Where to buy good sifting screens?

[Maletrain]

Rather than hijack Ed's grout-for-ballast thread, I'll start a new one and ask where is a good place to buy a set of sifting screens.  I see ednadolski referring to # sizes, while most of the screens I am finding for sale are specified in "large, medium, fine, etc." or fractions of an inch or millimeter.  Or, very expensive sets in scientific supply houses.

What is a good source for sizes like #60 through #120 or so?

[ridinshotgun]

Ebay for used ones.  All the ones I have came from there at half the price of new ones and they literally are new when I got them except for the brass ones that are tarnished but doesn't affect their use.

[MK]

Awhile ago someone on TRW posted links to Amazon that has them.

[Mike C]

  Granger should have screens if I remember right . And they should be numbered by screen size .    Mike

[Chris333]

I have 2 screens that make to-scale ballast in N and Z scales from Small Parts Co., but they are out of business.

[wazzou]

I have 2 screens that make to-scale ballast in N and Z scales from Small Parts Co., but they are out of business.

Great tip. 

[rodsup9000]

 Search for gradation screen or sieves I have a number of them from #24 to 65 that I got from the State of Kansas Highway Dept years ago.

[ridinshotgun]

Search for gradation screen or sieves I have a number of them from #24 to 65 that I got from the State of Kansas Highway Dept years ago.

a search on ebay for Sieve 50, Sieve 60 or Sieve 80 in the industrial section will turn up several listings for used ones.  You can pick up all three for less than the cost of one  from any of the commercial or scientific supply houses.  PM of you want the names of a couple of sellers I have used.

[Angus Shops]

I have no idea what their actual sizes are, but I’ve bought several different styles and mesh sizes from a kitchen gadget store, including a super fine mesh that I use for ballast and such.

[ednadolski]

I got mine on Amazon.  You can look for the screen mesh in rolls, if you want to make your own sieves, tho now I am also considering these, since they are ready-made:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HJGKJ5Z/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XBZTN4J/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

IDK if they come any finer than #80, tho for grout at least anything that falls thru the #80 is probably too fine for use as N-scale ballast. Also FWIW, sifting sanded grout raises a fair amount of dust (and you have to keep clearing the screen), so if you have a lot then probably better to do it outdoors.

Ed

[Maletrain]

Ed, thanks for the links.  I had found some screens with sizes down to #80, which seemed to be intended for bakers to use sifting flour.  I read your post about sifting sanded grout and noted that you have a screen down at #120.  Because I am considering finer textures than ballast in N scale, such as road gravel, and because I may want to remove the dust from the ballast, I am hoping to find some screens finer than #80, as well as the #60 and #80.

I don't see an "industrial" category on my eBay search screen, so I am just wading through a lot of irrelevant stuff.  "Sieve" seems to be the best search word.

I did find these https://www.ebay.com/itm/182655509626 which seem like just what I am looking for, except that it seems to be nylon screen material, which might not be so good for sifting hard stuff like sand with potentially sharp edges if it has been produced by a crusher.

And, I found these with stainless mesh https://www.ebay.com/itm/182655509626 .

So, I think I am at least seeing options with the right info provided to make a good decision.  Thanks to all for getting me on the right track.

[Blazeman]

Seem to remember someone touting discarded panty hose for fine product.

[Angus Shops]

Typical model railroader - get her out of her pantyhose and them use them to sift ballast.

[chuck geiger]

Tea strainer at Target in the housewares is the smallest one I have, works great....