]

This is so much efficient than other bucket trommels that I've seen! Excellent job buddy!

[@hakovatube]

Amazing design, excellent instructions and detailed purchase and cut lists. Very complete, truly appreciated!

[@anthonyr640]

Absolutely the best diy sifter i've seen. This is now on my Must-Must do list. Recently started bin-worming and will be splitting bins in about a month. Thinking about making a "screw-thread" at the intake so the compost is guided in. Also, a series of angled vanes on the interior of the sifting chamber would move the material along without having to build the sifter with a tilt, would probably work best with larger diameter containers. Your build is really inspiring Chris. Thank you! Liked, subscribed and shared.

[@WhiteKeys007]

Wooooow Chris... I don't know what to say. THank you for taking so much time to go step by freaking step. Thank you

[@kaufmanek1]

Hi Chris.. Your video was very inspiring. I am now preparing to get all the materials to construct your version. I might be adding some wheels to the legs though. You are certainly an excellent methodical teacher. Keep the good work.

[@julestburt]

Wow, just found this. Don't quite need my own sorter (yet!) but very much enjoyed watching you build...and more importantly demonstrate! Very cool indeed. Watching from North Vancouver, Canada. Regards, Jules.

[@aaronthatcher2829]

Smart use of the wooden cloths pin to help hold all thread as you attach the lock nuts. Had to look back and see how you did this without stripping the all thread. Great video thank you

[@johnbrown1867]

tape on pliers also works well on all thread

[@dennisseeker36]

thanks for making this educational and not playing music, good video

[@ACE-pm3gh]

Big thank you for this video!! I have no building or handyman skills but my 7 year old and I was able to put this together from your instructions and it's a banger!! I watched a few other videos and this one was the easiest for me to understand. Thank you for making this DIY, it will be a HUGE timesaver for the worm bin and compost piles. In 2023 I spent about $150 on materials but that was all from the nearest big box store (because its right next to me and i wanted all the materials the day I saw this video) and I had to buy a couple tools also. This could still be done for under $100 or $75 if you know where to look or have some of these materials already.

[@02221935]

Good job. I like how you wrapped the smaller screen around the larger screen

[@georgemastrovasilis5079]

That's a very nice build. Thanks for making it so simple and easy to understand. Plan on building one this week.

[@fredtan7918]

Fantastic n clear instruction without loud music

[@hiranthanandasena7300]

Thanks for the great step by step instructions!

[@grandwheatgrass]

This is the best video I have ever seen on making your own screener. I am planning on following these instructions. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@petermyers8661]

I'm very impressed with how detailed your thought process was in constructing this. I'm not easily impressed!

[@hhenley7457]

Thank you Chris for providing such valuable information with such expertise and articulate communication!!!!

[@pamelaschoppeebortz223]

By far the best video I have ever seen on the making if a trommel sifter!

[@desireea1407]

This is wonderful. The changeable screen idea is brilliant. Thank you!

[@zemetrius]

i was stalled on how to put my trommel together, this video really came in helpful, thanks very much.

[@kanhaikapadia1665]

Agreed...I've watched too many of these diy sifter videos and this is easily the best. Thank you.

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

Thanks for the build video. I started making Mike's Trommel but your idea for using threaded rod was a huge time saver. Some of his written instructions were unclear so it was great to have a video to follow. I made mine for about $85 Canadian.

[@jerico902]

Thanks for making this video! I appreciate the hard work that went into this project and showing others how to do the same. I'm gonna try to build one tomorrow 😎👍

[@kickitatw]

Wow, nicely done! Clear, concise and very nice construction using readily available supplies. Thank you.

[@gerryt643]

Beautious! The best DIY kit style sifter I've seen on you tube. Well done indeed.

[@unnet1]

I've watched a lot of harvester videos. I'll make this one. Simple and effective. Excellent! Thank you.

Wow thats what i call perfection in Gardening!!! Thanks for sharing and many tasty vegetables from your garden!

[@charleskiplinger9904]

Exceptionally well put together DIY video. Thank You!

[@gordongavin1330]

Thank you for this! The supply list, the clear video - great job! I just finished building mine and it works great! It takes about a day to build depending on the tools you have.

