Awesome build, Genius idea. That Meg is a real trooper, with bringing in that metal. Your exactly right John, everybody needs a Meg. Really enjoyed your cideo start to finish.
Watching you guys work together, with each bringing their expertise and determination, is a joy to watch. Meg is saying engineer, I'm thinking of adding a teacher to that. Your ability to take mechanical concepts and make them understandable is a skill very few have. I agree ... everyone needs a Meg. It didn't take long, I keep watching my Notifications in anticipation of your next adventure
Designed from a mental concept, field assemble using what you have available, BOTH of you working to make it work well for your needs.... I'd say you and an exceptional team and done an exceptional job!!!!
I just found your channel last week, and now have watched all of your videos. I would like to say you all are very nice people living the American dream. I am looking forward to keeping up with your work.
Build - add a large funnel-trough to the input side and use your tractor to load the material. 2000' of driveway is many thousands of shovels of material.
My Misa was a Meg today....she brought home some 6' x 4'' x 2' metal carts with 4 shelves, and large wheels on the bottom, 2 metal shelves, and this display cart. The metal frame of this cart is a Perfect start for a welding cart. The decorative distressed wooden box that fits in it will make a nice storage unit. A Really cool Idea to do with that Trammell also, would be to add a sluice to that system and collect any valuable metals or gems. I would love to see you build it all in one unit. Definitely subbed for more great videos!
I tried to find episode 70 but it just wasn't there so I think I am now officially caught up with all the posts. I have really been mesmerized by everything you two have done to this point. Even Autumn and Claire are great little do-bees. They are so cute and respectful. No whiners in your camp. At least not on camera😃. The two little fur sisters are so sweet. I love watching them run around checking everything out and making sure it is safe for everyone in their pack. Thanks again for sharing your adventure with us. You two have some really great DIY skills. I've done some similar things in my 74 years hanging around this old earth by the good grace of our Lord and Master. Well done!!
m.th-cam.com/video/5Ufssp5arbo/w-d-xo.html Nr 70 is there .... I am binge watching too !! Would love to see links to music used inside the description and on every new upload a link in the previous upload to the new ... just so tharfuture binge watchers can catch up easily ... youtube really does scramble the videos, rarely giving the videos in date order. Makes it hard to find the next episode especially since putting the E number at the end of the title.
Just a simple suggestion that will improve your life..... The magnet idea is great but a pain to clean.. just stick it in a plastic bag and when you want to clean it, just remove the magnet and the iron treasures will fall right off into where you want them....
To me, this is the most interesting project yet! I think even I could build one - IF I could find an old metal bed frame! Yeah, right! WOW what ingenuity! I really like the explanation of how pulleys of different sizes impact the results. I must say that what impressed me at the very beginning was how you used the little wheel to mark the line to guide your cut out of the barrel bottom! Simple but so effective!! Silly me.
👍👍👍 , myself I probably would have ordered a gear reduction box and then hook into the drum. I do like people thinking out of the box and stepping up. That’s to both of you!!!! If more people do it for there selfs we wouldn’t be where we are in this country 👍👍👍maybe twist the belt and if you can? Then put the belt on the drums.
My little pro tip when using speaker magnets first put inside thin plastic bag wave over area to be picked up then reverse bag and all the material picked up ? Will now be in bag to throw out or sort
Appreciate that, Gene! I remember your comment from when I proposed the idea. "Build it." Haha! Can't wait to get production going. Might need to wait out a winter storm first though.
First I'm on my DH sign in so this ain't him speaking. Thank you for showing me the inside of the weld mask. I wanted to take a weld class years and years ago but didn't, would love to have that skill, keep the wife around, looks like she is watching out for you and keeping you alive (gas can). Enjoyed!
I was watching an older video of you having some problems with removing your grapple and concerns with hitting the control buttons. You might want to try turning the tractor off then turn it back on without starting and move your control levers to remove the hydraulic pressure. By doing this you’re energizing the solenoid to remove pressure but without the tractor running you will not be building pressure in the system. This is the process I use to remove my grapple without problems. Good luck.
Hey James. I still have this problem, but it's the opposite of what you're thinking. I get it off fine; it's putting it back in that's the problem. I've tried many things like removing pressure before disconnecting or trying different combinations of turning the tractor on and off during certain points, but the only way I'm able to do it is to push the button for the diverter valve (3rd function), and then move the stick either right or left to allow fluid to flow through (return) while I'm connecting the grapple. Such a pain because I need a 2nd person to do this and it's usually one of my young daughters. I think the real solution would be getting some of those "connect under pressure" quick connects. They're expensive though. I appreciate the attempt to help!
@@jamesrichards3523 thank you, I really appreciate you reaching out. That thing really drives me crazy and it's definitely something I need to address.
