Making your own "Millbank"-waterfilter; how??

[RonW]

I've been thinking about this for some time, but I can't figure it out.

I want to make my own millbank kind off waterfilter, but have no idea what fabric to use. The sewing part seems easy, the fabric part no so.
I was thinking of cotton, but what kind of cotton would do? Or should I look for other options.

I am leaving out the chemical contamination possibility, so the general idea is filter the water, then boil it.

Any suggestions??

 

[addo]

Tie off the bottom of some trousers, and cut to length. Its only to get the big stuff out, so boiling will sort the rest out fella.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Make sure you have a close weave (but not waterproof). Some people I've seen recon on using heavyweight denim.

 

[beenn]

I have never tried this but i just read
"the mill bank bag can be made using artists canvas it is best to wash it first before you make it. i am in the process of making my own. plus a few other bits from the said canvas "

I have a millbank bag but remember seeing a video on youtube by mike dixon saying filtering through a bandanna is not good enough even if its folded over 4 times- may be worth considering.

Here is the video- http://www.youtube.com/user/wall2rockclimber#p/u/1/sL4c_l7Rb58
around 7 minutes in

 

[jojo]

I have seen a company that sell a filter which are basically coffe cone paper filters and a plastic cone of same size, can't think of the name at the moment. I remember looking at it and thinking that it would be easy to improvise something similar. The stiff plastic is just there to support the paper cones without taking any space.

As to the Millbank, it's just a bag of close weave canvas. The water makes the cotton swell, making it more difficult for particles of "stuff" to go through, only clean water gets through. The water looks perfectly clean, but then you'd still better boil it to kill bacterias!

 

[Kerne]

Interesting - I've got some 12oz "loomstate" canvas - i.e. untreated or dyed. I reckon if I wash it and make a bag up it should be OK as a Millbank. have to give it a go.

 

[PDA1]

You really want to get down to 1 micron size to filter out parasites which probably wouldn't be destroyed by brief boiling. Inexpensive 1 micron filters can be bought on Ebay for ca. 2.70 each plus postage. they would effectively be millbank bags, or you could cut them down to 15 to 20 cm circles to use as filters.
http://www.youtube.com/user/djbarryiii#p/u/16/is7X6JS9vUo
is a good video of the technique.

 

[rik_uk3]

These would be fine
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180672737421&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT