Hi, I let the seeds dry in a paper bag, give the bag a good bashing, then try to pour out the seeds and not the chaff onto a sheet of paper. I have a 'tray' (a paper box lid), with several sheets of paper in, I keep sifting the seed from a sheet of paper in my hand to one in the box lid. Usually going via sieves of various sizes. On this experience, shaking an inclined sheet of paper seems to set up a particle size gradient, if I was going to make a desktop seed cleaning machine that is where I would start. However people have already had a go at the problem of home made seed cleaning machines and posted videos: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedcleaner.html As to allium. Something I only picked up on recently, is that when one sees a tumbleweed, what is going on is seed dispersal. I've seen the seed heads from alliums blow down my street and thought "just like a tumbleweed". I also find it hard to get the seeds out of allium, maybe one could copy this natural mechanism for extracting the seeds. -- David Pilling email: david@pilling.demon.co.uk web: http://www.davidpilling.net/