Excellent work! Try attaching a flat strip of rubber to the barrels under the pully belt so the drive belt has better grip and doesn't slip. Then you won't need excessive tension on the belt, which will help the belt last longer and put less pull on the entire system.
Thanks Mac, it was fun! I'm adding some verticals with some more rollers so the trommel gets pulled into the corner. Someone else mentioned adding some rubber where the belt wraps around, and I think I'm going to add that for the friction benefits. I'll definitely post some updates on it.
Loved how well you "both" explained the whole process. Watching this could help anybody, at any level, to replicate their own system, with materials they could buy or scrounge. Great job to you both!
Pure genius. Love what you did to create your homemade trommel. There is a channel that features using a trommel to separate gold from stone and perhaps seeing how they power theirs and suspend it, might also be some help. But once you invent a way to hold your trommel from jumping off it's roller suspension, you will be well on your way. I might suggest adding some baffles to enhance the efficiency of stone against stone for breaking them down. Love your channel.
Thanks Phillip! Definitely rolling out improvements to the trommel soon and I'll share them on the episode. Do you mean some angle iron inside the barrel to agitate the Rick more so it falls rather than roll? Probably get a cleaner product that way.
Put your idler on the bottom and make it a pivot on a piece of stell welded to the frame. Cut two pieces of tubing, roughly 10 degrees on each end and weld them together so it looks like a boomerang. Drill a pivot point at the center of your angle, another one at the tip to carry the idler and a screw hold on the other end facing the opposite direction so you can weld a nut on the bottom and use a piece of all thread as your tensioning bold with a locking nut on the bottom to make sure it stays in place. Lock washers John. Always on anything that is going to be subject to vibration.
Great project, great job ! I'm confident it will do what you want it to do. Your gas engine may only produce X amount of power for your trommel but you will get an increase in "applied power output" at the barrel that's proportional to the decrease in it's speed by using pulleys...that's how block-and-tackles work... Thinking you'll have enough power to add additional barrels (with rollers) to increase your production capacity & create distances between your piles of topsoil, pea gravel, #2 stone, #5 stone, etc. etc...while also making loading your tractor's bucket easy and convenient.
Wow, that was a great job! Perhaps you could build a rectangular tube with casters on the top, that would keep it in place. I realize this video is older, and if y’all even still have it. That would cure your problem of it walking on you.
Can not for my life understand why you guys not have at least 100K subscribers....you deserve it!!! Perhaps give it a catchy searchword like homesteaders...
AWESOME idea! I wish I'd thought about doing this when I was separating the rocks from my vegetable garden! I just made a small hand held sieve with hardware cloth, & 2 foot long 2X4's. This would have made the process a LOT faster!
We're also into gardening and it seems like we're getting 2 jobs done at the same time. We really want the rocks, but the by-product is some nice clean soil. Might have to stock-pile a few yards for the raised beds. I can see throwing the compost pile through this thing too. You might want to consider making one 👍
It was fun watching you guys working together as a team. I'm sure by now you got all the bugs out of it. Anyway, mounting the the tensioner pulley on a spring loaded flat bar and installing the set of pulleys closest to the barrel below the level of the first set, would've been an improvement to the drive mechanism. Cheers!
Instead of welding the casters on a flat plane I recommend making a triangle shape on both sides that craddle the barrel and weld them to that. So the barrel doesn't roll out if gravity keeps it in the craddle.
Definitely making a mod like that so the idler pulls the trommel into the corner. It's probably going to look like a 90 degree riser with some more rollers toward the top. 👍
Thank you for sharing. Trial and error approach. Try to stabilise your belt in your pulley (motor-set1-set2). A lot of vibrations is reducing the friction between the belt and the pulley (bad transfert of energy), but it will also damage the belt (soften part) too quick.
Thanks Adam! Nice to hear from a familiar name - lol! This was a very fun build. I have a few improvements to make, but I do have time until the ground dries up from all the cold winter weather.
when looking for cheap parts for projects such as this I have found that old small riding mowers are a great resource. you can often get a fully functional mower around here for 100-150 which includes a running 12-18HP motor usually with electric start and battery/ignition system, belts, pulleys, tires even a transmission and idler. The motor alone if bought new will run you more than $500. My wife thinks I'm nuts when I pick one up super cheap even if only for parts to keep some other one running. We are in the Ozarks and built our own home four years ago and rocks are still growing out of the yard so I don't want to buy a nicer mower only to have it get destroyed by the rough ground conditions. Once you have stripped off everything you might want to keep for some reason or another the frame is still 20-30 bucks worth of scrap steel at your local scrapyard.
