Stacking and Locking Sift, Sieve Trays (REV2)

I used my own parametric mesh generator and easy-to-print threads to create interlocking sifters.  You can use then individually, or make a tower to sort for multiple sizes at once.  I love using mine to sort fish flakes.

The full set of pieces includes

• Meshes

• Custom meshes (through slicer tricks)

• Spacers

• Funnel

• Bottom collector

Revision 2

I sometimes ran into a frustrating problem when unscrewing parts.  If I had trouble getting a good grip, I squeezed the grips harder.  Since the parts can flex, this created more friction and made the pieces harder to separate.  So I focused on improving grips, and made other changes along the way.  Note that revision 2 parts are not compatible with the original parts.  Updates include

• Improved grips

• Thicker and stiffer walls

• New medium size

• Increased the largest size

• Hexagon holes instead of square holes

In this situation, hexagons are objectively better than squares.  The hole size is more uniform and the repeating pattern is more compact.

Files and Sizes

Parts are divided into three sizes based on the diameter of the opening.

• 80 mm, Small

  • Holes range from 1 to 24 mm

  • Parts available individually, and grouped into zip files

• 110 mm, Medium

  • Holes range from 1 to 32 mm

  • Parts grouped into zip files

• 170 mm, Large

  • Holes range from 1 to 52 mm

  • Parts grouped into zip files

Most parts are a step file, but I used stl files for fine meshes.  (1) This keeps file sizes reasonable, and (2) PrusaSlicer slows down considerably when converting step files with many, many surfaces.  TLDR — very large step files take a frustratingly long time to load.

Printing

I recommend adding a brim to spacers and the funnel, and adding fuzzy skin to grips.  I used the smart fill option in the paint-on fuzzy skin tool.

You should check both classic and arachne perimeters.  In a few cases, the print time can differ noticeably.  Additionally, you can expect print time to increase as the holes get smaller.  If you need a fast print, check out custom meshes described further below.

I modeled plenty of clearance for smooth threads. However, if the threads are too tight then you can try entering a negative XY offset.  Conversely, if the threads are too loose then you can enter a positive XY offset.  Remember that this value is applied to each "side", so the total offset is double the value you entered.

Custom Meshes

If you know some CAD, you can create a custom mesh from the spacer.  Simply import the step file, draw a sketch, and extrude to create a mesh bottom.  Or ...

You can create a custom mesh with just a slicer.  The basic idea is to start with a solid bottom and disable top and bottom layers with a modifier.  The exposed infill becomes the mesh, and you can tune the mesh by changing the infill percentage and type.

Load the DIY 3mf file as one object with multiple parts.  Select the part labeled Mesh, and change the type to Modifier.  Now change top and bottom layers to zero, and pick your infill.

I have a few notes.  (1)  I recommend slowing down printing speed for infill.  Try matching perimeter speeds.  (2)  Mesh walls are only one extrusion wide.  This is thinner and weaker than my custom meshes, but they should print much faster.  You can make thicker extrusions by manually increasing infill extrusion width to 150% or even 200% of nozzle size.  (I have seen this trick used to thicken walls for vase-mode prints.)

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy!