Screens For Teeth

[Sinopaleus]

Well, I guess I am the first to post a topic to collecting gear

Anyways, I am considering to go travel to SC to collect some shark teeth. However, for the small ones, what kind of screen should I get to sift the gravel? Would screen door screens work? Any suggestions?

Best,

Henry

[Auspex]

I'd recommend sterner stuff (screen door material is thin and woven: when it isn't breaking, stuff gets stuck in it); hardware cloth is heavy-duty, and can be commonly had in 1/4" mesh, and 1/8" & 3/16" with some searching.

[Cris]

Agreed. I always use hardware cloth for my screens. If you have time to special order some online, you can get much smaller mesh that would hold up longer than window screen.

[chronicles]

Called Here:

http://www.bwire.com/index.html

They manufacture wire mesh and wire cloth in rolls and cut pieces. They told me that the window screen is sized out at around 18x14 mesh, in other words 18 wires per inch one way, and 14 the other.

I am going to go ahead and order something a little sturdier from there, probably something stainless steel, which will not rust over time.

[Lee Taylor]

I have been scuba shark tooth hunting for 17yrs in Charleston SC. As of late I have decided to try my hand at non-scuba shark tooth hunting. In other words, walk-in fossiling in creeks, streams, and rivers. I fabricated and purchased some gear and was AMAZED at how well it works.

The primary gear is a floating screen sifter. Here is the material list:

Wood stock 2" x 2" x 8' long

Wood stock stripping .25" x 1.25" x 8' long

Screen .25 x .25 opening

Pool noodle 3" diameter x 4' long

Wire ties .350" wide

Wood screws 2.5" long (for main frame)

Wood screws .75" long (for wire tie)

Staple gun or tacks (for screen)

Screws or large head tacks for fastening the stripping. Note: The stripping protects ones hands from the sharp edged wire

There are of course multitudes of ways of digging but I have found the sifter scoops to work well

When you prefer not to get down into the water and mud you can use a long handle shovel or sifter scoop

Hope this info helps!

Edited December 9, 2012 by Lee Taylor

[RickNC]

Mine are four 2"x4" boards screwed together in a square shape. I buy the rolls of screen from the hardware store and staple it to the bottom of the board from and then screw strips of wood over where the screen sits on the edge of the frame. I usually use 1/2" but also have 1/4" that is used on occasion.

[Mudduck]

I don't usually sift but when I do it is with a milk crate that I have attacted a 1/4 screen at the bottom and sides. I also cut another 1/4 inch to put diagonal if I want to sift for smaller items. I will say that when I sift it is mostly done in the cold winter. Aligators, and that is all I've got to say about that.

[bear-dog]

I don't usually sift but when I do it is with a milk crate that I have attacted a 1/4 screen at the bottom and sides. I also cut another 1/4 inch to put diagonal if I want to sift for smaller items. I will say that when I sift it is mostly done in the cold winter. Aligators, and that is all I've got to say about that.

Why? We scuba and or screen in Fla. year round.

[Mudduck]

Do you scuba and screen with the gators? There is a 12ft. gator that I really don't want to be face to face with when I am at the edge of the water. I find it best in the winter time when he is not around and also the vegetation is not as bad.

[fossiljunkie]

1/4" screen should work fine,

since it hasn't been mentioned, here is a word of caution. depending where you are planning on digging/sifting i would be careful and mindful of town ordinances.

in many areas you will get away with it. but if you are planning on summerville to dig and sift you may end up with a hefty fine and possible jail time or both if they want to set an example. dont want to rain on the parade but justa heads up

the town of summerville passed a town ordinance forbidding the digging for fossils on creek bottoms in the town of summerville.i'm not sure if they expanded that ordinance to include the entire county of dorchester also but the town of summerville is definitley 100 % off limits to digging with any tool including a small trowel, knife, screwdriver, what have you. i'm just giving you fair warning as i used to live in summerville and know what i'm talking about. but maybe no issue anywhere else throughout the state. do your research first.

[bear-dog]

Do you scuba and screen with the gators? There is a 12ft. gator that I really don't want to be face to face with when I am at the edge of the water. I find it best in the winter time when he is not around and also the vegetation is not as bad.

Yes we scuba and screen with the Gators.I was just telling Lefty about some of the sites we hunt.

[Mudduck]

I am in Charleston but I have heard about Summerville.

Swim with the gators!*? I am from Kansas and have been in Charleston for about 16 years now. I don't know if I would take the chance. A couple of years ago, a man was snorkeling and a big gator got his arm. Another gator down the road grabbed a dog and the owner went in after him and saved the lab.

[Lee Taylor]

There is always controversy over this bill that was ratified into law in 1991.