So much to say.. Just spent 3 days watching you guys from the start from ep. 1.. I do have experience in crushing and screening aggregate and have some constructive criticism if you're interested. I am impressed with what you guys have accomplished and I'm looking forward to following along. Wonderful family you have. Keep taking it in stride. With the lil tractor that could lol... 😎
Hi Michael, and wow! You must be sick of us by now - lol. I appreciate the kind words and your viewership. It's nice to converse with someone who really knows your goal and what you're trying to accomplish. I have a lot of plans for the trommel to outfit it for the upcoming task of separating all that material. I feel this version is a great start and a proof of concept. Stay tuned and by all means, chime in.
@@WalnutsandWineberries First add some angle iron paddles inside the barrel to force the material to fall rather than role. That will dislodge sticky soil better but also cause more where n tare so use your discretion. Second... WoW. You sure think outside the box! I'm sure your aware that literally everything used to build that machine was way understrength with the exception of the motor but you made it work; and with free steal. Again WoW! I would add some pitch to the barrel to speed up the travel of the material as necessary and add some guards to keep the barrel from tarring apart the pulley system if something goes wrong. I can try to walk you through using your rollers to train the barrel but that can be tricky. Just keep in mind that if you twist a roller it will force the barrel one way or the other laterally so bolt on rather than welded is good with those. Keep up the good work and stay safe. P.S. I wish I could spend three days at your place with a hoe ram.....
Use a finer mesh on the first set of openings to sort out the smallest particles. Increase the mesh size as the gravel moves along to sort various sizes.ì Very nice piece of practice Engiineering. Meg scored a great find with the rack. 👍
Definitely considered that and I might make some modifications to get 2 piles of different size rock. Not to mention, the finer mesh would produce some fantastic garden soil. Also, yeah - Meg was definitely in the right place at the right time! We always check those free wood piles at Rural King. Good stuff!
@ 18:10 Divide the diameter of the drum by the drive pulley and divide 3600 rpm by that number which gives you approximately 450 rpm if you went direct from engine to drum. The engine would need a drive pulley equal to the drum diameter in order for the drum to spin at 3600 rpm..
Good build and you covered all the weaknesses . Only thing I see that may be a problem is the rollers for the barrel . The rollers are running on non lubricated shafts . The dirt and sand will eat the rollers and pins up pretty quick . If nothing else carry a squirt can to the work site and lub them often . I hope no one was hurt on the crashed ATV ... Another thing I like is how well you to work togeather ...
When welding the wire fence, apply the heat and welding wire to the drum (thicker metal) and a quick dab on the wire fence will secure it without the burn through (breaking the wire fence).
Thanks Brian. I'm just starting to learn. Getting a little better here and there. Definitely interested in strength over looks. Appreciate the tip! I'll try that.
Cool build. Just an idea to think about. If you put a another layer of screen, offset slightly in the first half you could grade the material into three piles, soil, small stones and larger stones out the end.
That is similar to my idea. Just unroll the mesh to fit inside the overall drum with some overlap and insert it. The metal mesh will spring outward and fit against the inside. Then the finer mesh can be removed or replaced to get the grade of material desired.....medium stone, smaller to gravel, and finest to sieve topsoil or mulch. JwgK
An easy way to align the barrels would be to lie them down rolled against a wall. The floor and the wall would keep them aligned while you tack weld it. Also, tack welding a horizontal weld is a lot easier than the vertical welds you were attempting.
Great design! Adding two more sets of free wheels on the top pressing down on the Barrel. Same spacing as the wheels on the bottom attached to a metal shaft. Then weld bars on the sides to the top and bottom. I liked your slotted idea, because then the wheel tension can be applied to applying pressure on the barrel when you got it in at the right tension. At both sides doing the same thing. An idea for tension. Use A bolt through a nut that is welded to a piece of steel. When you use a nut driver on the bolt it either adds tension or removes it depending on if you are backing the bolt out or pushing it in. The bolt will move the motor where you want it. The other areas where you want to slide the pullies can also have the same idea applied to them as well.
The idler pulley should be on the lower portion of the drive belt because you never want it on the section of belt being pulled by the drive pulley. Look at the idler pulleys on your truck and Jeep, same principle.
First of all, good job. If I may suggest, using an old transaxle from a riding lawn mower could save a lot of work and there would be several speeds to choose from.
Two engineering minds at work. Good job. Hope it lasts for your entire road build but knowing John, he'll be tweaking it often! BTW looks like you upped your video and audio game....awesome deer footage at beginning. Take care.
Hello my Floridian friends! I snuck up on that doe as close as I could and got the 300mm lens on her. I think I made her angry because she stomped before she left. Haha!
Instead of screens, how about using a hole saw to perferate the drum? That would tolerate the forces of the rock much better than the the screen. But at any rate it won't last long, because the Post-it notes with the speeds will fall off.
This would also be great for your garden mulch. Except for mulch I used lath for the screens. What falls out underneath is garden gold. What runs through remains in the mulch pile to breakdown further. I used HF furniture dolls turned upside down to lay my barrel on.
