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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 4) Business, Products and Machinery Discussion Forum
dreadpiratk
User

A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 8
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 screen size.. - 2006/01/12 11:26 Hoping to tap into the expertise here.. We have recently purchased a worm castings/organic fertilizer business here in CT, and I'm somewhat new to the worm thing (but not to running a business) Anyway, the gentleman who founded and ran this business for 20 years has taught us much, but is now 86 and in poor health, so we find ourselves on our own.

My question is this- he designed and built a large, comericial worm harvester that works very well, totally automated, but the screens clog up quite a bit. He used red-worms, but we have switched to night-crawlers to tap into the bait market as well. Anyway, I'm thinking that larger worms, larger castings, so maybe I need to change the screens to a larger diameter opening? What size screen would you recomend for seperating nightcrewlers and any undigested beddging/feed from thier castings? Currently it is very fine, about 1/8".

Thanks for any help here, I look forward to learning from all of you.
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Bob Ingram
Visitor

A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 156
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 Re:screen size.. - 2006/01/12 14:25 I use three 1/8" screens, and two 1/4" screens on mine.To get really nice castings you need the 1/8", in my opinion. For castings I only sell what comes through the 1/8..all else goes back into the bins. You might try attaching a vibrator to one leg...it'll shake enough to help clear the screens. It also helps to have the bin a little drier before harvesting...Seeya, Bob www.trinity-ranch.com
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dreadpiratk
User

A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 8
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 Re:screen size.. - 2006/01/15 15:32 Sounds like a good plan, I'll try out a vibrator on that unit, see if it knocks the castings loose. I've been using blowers to clean the screens and dry out the product, but only with limited success. Moisture does seem to be the big problem, too much and you can't screen it, too little and the worms don't like it. I'm still trying to find the right balance.
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Bob Ingram
Visitor

A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 156
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 Re:screen size.. - 2006/01/16 08:15 I've also found with wetter bedding the harvester needs to be more level to have time to shake it through..with drier bedding it needs to be steeper to get the worms on through so they don't work through the screens as well. Seeya,Bob www.trinity-ranch.com
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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 4) Business, Products and Machinery Discussion Forum

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