So, for my birthday my father gave me an old washmachine motor.
At that point I decided on a drive belt system. The motor had a pulley on and the drum could be upgraded with a third bike rim to act as the larger pully. It also acted like a reductor lowering the RPM from motor to drum.
The first problem was making a system to put some tension into the drive belt. The motor itself was made to be able to pivot. So I made a pivot point out of some L profiles and put a threaded pole trough
The welds are not something a metal worker would aprove.
So, here's the system. I only needed some nuts, bolts and a steel plate.
Loosened
As I push the engine up, the belt tightens and the small screw on the left follows the groove on the steel plate and when I reached the point where the drum itself begins to get lifted by the drive belt, I tighten the screw to hold the engine in place
Voila.
And that's that.
The entire drive system
The engine itself is able to detach from the frame, to carry it in the garage if rains are predicted. The engine is the most valuable thing.
The frame was designed to be wheelbarrow height. When I need to empty the drum I just tip the frame towards the wheelbarrow and the waste falls out on itself
The assembly
The small wheels are loosely screwed in to allow for some breathing. The net is riveted in and I had to make the washer myself to match the specifications. The wood is there to allow for better transfer of torque and helps to agitate the soil.
A look inside the drum
3 river stones are thrown in to crush soil clumps
So, there are bugs, there are still problems and some small things to add. Maybe even a mod.
But in whole, the trommel is complete and operational