Me again with more suggestions. Glue a strip of rubber on your barrel where the belt runs so it will stop slippage. Your tremel needs to be angle for the rocks to fall off the ends quicker about 15 degrees. You will need a thrust wheel to keep the barrels in line. Haha flannel shirt are not flame retardant always wear an apron, you learn that. You are all doing a great job and learning at the same time.
Thanks AD! Definitely going to make some mods and share as we go. I like the rubber sleeve idea and the extra rollers are already in the works to keep the barrels from torquing one way or the other. The plan there is to mount some braced verticals so the tension idler is pulling it into a corner. That should work really well.
At 80 enjoy reliving my DIY youth, middle age and to 60...my girls called it "Big Tonka" as in Tonka Toys ...an early 1980 Kabota front end loader...12HP three cylinder diesel, 4WD, ag tires...my suggestion don't really need purple cleaner on PVC schedule 40 as long as it's not pressurized but use big can brush when using 3-4 in pipe or just get the cement that says don't need primer good for pvc and cpvc...PEC/TEC was just in the scene when I finished my DIY...recall the manager of the plumbing supply house in Indpls was concerned that it might not be mouse/rat proof...apparently they don't chew it...Your road construction is Mr and Ms. Sisyphus..it looks never ending...Is the big house to be constructed by the lovely shed and the mountain lookout cabin at the end of the Sisyphusian rock push...if the big house is to be at the end of the road how are the construction material, delivery trucks going to negotiate the switch backs?
Thought about building one of those, but the rocks here are very flat and I'm afraid the size we're after would slip right through. Maybe down the road, if we need a first step to separate the extra-large ones to keep them out of the trommel.
great episode. Came across your chanell 5 days ago and have to admit binge watching since. You need to have triangular gussets supporting your pulley mounts. This will stop the twisting force exserted by the pulleys and belts which will eventually cause a permanent twist or complete failure.
Great build but one small detail to consider, the idler should be on the bottom half (slack side) of the belt, not on the pulling (power) side. The ldler will last a lot longer and be easier to adjust.
Hi Guys. Excellent show with so many tips for us. You could maybe glue a rubber strip around the outside of the barrel so the V belt doesn't slip on the metal.
Well I’ve just watched beginning to end of your channel. I’m also self building a architectural salvage home. But I was born into building. May be a concrete pad for your rocks to go into. Plus a lowered concrete section for sand to go into for easy scooping. Love your channel
Hello! I just subscribed to your channel and have watched about 6 or 7 videos. I find your videos informative and enjoy the scenery of your property. I am a barn enthusiasts and so appreciate your vintage barn. What a great gem to have on your property. Best wishes to you on your upcoming house project. p.s. I have the piranha bar on the bucket of my John Deere 1025R. Great addition to a small compact bucket.
You may need 4 uprights with wheels aginst barrels on the rack to brace barrels midway. When loaded, the whole thing very possibly will come off small bottom rollers with weight of dirt.
Great, but normally when building or using a trommel you infeed at one end that which is elevated higher then the other end and the rocks will work their way down hill and out the other end
Working with the grade of the land for that. Very mountainous property, so building the sloped angle didn't seem necessary because of the uneven terrain. Might add some adjustable feet though, like those ez up tent legs.
Cool build and on the cheap to boot, Bravo. Some ideas I had, the guide wheels and idler need to be changed out for something with roller bearings, the friction will heat up and melt the plastic bushings. On the step down pulleys use a piece of 2" pipe instead of nails as a connecter, the pipe will handle the torsion much better. And on the idler use a heavy spring or weight to pull it down and provide better tension control. Best of luck.
Great tips, Martin! I'm with you about the casters. Should have used ones with steel bearings. It's probably going to be a 'replace it when it fails' thing. Cool idea with the spring too. I have an old 4-wheeler I grab parts off of and the coilovers would work nicely.
Made something like it years ago but used rebar in a grid pattern. Allot more welding but it help up for awhile. The rocks really did a number to it after about a months use but the rebar held it together. I built a square cage in 4 places around it and put the idlers in the corners. I could really put tension on the belt after that.
Yeah, I see coming up with a new wire solution. At roughly $22 per barrel, it might be worth making the drums again but drill a hole pattern directly in them instead of messing around with mesh. At this point, I'm going to run it until it breaks and address it then. I'm upgrading the rollers to skateboard wheels and adding 2 more on the top of the pull side. Should keep things nice and tight.
Hey all! Looks like we became SW Virginia transplants roughly at the same time haha. Our "origin story" is a tad different, but looks like we have a lot of the same goals in mind. Such a beautiful part of the country to live in. Looking forward to more content and borrowing some of your homestead ideas. :) - Shane
Hi guys! We're excited to hear you're in SW VA! Just subbed to your channel, too. Looking forward to checking it out - especially the gardening content. I really need to expand my knowledge in that category, especially with the awesome agricultural zone we're in!
