Soil Processing
Stage 1
- Break up soil
- Filter large media
- Filter small media
Both the large and small filters will be the spinning cage type.
Clay
The soil can then be mixed with water and allowed to settle. Using a siphon only the clay rich water can be extracted. The mixing container will be relatively small but a larger settling pool can be used to collect the clay. The settling pool will be long and narrow. After it has been left to settle for a few days, a scoop can be run along the bottom to collect the clay. The same water can be used repeatedly in the mixer.
Rotary Sieve / Trommel
Small
To understand the mechanics, I want to build a small one. Wood and chicken wire. Manual or motorized. For manual, I could actually probably do fine with a treadle.
- Very simple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4F0DhcTNQg
Rather than a stand, it could just clamp on the wheelbarrow. There's also an assumption in most of these that it needs to be a circle, but a hex would work fine. If the rotation is transferred centrally, it will just work. If it's resting on the rim, it can just be extended there to make a circle.
I might be able to run this off a drill.
I think internal paddles are a good idea, should help break up clumps. Actually, with a hex, I might have really good luck with 3 paddles and 3 rows of screws pointing in. The paddles will drop clumps onto the hard points of the screws.