It's easy to build and easy to use
Galvanized 14-gauge staplesCut the wood according to the dimensions in the drawings. Assemble the frame by screwing the 1-by-1s flush to the bottom of the inside face of the 2-by-4s with the 2-inch screws (predrilling will help prevent splitting). Screw the two 1-by-4 crosspieces to the bottom of the 2-by-4s.Cut a rectangle of hardware cloth larger than the screener box. Bend the edges of the wire over the screener box and fasten it to the sides with heavy-duty staples. An alternative to the staples is small finishing nails; hammer them in halfway, then bend them over and hammer them flat.Meanwhile, back at my house, the family lettuce patch was producing so much that we were buying balsamic vinegar by the gallon. Unwittingly, our older son, Sam, added the final element to this mobile gardening story. As most children do, Sam took great pride in the garden he helped plant. He enjoyed the gentle act of harvesting ("Prepare to die!" he'd bellow as he hacked at the heads). Most of all, he loved washing the newly picked greens. His method was, and is, singular--a rinse with the garden hose in a child-size plastic shopping cart. After an invigorating spin around the lawn, he would pronounce the lettuce washed--and drained. Call me indulgent, but if that's all it takes to get him to eat his greens, so be it.6 feet of 1-by-1Now, if I could just figure out a way to make eggplant fun...SandpaperYou can use the screener to mix potting soil, then pot plants directly from the wheelbarrow. Soil or compost screened into the wheelbarrow is also easy to transport to another location.LETTUCE IN A wheelbarrow? Don't look at me--it wasn't my idea. Blame it on Caroline. I didn't even plant the stuff. Blame that on Bud.8 #10 3 1/2-inch drywall screwsTo use the screener, place the base in the wheelbarrow tray and lay the screener box on the base. Place two or three shovelfuls of soil or rough compost in the screener box and sharply jerk the screener box back and forth on the base. The material will sift through the screen.The measurements shown in the technical drawing fit my wheelbarrow. Since not all wheelbarrows are the same size you should adapt the plan to fit your own wheelbarrow. The most important measurement is the width of the top rim of the wheelbarrow tray. This measurement will determine the size of the base, which should fit snugly over the top of the wheelbarrow.10 feet of 1-by-2Screw the tray's 2-by-4 side and end pieces together using 3 1/2-inch screws. Cut the screen to size with tin snips and secure it to the bottom of the 2-by-4s with galvanized staples. Screw the 1-by-2s to the tray's bottom, and screw a handle to each end.Instantly, Caroline's wheels started turning. "If you grew lettuce in a wheelbarrow," she mused, "you could move it around to catch the afternoon sun." Sun, in fact, is a problem in her yard, which is shaded by mature redwoods and oaks.5 feet of 1-by-4OKAY, BUT WHY LETTUCE? WHY A WHEELBARROW?Candle1 2- by 3-foot piece of 1/2-inch-square galvanized metal screenThe sifter consists of two parts: a frame that straddles most wheelbarrows (lengthwise or sideways), and a tray with a bottom made of metal screening. You fill the tray with material from the compost bin, slide it back and forth in the frame, and dump the leftovers from the tray after the good compost has fallen into the wheelbarrow.
Sand the wood surfaces and seal the frame and tray with polyurethane. The final step is to rub a candle on the bottom of the tray and the tops of the frame's 1-by-1s so the tray slides easily.
Author: Peter O. Whiteley
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