The speaker magnet are great, but getting the fine metal shavings all off is a pain. Put a plastic bag over the magnet then when done invert the bag and pull off. All shaving are now in the bag.
1. Perhaps the weight of the barrels is the way to keep tension on the v-belt around the middle of the barrels; consider a way to lower them on their rollers. 2. The amount of material in the trommel is a way to control how much they want to raise in use. 3. Take some wear off the backhoe with an a-frame on wheels with a boom and chain hitched to the tractor to lift logs off the ground; take less dirt to the band saw to dull your blades. Enjoy your work... as I have cleared by hand over three acres of trees too close, vines to the canopy, and sticker bushes ten feet in diameter; all is out of control.
Awesome build! For the idler pulley arm, a crank jack (like on a trailer) would be a quick, easy, safer, and more stable way to adjust it. Just my thoughts for an upgrade to your build.
nice idea with the magnet you can put the magnet in a plastic bag, use the magnet to remove the metal pieces then reverse the bag to remove all the metal splinter from the magnet 😉
One end of your trommel screen should be higher than the other. Doesn't need to be much. Throw your raw soil in the high end, what doesn't pass through the mesh neatly comes out the lower end into a pile of segregated material. If your trommel legs are high enough to fit a wheelbarrow under the low end, it deposits the segregated material right into the wheelbarrow - That much less shoveling !
Hard to tell on camera, I know. The terrain has quite a slope that provides enough of an angle. I do intend to add some legs for adjustability though. Sort of like those shade tent legs.
If you put the magnet in a heavy plastic bag, like a zip-loc freezer bag, and seal it, you won't have all the filings stuck to the magnet. They just fall off the plastic bag when you pull it away from the magnet.
The circumference of any pully is PIE X the Diameter. Or 3.14159... times the pulley diameter equals the circumference. And RPMs gets lesser and lesser from the combination of pully sizes the torque goes up proportionally. So the actual torque to the drum is a lot more then the torque at the output shaft of the engine. Simple physics. ALso, cut the lip off the output end so the rocks can exit easier.
True, but pi cancels out when comparing the circumference of the small wheel with the larger one. It doesn’t matter if you compare circumference C, diameter (C = pi * diameter), or radius (C = 2 * pi * diameter) - the ratio between the wheels is the same.
Just found this channel. You guys are terrific. Love that you don't pretty everything up with perfect designs every time. The lessons learned stuff is great! I was turned on to you by your tree stump/pully vid and damn that was good.
Have you thought about using jack bolts to adjust the tension of the belts and to slide the engine back? Also, I’d suggest an emergency shut off or at least an oversized button or lever.
What about a chute on the inbound side so you could use the FEL to put the material in instead of shoveling. Just an idea. Sorry, I made my comment before you mentioned the hopper. 😁👍
All good, John. Definitely the plan to automate and take advantage of the tractor. I'd really like a conveyor throwing it in, but a hopper might be all I need.
Andrew Camatra has a tromol for his skid steer go see? You need to think of the number of times you are touching the product? 1 pick it up in tractor 2 empty tractor bucket 3 shovel in to tromal 4 move excess soil away from under tromal 5 move good stone away to storage area or out to road site? That’s a lots of handling??? 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
Awesome build, Genius idea. That Meg is a real trooper, with bringing in that metal. Your exactly right John, everybody needs a Meg. Really enjoyed your cideo start to finish.
Thanks, as always, Dean! She sure is a trooper 💪
that was what I was going to say!
Meg is definitely a keeper!
Every one needs a Meg, even Meg!
Watching you guys work together, with each bringing their expertise and determination, is a joy to watch. Meg is saying engineer, I'm thinking of adding a teacher to that. Your ability to take mechanical concepts and make them understandable is a skill very few have. I agree ... everyone needs a Meg. It didn't take long, I keep watching my Notifications in anticipation of your next adventure
Designed from a mental concept, field assemble using what you have available, BOTH of you working to make it work well for your needs.... I'd say you and an exceptional team and done an exceptional job!!!!
I just found your channel last week, and now have watched all of your videos. I would like to say you all are very nice people living the American dream. I am looking forward to keeping up with your work.
Build - add a large funnel-trough to the input side and use your tractor to load the material. 2000' of driveway is many thousands of shovels of material.
My Misa was a Meg today....she brought home some 6' x 4'' x 2' metal carts with 4 shelves, and large wheels on the bottom, 2 metal shelves, and this display cart. The metal frame of this cart is a Perfect start for a welding cart. The decorative distressed wooden box that fits in it will make a nice storage unit.
