Shaker Table Success: A Massive Job Made Easier Leslie's Shaker Table Build is Transforming Her Landscape
Professional landscapers wouldn’t consider repurposing Leslie’s perfectly good landscape cobble gravel.
“I solicited quotes and was told they would have to scoop it up and haul it off and have me purchase more (?) or charge for the labor of $90/hour to sift it.”
The Problem
Leslie had a huge task on her hands. She had 2355 square feet of landscape cobble gravel that needed sifting to clean it for reuse.
She solicited quotes from professional landscapers, but they didn’t want to repurpose her perfectly good landscape cobble gravel! Instead, they wanted to charge her to haul it all off and replace with new!
She explains: “trust me, if it takes until next spring I’m dug in on repurposing every cubic foot before I hire the landscaping contractor!”
So, she got to work! And one month later, after lots of back-breaking hard work…
Two people (and two pet helpers) were able to clean seven tubs of 100 gallons each, using a wheelbarrow hand sifter – over the course of a month.
When Leslie realized that those seven tubs only accounted for 4% of the total amount to be sifted, she decided to step up and order the Shaker Table plans!
Wow! Leslie did a great job building her table!
The Solution:
Leslie bought the plans and built a truly beautiful Shaker Table. She had some great questions along the way, such as using butt joints rather than pocket hole joints and which one is stronger. Due to the heavy-duty nature of the work she’d be doing with her sifter, I recommended butt joints.
As Leslie was building the table, she was gaining valuable insights along the way. She confessed to a minor setback during the tray construction but quickly found a solution. Her attention to detail led her to recommend adjustments in the plans to help fellow DIY Shaker Table builders avoid similar pitfalls.
As the project neared completion, Leslie contemplated where to set up the Shaker Table to optimize its use. She explored options such as nursery wagons and hand trucks, showcasing her thoughtful approach to problem-solving.
“Once done, we found the weight of the table to be surprisingly manageable…including the saw, it weighs in at a mere 93 pounds.
Split in half, the weight of the table is actually less than lugging around 50# sacks of horse feed or bales of hay.”
“For a person with no one to help move the table, would then for sure recommend a hand truck.”
See Leslie’s awesome Shaker Table in action in this short 30 second video
Here’s what Leslie had to say after completing her Shaker Table:
“After the trial run I’m thrilled with the results of the Shaker Table. The difference will be the Shaker Table can continuously run like a conveyor as one keeps shoveling the Cobble Gravel.
Before, we got about 4 shovels and had to stop shoveling to shake the sifter, and still had to pick roots out after shaking (so much more time consuming).”
As an added bonus, Leslie discovered an unexpected benefit of having finely sifted dirt for her compost and pebble gravel for filling holes in her horse corral as a byproduct of the cleaned cobble gravel.
Now she’s well on her way to completely transforming her landscaping. And, not having to pay a contractor to replace all her gravel—and saving a ton of money—should make her smile every time she steps out her door!
Leslie shared lots of photos and videos of her beautiful shaker table as she built it. She provided some great insights, including detailed calculations, emphasizing the efficiency of the Shaker Table compared to manual sifting.
She even had suggestions for improving the clarity of the plans, and I appreciate such thoughtful feedback. And, her photos and details lead me to believe that Leslie would be a fantastic journalist or documentarian if she ever needs another creative career!
Click for larger images
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- Before: East Side
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- Building the Base
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- Tray Test Before Screening
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- Larger 7 Amp Saw
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- All Done and Ready to Go
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- Scotching the Sides of the Table
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- Sorting Results: Tray 1
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- Sorting Results: Tray 2
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- Sorting Results: Tray 3
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- East Side 1/3 of The Way
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- Time for a Well Deserved Break
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- Drying Out After Rain
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- Looking Great!
There are more DIY projects in the works, so stay tuned to Uncharted DIY. Feel free to comment, post photos, or ask questions.
