Building a Giant Grizzly Sifter to Backfill our Trench with Rock Free Dirt

We have a huge job ahead of us to back fill our entire 540 foot electric trench. The challenge is to avoid adding the rocks that we dug out initially.
A member of our viewing community suggested building a series of large sifters to help pick out the big rocks out of our backfill dirt.
We Bryan went to task and built his own- and it worked out great!
Find the Tools We Used Here:
One ince Hardware Mesh:
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Porter and Cable Crown Stapler
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Half Inch Staples:
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Bostich Nail Gun:amzn.to/2QnTJ0e

Пікірлер: 82

  • @MrScoresby
    @MrScoresby5 жыл бұрын

    Good Job Guys. Glad to see you went all the way; from hand screens to a grizzly. That will make the job easier with the tractor and will really help to sift and mix a lot of soil mix for raised beds and landscaping. The choice of 1" screen will be perfect for soil prep on a large scale. And a second pass through a 1/2" screen into a wheelbarrow will give you soil mix for pots, containers and seeding beds. With the small stones in the bottoms for drainage. Put a small square of landscape fabric on the stones in the pot to keep the soil mix out of the stones. Happy gardening dreams; spring will be there faster than you think. And small 1/2" PVC. pipe hoops over a 4'x8' raised bed will provide a small greenhouse for early gratification. If you make it 2' high fill the bottom foot with manure and straw ( large animal bedding) the composting process will provide the bottom heat. In the first year of the garden I would start small with no more than 6-4'x8' beds but dream and plan big. Also look into square foot gardening for intense planting in raised beds. With succession planting the total yield will surprise you. the old guy Bert

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Dreaming of garden beds! Really looking forward to building a greenhouse next year too:) Thanks for all the help!!

  • @JK-co6wk
    @JK-co6wk5 жыл бұрын

    I think Brian needs to get Amy up on that tractor. Amy, you could actually get a lot of the sifting done ahead of Brian and make backfilling a lot faster. Don't be scared, Tractors are fun machines to work with. They sure make life easier.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Been up there a few times- I've got about 5 hours of experience- Bryan has about 500.

  • @rickb8808
    @rickb88085 жыл бұрын

    You guys are great. We took the easy way out and ordered filtered top soil for our cable buffer then filled over it.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    We could have done that too but around here could be waiting 2 weeks for dirt to arrive lol!

  • @knotbumper
    @knotbumper5 жыл бұрын

    Turn the grizzly (your screen) 180 degrees. Load it from the high side and let the oversized roll off away from your pile. That lets you load faster and avoids loading rock more than once. I have a homemade grizzly made from 1/4 x2"flat stock. with a 1-1/4" spacing, more than 80% of material is over sized. We live on a pile of glacial rock over 200' deep.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Smart!

  • @jameslivingston8301
    @jameslivingston83015 жыл бұрын

    Thank Y'all! Cool idea...

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Turned out pretty slick-huh?

  • @dusty265
    @dusty2655 жыл бұрын

    Good idea! Cool video enjoy the adventures your sharing with us

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely!

  • @robertfakler8564
    @robertfakler85645 жыл бұрын

    Making progress. Glad that part is done before the ground freezes. Not much you can do after that happens. You sure have rocky ground.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Gotta make some headway this week- gonna pull some rocks today before the sun goes down.

  • @robertrockwell7581
    @robertrockwell75815 жыл бұрын

    nice job. sifting the dirt helps from any big rocks from cutting the line.

  • @super123steve
    @super123steve5 жыл бұрын

    good job! It will be great to drive to the house again.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    For sure!

  • @SuperKingslaw
    @SuperKingslaw5 жыл бұрын

    Nice Work!

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @dannpurvis
    @dannpurvis5 ай бұрын

    I remember when I had a back that strong.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 ай бұрын

    eAsy to take for granted when we're young.

  • @mikeyg9619
    @mikeyg96195 жыл бұрын

    Glad you got your driveway back. Looks like it was a long way to walk.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Me too!

  • @oby-1607
    @oby-16075 жыл бұрын

    Nice build. Looks like you have our rocks relatives. They come in big and small.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    LOL thanks!

  • @billshirk8207
    @billshirk82075 жыл бұрын

    keep your chin up guys your doing great. have a glass of wine and be proud of how far you two have come. thanks for taking time for editing these videos in your busy lifes

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you sir for your kind understanding. It is so hectic right now.

  • @merrickthomas3106

    @merrickthomas3106

    3 жыл бұрын

    Pro tip : you can watch movies at flixzone. Been using them for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.

  • @holdenshepherd8061

    @holdenshepherd8061

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Merrick Thomas definitely, I've been watching on Flixzone for since november myself :)

  • @joseelisha7753

    @joseelisha7753

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Merrick Thomas yea, been using Flixzone for months myself :)

  • @joziahkamdyn2229

    @joziahkamdyn2229

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Merrick Thomas Yup, I've been using Flixzone for months myself :)

  • @matthewstover6789
    @matthewstover67893 жыл бұрын

    Great job not easy I know but ingenious.I’m sifting dirt to grad with currently.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! You can do it!

  • @dragonflygrandma
    @dragonflygrandma5 жыл бұрын

    Stay warm ya'll. It's getting cold.........Hugs

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @nataliedonaldson776
    @nataliedonaldson7765 жыл бұрын

    You could always use it again as a garden trellis. Give it some more life.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Cool idea!

  • @nataliedonaldson776
    @nataliedonaldson7765 жыл бұрын

    Could you eventually use the bigger rocks on the driveway to get more traction?

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yep- -exactly.