A Really cool Idea to do with that Trammell also, would be to add a sluice to that system and collect any valuable metals or gems. I would love to see you build it all in one unit. Definitely subbed for more great videos!
I tried to find episode 70 but it just wasn't there so I think I am now officially caught up with all the posts. I have really been mesmerized by everything you two have done to this point. Even Autumn and Claire are great little do-bees. They are so cute and respectful. No whiners in your camp. At least not on camera😃. The two little fur sisters are so sweet. I love watching them run around checking everything out and making sure it is safe for everyone in their pack. Thanks again for sharing your adventure with us. You two have some really great DIY skills. I've done some similar things in my 74 years hanging around this old earth by the good grace of our Lord and Master. Well done!!
Really appreciate your words!
m.th-cam.com/video/5Ufssp5arbo/w-d-xo.html
Nr 70 is there ....
I am binge watching too !!
Would love to see links to music used inside the description and on every new upload a link in the previous upload to the new ... just so tharfuture binge watchers can catch up easily ... youtube really does scramble the videos, rarely giving the videos in date order. Makes it hard to find the next episode especially since putting the E number at the end of the title.
Just a simple suggestion that will improve your life..... The magnet idea is great but a pain to clean.. just stick it in a plastic bag and when you want to clean it, just remove the magnet and the iron treasures will fall right off into where you want them....
To me, this is the most interesting project yet! I think even I could build one - IF I could find an old metal bed frame! Yeah, right! WOW what ingenuity! I really like the explanation of how pulleys of different sizes impact the results. I must say that what impressed me at the very beginning was how you used the little wheel to mark the line to guide your cut out of the barrel bottom! Simple but so effective!! Silly me.
Thanks Gere! That little wheel impressed Meg, too. Neat little trick to have up your sleeve. Glad you enjoyed it so much!!
Job well done... Always listen to then wife, she may have a great idea with just a little modification... and you work well together.
👍👍👍 , myself I probably would have ordered a gear reduction box and then hook into the drum. I do like people thinking out of the box and stepping up. That’s to both of you!!!! If more people do it for there selfs we wouldn’t be where we are in this country 👍👍👍maybe twist the belt and if you can? Then put the belt on the drums.
Sounded just like my wife, "got to look good for his Lady followers" I love people who keep it real. Great Content , love your team work
My little pro tip when using speaker magnets first put inside thin plastic bag wave over area to be picked up then reverse bag and all the material picked up ? Will now be in bag to throw out or sort
Cool tip!
John, you’re a genius! I can’t wait to see the hopper built and feeding the trommel.
Appreciate that, Gene! I remember your comment from when I proposed the idea. "Build it." Haha! Can't wait to get production going. Might need to wait out a winter storm first though.
First I'm on my DH sign in so this ain't him speaking. Thank you for showing me the inside of the weld mask. I wanted to take a weld class years and years ago but didn't, would love to have that skill, keep the wife around, looks like she is watching out for you and keeping you alive (gas can). Enjoyed!
When you are clearing ,,,,,don't fast forward so rapidly we enjoy looking at the scenery really enjoy your videos
Your ingenuity continues to amaze!
TIL: a trommel is a thing.
Great work guys! I can see why you said you’re tired! Hope you go snow sledding over the weekend.
Very tired, bro. Metal working is tough on your body, not to mention freezing in cold weather.
I was watching an older video of you having some problems with removing your grapple and concerns with hitting the control buttons. You might want to try turning the tractor off then turn it back on without starting and move your control levers to remove the hydraulic pressure. By doing this you’re energizing the solenoid to remove pressure but without the tractor running you will not be building pressure in the system. This is the process I use to remove my grapple without problems. Good luck.
Hey James. I still have this problem, but it's the opposite of what you're thinking. I get it off fine; it's putting it back in that's the problem. I've tried many things like removing pressure before disconnecting or trying different combinations of turning the tractor on and off during certain points, but the only way I'm able to do it is to push the button for the diverter valve (3rd function), and then move the stick either right or left to allow fluid to flow through (return) while I'm connecting the grapple. Such a pain because I need a 2nd person to do this and it's usually one of my young daughters. I think the real solution would be getting some of those "connect under pressure" quick connects. They're expensive though. I appreciate the attempt to help!
@@WalnutsandWineberries Sorry I couldn’t help. I enjoy your channel very much. New subscriber.
@@jamesrichards3523 thank you, I really appreciate you reaching out. That thing really drives me crazy and it's definitely something I need to address.
Meg scavenging the metal table is awesome! That alone is worth a Thumbs Up!
Interesting machine. Glad to see you are paying the bills at Rural King.
Great job! Your attention to detail and expertise in trommel construction is evident in the final product. Impressive work!