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

What a great idea. Well thought out and makes quick work of sifting and can be used everywhere in the world. a 5 gallon bucket, some all thread, and some screen. Who'd have thought it would be that easy? And the rest can just as quickly be made out of wood or bamboo. I love this take, and it gives me options, I made one out of a dryer but the problem is I still have to scoop out the stuff that doesn't sift out.. It gets loaded pretty heavy by the time I have a wheelbarrow full, and installing a trap door does work so I don't have to scoop anymore, but it's a hassle I wouldn't have to do with this setup. Now i'm torn between this and a larger trommel made from bike wheels

[@areaSixTwelve]

Beautiful work, Chris. Great project, nifty design, and I feel you hit the sweet spot between assuming we know everything you do, and over-describing the steps.

[@alpeme55]

Hi Chris:Excellent Job!!!.Thanks a lot for sharing your creativity. Humankind would be much better with more people like you.GOD Bless you.Sincerely,Alberto from Puerto Rico: )

[@crosby3108]

Dude this is the best video i have seen on this, great job, i mean it great job I'm going with this design

[@JohnMiller-oz7gv]

Nice work. Thanks for showing the build first, then the demo.

[@bobmailer8260]

Very Cool my friend. Love your attention to detail on the construction and your creative use of common materials. NICE!

[@thegamingseat2742]

Amazing video! 8 years later and no one has made one better on making these. It's insane how expensive material/hardware got though. I just bought everything ill need, (only will be using 1/4 mesh so no bungie cords and all that) but it all came out to $175! Gotta love inflation.

[@larryodom1610]

Simple, well built. A slight modification use an adapter on the end of the axle for equiping a small motor thats all.

[@sherierodrigues1569]

Dear Chris. You are very clever, and I want one. The sifter as well. I say that with the greatest respect, my attempt at humor. I have a someone who could make me one of your great sifters, but it's convincing him I need it. Fantastic. I think you have made this video so well, I may have an attempt at constructing one. Probably not, I am already in my 70th year, wouldn't finish before I received my letter from Her Majesty for my 100th birthday. Regards Sherie Rodrigues

[@jasonr8935]

So practical Chris, thanks for the share.. I got a little worm farm going and was looking at buying a sieve. This will be my little project for next month.. Thanks again.

[@kitsurubami]

ok so i built this. It was sooooooooooooooooooooo hard!!!!. Cost me $124 not counting the hole saw, beer, or other tools. Have no idea how i could have completed it without the correct drive ratchet. Anyways thanks a million for posting this video it really helped. Was missing some stuff, but nothing too critical.

[@Matt-rj2vj]

Brilliant idea, design, build, and explanation!

[@michaelschadt9666]

I made it! Its awesome!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, I appreciate it!

[@chewee2k]

That, my friend, is a fantastic video. As luck would have it, I had just watched a video on the use of a commercial rotary screener/sieve, and I thought to myself that one could build their own fairly simply. Then I stumbled onto your video. Thanks. BTW, you have very good mechanical skills.

[@AndrewMcclurePalau]

cool video my dad and i are looking to build this and will use your video as a guide

[@bilabob211]

that was absolutely impressive great job dude you put in some work

[@dongrant6371]

Great presentation. Clear and concise. Well done.

[@larrylhall]

Fantastic Job Chris!

[@gunawanchou2583]

Larry Hall qqq

[@elliskye7559]

sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know a trick to get back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot the login password. I love any help you can give me.

[@crewkarson9380]

@Ellis Kye Instablaster =)

[@elliskye7559]

@Crew Karson thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@elliskye7559]

@Crew Karson It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my account :D

[@robodojo2353]

Fantastic video. I'm going to make one of these with my students, and this is a near perfect reference. It's also the reason I'm going to build this sifter. Well done.

[@sylviacherry4233]

Thanks Chris I have been trying to come up a simple way to separate casting using buckets. The screw all was the missing element. I like the shot idea too. Thanks again.

[@allansgoldmining]

Excellent ! Very detailed. Thanks for taking time to share !

[@galennordland8074]

Very good description and step-by-step video. Very pro!

[@mohamedsidibe9913]

I was laughing alone , I love your vidéo, i love you genius human being from another place who is literraly solving my issues. Keep up the good work. this is pratical knowledge presented in the best ways possible. kudossss

[@DadianSystemsLLC]

Fantastic Video! This is a much easier way to separate out the castings than how I'm doing it now. Looks like I'll be heading to Lowes soon.