  • @tomjenkins7761
    @tomjenkins77615 жыл бұрын

    You may be time and trouble ahead if you were to buy a few loads of :back fill sand (generally 1/8th inch minus ) and "shade" the cable. When I was in the business years ago,the utility company s required a bed of 6 inches under the cable and 18 inches above, then the tape followed by the "native" material that was originally removed. The utility company s would not connect the line until this was done and verified. Food for thought

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Great food for thought- we may be able to "prop" up the cable during the backfill to get some additional dirt under it. When the inspector came by the other day, he didnt' seem to care at all about the cable/rockiness or condition of the trench. He did say- "one little nick and you'll be out of power and never know the location". So I thought a padded bed layer would be wise.

  • @lauravardy2890
    @lauravardy28905 жыл бұрын

    Hi snow already! What are your plans for a garden seeing as you're on very stoney glacial deposit? Loving this channel and your energy Amy.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! We actually have quite a bit of topsoil on our property, so have some dirt to work with- can amend with fertilizer. Going to do mostly cool weather crops and get a greenhouse started for other things. Successfully grew strawberries, zucchini, spinach, kale and arugula and potatoes (in a pot) this year.

  • @briankshaw8755
    @briankshaw87555 жыл бұрын

    Nice work! That was the power line ditch ?

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yes

  • @jackterry7664
    @jackterry76645 жыл бұрын

    Good job! You guys are learning, Brian must have some experience. Doing all this the wrong time of year in the Rockies. But, who has a choice some times,. Looks like Eastern Slope of the Rockies, not the West?

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! He has some home remodeling experience but really learns a lot on KZread. Time sure ran out on us- but yes- good eye- eastern slope!

  • @LazyAHoleRanch
    @LazyAHoleRanch5 жыл бұрын

    Oh man, that sucks having to do some of that with a shovel. Nice job though ❤️

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Just that one section- ain't no one got time for that for the whole 500 ft trench!

  • @LazyAHoleRanch

    @LazyAHoleRanch

    5 жыл бұрын

    Lol true, but any amount of shoveling just plain sucks.

  • @Pef273
    @Pef273 Жыл бұрын

    Why use a shovel when you had a bucket loader?

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    Жыл бұрын

    Precision

  • @txnetcop
    @txnetcop5 жыл бұрын

    Amy you are married to a genius!

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    We borrowed the idea from a viewer- but he sure put it together quick!

  • @larrylparish82752
    @larrylparish827525 жыл бұрын

    Your "sifter" is actually in the business called a "grizzly" FYI. Another machine that grades the rock down even farther is a trommel. Hope this helps with the terminology. And being in the area where you are, try panning some of that dirt to see if you get any color. Good luck.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    New terminology- awesome! Would love to find some golden flakes! Maybe in the well-drill!!

  • @caseih-pz9vp
    @caseih-pz9vp5 жыл бұрын

    Have they inspected the power line yet? I hope it passes it would not where I live but everywhere is different. Hope you get your well permit and have water soon.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yes- he came by the other day and mentioned the ground rod at a 30 degree angle, otherwise, all set to cover it up. Waiting on the well- hopefully hear something this week!

  • @caseih-pz9vp

    @caseih-pz9vp

    5 жыл бұрын

    Good for you.

  • @billherrick3569
    @billherrick35695 жыл бұрын

    Nothing like having a tractor/ backhoe.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Bryan excavated the entire foundation with it- and septic!

  • @RockingCHomestead
    @RockingCHomestead5 жыл бұрын

    I would have found a way over that trench with the tractor for sure!

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yeah could have put the bridge back down I suppose, but would have also been digging rocks back out of the trench again.

  • @RockingCHomestead

    @RockingCHomestead

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@ColoradoMountainLiving I'm not trying to hate.. Trust me, I am sure you guys get judged at every step. I was saying get the tractor over and use the grizzly. I think you guys are doing awesome. Keep the hard work!

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks man!

  • @ronaldstaples5752
    @ronaldstaples57525 жыл бұрын

    Guys you did all that hard hand shoveling when your tractor with a backhoe and front end bucket would have gone over the trench easily.

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Maybe, but also would have dumped in a bunch of rocks into the trench again with uncovered cable- don't want to short out our electric before we even turned it on!

  • @AlessioSangalli

    @AlessioSangalli

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ColoradoMountainLiving did you not make a bed of sand for the buried cable? 🤔

  • @John_Ridenour

    @John_Ridenour

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@ColoradoMountainLiving you could have used the tractor WITH the screen, and as he said, with a bucket and a hoe, you could easily cross the trench. But great job on the build. I'm wanting to build one like it, but with a hinged top to have a variable angle to screen topsoil....and then I can use bucket to shake screen to help with clump buildup.

  • @clydeacor1911
    @clydeacor19115 жыл бұрын

    I think that I would've just ordered a couple of dump truck loads of crusher reject for a couple hundred dollars before I went to all of that work. if you do order any reject tell them that you want reject, it's the same thing as pipe bedding but for some reason they charge you more for bedding. ;-)

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Around here, no telling when you get your truckload deliveries- sometimes it takes 2 weeks! Great tip on "crusher reject". Will have to ask about that.

  • @jamiemckenzie8516
    @jamiemckenzie85165 жыл бұрын

    Thought you where gonna be panning for gold LOL

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    Hey- maybe in the future well drilling video!

  • @tome7323
    @tome73235 жыл бұрын

    I don't know your elevation but if your 7 or 8 thousand feet it can get deep

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    over 9000! Heard 12 years ago they got 7 feet in one weekend - yikes!!!

  • @tome7323
    @tome73235 жыл бұрын

    If your in the mountains you haven't seen deep yet lol

  • @ColoradoMountainLiving

    @ColoradoMountainLiving

    5 жыл бұрын

    HAHA! We heard a story of 7 feet of snow in one weekend- like 10 years back.