Need to find pellet sifter: Need to sift dust from a few tons of pellets

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hyip1206 said:
A friend of mine took an empty cat litter bucket, holds 28 lbs, and drilled many small holes in the bottom. I put the container in my ash bucket then pour the pellets into the homemade sifter, shake and all the fines end up in my ash container. Simple cheap and effective.

I did the same thing but with a 40 lb bucket and a 28 lb bucket under it to collect the dust. Took awhile to drill all to holes but it works.
 
I broke down this week and bought the plans for a dust vacuum. I got all the parts and assembled it yesterday only to discover that my old shop vac doesn't have enough power to make it work. :red: Guess I'm going vac shopping today. I've been wanting a new one anyway.

I've been spending some time reading the forums over at iburncorn.com and I've got to admit I'm impressed with some of the contraptions those guys have come up with to clean and move their corn. They are giving me WAY too many ideas! lol If this dust vac doesn't work I'll be putting together one of those kan_burn things. They've even got me thinking that I need to cobble together a cyclone to put between the vac and the duster. Ya'll check the site out if you haven't already!
 
I got the new vac, a 5 hp, and hooked it up to the cleaner contraption. Works like a charm! Actually better than I expected it to. Turns out those sorry pellets I have that I thought weren't shiny actually are once you get all the dust off them. :coolgrin:

Still have to build a stand for it and figure out a way to suspend a bucket of pellets over the funnel and have them fall in but that should be a minor job.
 
The fittings and the 3" pipe cost me about $25 at my local hardware store. (I already had enough 2" pipe.) I've been cleaning a bag a day since I put it together and it looks like it's time to clean the filter on my vac. I'm surprised given how dusty these pellets are that it hasn't clogged up a lot faster. The really good news is that I'm not getting those annoying noises out of my auger any more! :cheese:

Check you PM's.
 
now all you have to do is rig your kan-burn up so you kan=move pellets from a one ton tote bag into the stove and eliminate the plastic bags. then you will really be cooking!
pegdot said:
I got the new vac, a 5 hp, and hooked it up to the cleaner contraption. Works like a charm! Actually better than I expected it to. Turns out those sorry pellets I have that I thought weren't shiny actually are once you get all the dust off them. :coolgrin:

Still have to build a stand for it and figure out a way to suspend a bucket of pellets over the funnel and have them fall in but that should be a minor job.
 
Why not just install a steel mesh used for door or window screen on the end of your vac (in a bag style) as as you pour out the bag into say a 5 gallon bucket have the vac on to get most of the dust as the pellets fall. Then check to see if it worked and if not so well then repeat. Just a thought
 
what i did couple years back was go to walmart buy a wire mesh paper holder thing found in home office bought a nice big one for 3 bucks ... dump most of my bag in the stove then the end where most fines are would pour in this thing and BINGO no more fines they all fall through leaving me with fine-less pellets!
 
Let me get back to you my local Harman dealer had a sifter at their store, I will check on it for you and send a note back
 
bit_flores said:
Ok I am going to make up a pellet sifter of some type this weekend. The dust cloud that I get every night with "hand sifting" is out of control. So even making up a sifting table has to be better than what I am doing now! I have to dust my pants, coat, hair and shoes off after every night sifting pellets by hand. I even have to blow the darn dust out of my nose. yuk.

I found some heavy gage steel mesh screen at Home Depot. It's has about 7/32" openings. I will cut this and fit into a table type sifter. I will use 2x4's for the top and 4x4's for the legs. I please to use some plenum ducting to catch the dust & fines into a 5-gallon bucket and I will funnel the top to catch the pellets to another 5-gallon bucket. I think I will use hinges to angle the table top and shake the pellets into the buckets. The dust should fall below the table, where the plenum duct will funnel the dust into a 5-gallon bucket.

at least that is the plan.... If anyone has some design ideas or real-life examples, PLEASE let me know!

I did this same project 3 weeks ago. it sounds similar to my design. i used masonry galvanized mesh, left over from my fireplace veneer project. Some side boards left over the the leafs of the old dinner table. 2x4 scraps and screws. Is this what you did ?
 

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