Underwater Antiquities Act of 1991

I have law enforcement in my family and trust me on this, if they want you, they can get you.

I was sitting in a canoe this past summer and was handed a $160 ticket. I thought sitting in a canoe was similar to sitting on a floating log. Well I had a teeny electric motor on board SO that required me to also have a life preserver on board. Oh well. If you play, they are gonna find a way to make you pay. Life moves on.

I think the cause of the problem in Summerville SC originated with fossilers digging LARGE excavations in areas where the public drove or walked past every day. The unsightly large holes had to be filled in my the county and became a nuisance.

GATORS. What a long winded subject. I am ALWAYS on the watch for the hidden gator. Last summer I had my scuba unit on and I was fossiling the bottom of the Edisto in a part of the river where gators are seldom if ever seen. (there are 100's down river a bit) Most logs on the bottom are stuck in the mud and do not move. I came across one that was moving up and down in the current, and it scared the be-jesus outta me. I checked it two or three times to make sure that I was POSITIVE it was not a large gator. Even after putting my hand on it, it was still creeping me out. So then I went on to unintentionally getting good and wrapped up in some poly fishing line. So, I went on back to the boat to deal with that.

All hunts are not good ones. Just does not work out that way

[JeepDigger]

I've been thinking about this too for a trip I'm taking soon. I found this plastic set online, the diameters are 3/8", 1/4" and 1/8" and they all nest together. Also says it comes with a case, might be worth looking at.

http://www.gardentoolcompany.com/soil-sieve-nested-set-of-3/

I also found this set that looks kinda cool for about the same $

http://www.ecrater.com/p/341515/large-japanese-bonsai-soil-sifters-with-3?gps=1

[rwhitty2012]

If you will be working in water, the floats are really helpful. If I were considering the interchangeable metal set, I would want to know how hard it is to switch the screen inserts and how secure the inserts are. If you are in a river with a current, the less parts to keep track of the better. It is easy to be focused on sifting and to look up and see your stuff floating down the river. Then you have to try to learn to run on water!

[Biscuit]

I made a 1/2" hardware cloth sifter for up here in KY, but we don't have any sharks teeth.

I used two of the cheap black plastic oil change drain pans; cut the bottoms out and put the screen in-between with some liquid nails to hold it all together. It's lightweight and small; easy to carry around in a backpack.

[chronicles]

• Plastic is good, but easily breaks and wear over times. I believe stainless steel mesh is the way to go: http://www.bwire.com/index.html
  

The stainless will absolutely add to your costs up front, but there is likely no way that plastic will be useful to you for as long as any type of metal will be.

Trust me, do it right the first time so you dont have to do it again. and again, and again.

[Just Bob]

• Plastic is good, but easily breaks and wear over times. I believe stainless steel mesh is the way to go: http://www.bwire.com/index.html
  

The stainless will absolutely add to your costs up front, but there is likely no way that plastic will be useful to you for as long as any type of metal will be.

Trust me, do it right the first time so you dont have to do it again. and again, and again.

I really like some of those screens. I see they sell it by the sq foot, do you know what the min order is?

[chronicles]

^{Minimum is $100.00 they told me, which is a nice low amount.}

^{I got really good service and products. 5 stars.}

[MikeDOTB]

It is really easy to manufacture your own screen. Just go to Lowes or Home Depot or any other similar buisiness and get a (depending on preference) a 2"x4"x8' (I prefer deeper sides to my screen) and at Lowes or Home Depot they will cut it for you). Nails or screws, a roll of 1/4" or 1/2" mesh (depending on what size teeth you don't want to go through your screen, and by getting a roll, you will have extra to rescreen as it does wear out after heavy use) long zip ties for pool noodle floaties. If you want to get fancy you could always attach large handles or straps too it which would aid in screening/rinsing/carrying but they are not needed.

[RickNC]

It is really easy to manufacture your own screen. Just go to Lowes or Home Depot or any other similar buisiness and get a (depending on preference) a 2"x4"x8' (I prefer deeper sides to my screen) and at Lowes or Home Depot they will cut it for you). Nails or screws, a roll of 1/4" or 1/2" mesh (depending on what size teeth you don't want to go through your screen, and by getting a roll, you will have extra to rescreen as it does wear out after heavy use) long zip ties for pool noodle floaties. If you want to get fancy you could always attach large handles or straps too it which would aid in screening/rinsing/carrying but they are not needed.

In addition to the handles I also attach a length of string or cord (550 cord) with a snap link. The link can then be attached to a root, stick, etc to prevent the screen from drifting away.

[Lee Taylor]

oh that reminds me Rick, i need to add one to my long handle scoop

[CrocodileJen]

Does anyone have any experience with prospecting screens? Saw a couple of people using them this weekend and they looked pretty handy.