DIY Small Shaker Table Plans: Build Your Own Mini Shaker Table

Well now, if you ever thought about makin’ a small shaker table for yourself, I reckon I can tell you a thing or two about it. You see, this here kind of table ain’t just for sittin’ at and eatin’. No, no, no. It’s a special kind of table—useful for all sorts of things, like sifting through dirt or sand and catchin’ gold and such. But even if you ain’t lookin’ for gold, this shaker table can still come in handy for other stuff too. Let me tell ya how to make one, nice and simple-like, right at home with not too much fuss.

Now, first thing ya gotta know is that a shaker table ain’t all that complicated to build. You don’t need a fancy workshop or any expensive tools, just some basic wood, screws, and a little patience. You’ll be workin’ with a small table, so don’t go expectin’ to make somethin’ too big like the ones the pros use. This here’s a DIY project, and it’s small and simple, just like the kind of things I like to do around here.

For the table top, you can use a piece of plywood, somethin’ sturdy that won’t bend when you start shakin’. Now, to make it shake, you need to have a little motor underneath. Don’t go thinkin’ you need to get a brand-new motor, though. You can reuse one from an old fan or even a broken toy car if you got one lying around. Just make sure it can move the table up and down a little bit, just enough to get that shaking motion going.

After you got your plywood, it’s time to set up your legs. You can use some simple 2x4s, the kind you find at any hardware store. Just cut ’em to the right length, screw ‘em in place at the corners, and make sure the table’s level. Ain’t no use in a shaker table that don’t sit right, after all. The legs need to be strong enough to hold up the table while you shake things up, so don’t skimp on that part.

Now, I reckon this is the part where things get a little tricky, but not too bad. You need to figure out how to get the shaking motion just right. I’ve seen folks use a little rubber or foam under the motor to cushion the vibrations, and that helps a lot. Once you got that motor set up, just attach it to the underside of the table so it can move the whole thing back and forth, up and down. You don’t need it to be a big shake, just a gentle one, so you can sift through stuff without making a mess all over the place.

Once everything’s in place, you can test it out. Put some sand or dirt on the table and turn the motor on. Watch as it shakes the dirt around and see if it catches any little specks of gold, or whatever else you’re lookin’ for. Ain’t nothin’ quite like the satisfaction of watchin’ that gold—or maybe some shiny rocks—appear right there in front of your eyes. If it works, you done yourself a good job!

Now, as for the size, you don’t have to make it too big. Just a small table, enough to hold the material you want to shake, is all you need. If you want to get real fancy, you could paint the table, or even add some extra drawers to keep your tools or materials handy while you work. Ain’t no harm in making it look nice, but the main thing is that it works right.

Once you got your shaker table built and it’s workin’ like a charm, you can try it out for all sorts of things. You might not find gold every time, but even if you don’t, you’ll sure have fun watchin’ the dirt move around. And if you ever need to build a bigger one, you’ll know exactly how to go about it, and it won’t be so hard. So go ahead, get yourself some materials, and build your own little shaker table. It’s a good project, and you might just find yourself a treasure or two along the way!

And if you got any questions or run into any trouble along the way, don’t be afraid to ask. Ain’t no shame in askin’ for help if you need it. I’d be happy to tell you what I know.

Tags：[diy shaker table, small shaker table, build shaker table, gold sifting table, DIY gold recovery, shaker table tutorial, homemade shaker table]