Excellent work! Try attaching a flat strip of rubber to the barrels under the pully belt so the drive belt has better grip and doesn't slip. Then you won't need excessive tension on the belt, which will help the belt last longer and put less pull on the entire system.
Thanks Mac, it was fun! I'm adding some verticals with some more rollers so the trommel gets pulled into the corner. Someone else mentioned adding some rubber where the belt wraps around, and I think I'm going to add that for the friction benefits. I'll definitely post some updates on it.
I am so impressed ..... keep up the very interesting videos ..... CONGRATS
Thank you. Pursuing a similar venture. Happy to learn from your very cool project
Loved how well you "both" explained the whole process. Watching this could help anybody, at any level, to replicate their own system, with materials they could buy or scrounge. Great job to you both!
Pure genius. Love what you did to create your homemade trommel. There is a channel that features using a trommel to separate gold from stone and perhaps seeing how they power theirs and suspend it, might also be some help. But once you invent a way to hold your trommel from jumping off it's roller suspension, you will be well on your way. I might suggest adding some baffles to enhance the efficiency of stone against stone for breaking them down. Love your channel.
Thanks Phillip! Definitely rolling out improvements to the trommel soon and I'll share them on the episode. Do you mean some angle iron inside the barrel to agitate the Rick more so it falls rather than roll? Probably get a cleaner product that way.
Put your idler on the bottom and make it a pivot on a piece of stell welded to the frame. Cut two pieces of tubing, roughly 10 degrees on each end and weld them together so it looks like a boomerang. Drill a pivot point at the center of your angle, another one at the tip to carry the idler and a screw hold on the other end facing the opposite direction so you can weld a nut on the bottom and use a piece of all thread as your tensioning bold with a locking nut on the bottom to make sure it stays in place. Lock washers John. Always on anything that is going to be subject to vibration.
It’s a beaut Clark! It turned out fantastic. Nice score on the metal pallet too.
National Lampoon - nice! 😆
And John doing his Cousin Eddie bit with that hat! All in good fun, the machine is awesome. I enjoy watching you two. 🥸👍👀🔧🔨
Great project, great job ! I'm confident it will do what you want it to do.
Your gas engine may only produce X amount of power for your trommel but you will get an increase in "applied power output" at the barrel that's proportional to the decrease in it's speed by using pulleys...that's how block-and-tackles work...
Thinking you'll have enough power to add additional barrels (with rollers) to increase your production capacity & create distances between your piles of topsoil, pea gravel, #2 stone, #5 stone, etc. etc...while also making loading your tractor's bucket easy and convenient.
Yes! Hope this is the beginning of a great thing, including material separation. There's plenty of torque to spare for add-ons.
Wow, that was a great job! Perhaps you could build a rectangular tube with casters on the top, that would keep it in place. I realize this video is older, and if y’all even still have it. That would cure your problem of it walking on you.
Can not for my life understand why you guys not have at least 100K subscribers....you deserve it!!!
Perhaps give it a catchy searchword like homesteaders...
Appreciate you, Patrik!
I love to watch you guys, thanks so much for sharing!!! You‘re doing so well!!
AWESOME idea! I wish I'd thought about doing this when I was separating the rocks from my vegetable garden! I just made a small hand held sieve with hardware cloth, & 2 foot long 2X4's. This would have made the process a LOT faster!
We're also into gardening and it seems like we're getting 2 jobs done at the same time. We really want the rocks, but the by-product is some nice clean soil. Might have to stock-pile a few yards for the raised beds. I can see throwing the compost pile through this thing too. You might want to consider making one 👍
It was fun watching you guys working together as a team. I'm sure by now you got all the bugs out of it. Anyway, mounting the the tensioner pulley on a spring loaded flat bar and installing the set of pulleys closest to the barrel below the level of the first set, would've been an improvement to the drive mechanism. Cheers!
Instead of welding the casters on a flat plane I recommend making a triangle shape on both sides that craddle the barrel and weld them to that. So the barrel doesn't roll out if gravity keeps it in the craddle.
Definitely making a mod like that so the idler pulls the trommel into the corner. It's probably going to look like a 90 degree riser with some more rollers toward the top. 👍
Thank you for sharing. Trial and error approach. Try to stabilise your belt in your pulley (motor-set1-set2). A lot of vibrations is reducing the friction between the belt and the pulley (bad transfert of energy), but it will also damage the belt (soften part) too quick.
Nice work on the trommel. Impressive!
Thank you! I'm quite happy with how it turned out for a first attempt.
Congrats on the new subs and huge jump in views!! Finally the world got their act together!! Great engineering!