[@mascatrails661]

Excellent idea and execution! Thanks for sharing this build. I'm imagining a slight modification where an electric drill can be mounted either directly to the drive shaft or through a pulley so you can just continuously feed the machine for processing larger amounts. Though I guess that kind of use would quickly see the pvc shaft and its 'bearings' heat up to a not-so-great level

[@mountainman4410]

Awesome build! Love the attention to detail. This will be the one I build this year. Thanks for sharing.

[@scottiajohnston8025]

Great video. Thanks for the detailed instructions. Love how it works!

[@hassanhadi3376]

Thank you for this video. I think i can afford to build something like this. And the idea is great, simple and do-able.

[@Metqa]

I put one together from photo directions. I wish you had been around with this video a couple of years ago, I see so many improvements on the design that would make my trommel so much better. I think I'll take mine apart and rebuild it according to your vid. Excellent tutorial! I hope you don't mind but I'd like to link this video to my Pinterest Page as it is so helpful and instructive!

[@jamesgenovese1652]

Need that list of parts and measurements, Chris ASAP so I can build maybe 2 or 3 for the retirement community we moved to. Don't see it now. Very cleaver. Used an old galvanized tin coal cinder trammel like that fit on an a garbage can as a kid to classify yards of compost back in the 40s. Now I can make one for me and my neighbor's use. Also people that gold prospect will want one. I plan to use it for that when I go do that. Classifying pay dirt is always a pain to do. You might want to think about making them for that market. Right over the slues run.... Thanks for the share.

[@jamesgenovese1652]

Nope.

[@jamesgenovese1652]

Found one like it posted by a Mike he uses to gold prospect with. Tad different than yours.

[@joecastillo966]

Your demo was very well done. Nice job. I've looking to make one but was not sure how to go about it. I now know how. Thank you

[@jasondaigle6887]

Bad ass demonstration on how to build great job

[@ziyuchan5464]

It's a very detailed and informative video. Very helpful indeed. Thank you.

[@bgjb-r1499]

Brilliant! Seriously, you should sell the entire setup!

[@jasonjjordan1075]

***** Will build, thank you for a most valuable tool, development and demonstration. Great work Chris! *****

[@kalanelson1634]

This is such a great video. Thanks for posting. It explains a lot.

[@davidterron989]

It's the best job ever! I will go to do it just tomorrow, thanks

[@wearbear732]

You need to bring this channel back brother.

[@Seezor]

Yet another piece of the puzzle to get started and get some worms. I won't do a sifter until I know I can competently keep them alive and composting. Good construction. Not overly expensive and enough is left to the imagination to customize it. I like the extra screening on the outside to get to your desired sifted material size. Nice build and great share. Thanks.

[@jdhitc]

This was awesome, I am not building this but this did give me advice on how to do a few things on my own build. Thank you for this

[@stephenmtine4146]

Thanks a lot. The video is clear and the lesson easy to follow. Good diy product too.

[@deepbeeps]

Well made and very professional looking! I loved that you used silver buckets. Now I have to add another project to the list! lol

[@lindathompson4787]

A very well done video cannot wait till I build one for myself..Thank you so much

[@thenightfly3586]

thats a great idea Chris...well thought out....it would last quite some time being made out of pvc....thanks again for the post....look forward to seeing more

[@RaymondAKlesc]

Excellent how-to video and very simple/smart approach. Living here in Indonesia, I would probably use bamboo as it is readily available and more eco friendly. Thanks for sharing.

[@habutti]

Well done sir, good job. Simple yet effective.

[@spraycanart]

Hi, Just wanted to say it is one of the best how to videos I have watched, I wished we could buy the pvc cross sections in Aust, Barry.

[@donnggiblof]

Barry Hocking Barry, try electrical suppliers, Ive used electrical conduits complete with cross sections to erect a frame over my vegie garden, yes, Im in Oz.

[@pageoanedwards5050]

Barry Hocking if your looking to scale up and do more, the conduit would be a great cost effective way to increase loading capacity of this machine.....

[@blunote9597]

Excellent video. Clever design!

[@inventanew]

I'm doing this today, thanks for this awesome guide, very cool

[@mctechies745]

I wonder if you can add a diagonal edge to the front of the intake buckets flange, so that as you turn it the edge encourages material to move down the chute, so you don't have to manually feed the material?

[@MikeTrieu]

I was about to ask how you'd separate the castings from the worms or even their eggs, but you pointed out that it would be a simple modification to wrap increasingly finer mesh around the trommel to filter at the desired particle size. Great job!