Thanks Adam! Nice to hear from a familiar name - lol! This was a very fun build. I have a few improvements to make, but I do have time until the ground dries up from all the cold winter weather.
when looking for cheap parts for projects such as this I have found that old small riding mowers are a great resource. you can often get a fully functional mower around here for 100-150 which includes a running 12-18HP motor usually with electric start and battery/ignition system, belts, pulleys, tires even a transmission and idler. The motor alone if bought new will run you more than $500. My wife thinks I'm nuts when I pick one up super cheap even if only for parts to keep some other one running. We are in the Ozarks and built our own home four years ago and rocks are still growing out of the yard so I don't want to buy a nicer mower only to have it get destroyed by the rough ground conditions. Once you have stripped off everything you might want to keep for some reason or another the frame is still 20-30 bucks worth of scrap steel at your local scrapyard.
Wow! I want a Meg. Well done on a great project 😊
So much to say.. Just spent 3 days watching you guys from the start from ep. 1.. I do have experience in crushing and screening aggregate and have some constructive criticism if you're interested. I am impressed with what you guys have accomplished and I'm looking forward to following along. Wonderful family you have. Keep taking it in stride. With the lil tractor that could lol... 😎
Hi Michael, and wow! You must be sick of us by now - lol. I appreciate the kind words and your viewership. It's nice to converse with someone who really knows your goal and what you're trying to accomplish. I have a lot of plans for the trommel to outfit it for the upcoming task of separating all that material. I feel this version is a great start and a proof of concept. Stay tuned and by all means, chime in.
@@WalnutsandWineberries First add some angle iron paddles inside the barrel to force the material to fall rather than role. That will dislodge sticky soil better but also cause more where n tare so use your discretion.
Second... WoW. You sure think outside the box! I'm sure your aware that literally everything used to build that machine was way understrength with the exception of the motor but you made it work; and with free steal. Again WoW!
I would add some pitch to the barrel to speed up the travel of the material as necessary and add some guards to keep the barrel from tarring apart the pulley system if something goes wrong.
I can try to walk you through using your rollers to train the barrel but that can be tricky. Just keep in mind that if you twist a roller it will force the barrel one way or the other laterally so bolt on rather than welded is good with those.
Keep up the good work and stay safe.
P.S. I wish I could spend three days at your place with a hoe ram.....
Ya…your on the right track, very cool, Guys ! Your going to be building an awesome road bed with the rock size you end with !
Use a finer mesh on the first set of openings to sort out the smallest particles. Increase the mesh size as the gravel moves along to sort various sizes.ì
Very nice piece of practice Engiineering.
Meg scored a great find with the rack. 👍
Definitely considered that and I might make some modifications to get 2 piles of different size rock. Not to mention, the finer mesh would produce some fantastic garden soil. Also, yeah - Meg was definitely in the right place at the right time! We always check those free wood piles at Rural King. Good stuff!
@ 18:10 Divide the diameter of the drum by the drive pulley and divide 3600 rpm by that number which gives you approximately 450 rpm if you went direct from engine to drum. The engine would need a drive pulley equal to the drum diameter in order for the drum to spin at 3600 rpm..
Good build and you covered all the weaknesses . Only thing I see that may be a problem is the rollers for the barrel . The rollers are running on non lubricated shafts . The dirt and sand will eat the rollers and pins up pretty quick . If nothing else carry a squirt can to the work site and lub them often . I hope no one was hurt on the crashed ATV ... Another thing I like is how well you to work togeather ...
Can't argue with that. I see myself replacing those with some that have real bearings. It was a lot of fun!
When welding the wire fence, apply the heat and welding wire to the drum (thicker metal) and a quick dab on the wire fence will secure it without the burn through (breaking the wire fence).
Thanks Brian. I'm just starting to learn. Getting a little better here and there. Definitely interested in strength over looks. Appreciate the tip! I'll try that.
Btw, I loved the V-belt groove you cut in the rubber tire - very clever.
Thanks, Kevin! Works really well. It's funny how expensive real pulleys are vs those cheap wheels.
* pro tip, put the magnet into a bag first, makes cleaning over the trashcan easier
Incredible ingenuity!!!!
Cool build. Just an idea to think about. If you put a another layer of screen, offset slightly in the first half you could grade the material into three piles, soil, small stones and larger stones out the end.
That is similar to my idea. Just unroll the mesh to fit inside the overall drum with some overlap and insert it. The metal mesh will spring outward and fit against the inside. Then the finer mesh can be removed or replaced to get the grade of material desired.....medium stone, smaller to gravel, and finest to sieve topsoil or mulch. JwgK
Well done guys, thanks for the inspiration. You've earned my subscription.
An easy way to align the barrels would be to lie them down rolled against a wall. The floor and the wall would keep them aligned while you tack weld it. Also, tack welding a horizontal weld is a lot easier than the vertical welds you were attempting.
love your videos, makes me laugh, cuz I can see my self, past and present, doing similar kinds of crazy fun stuff ;-)
A third wheel at the top.
An arm with a spring to force the barrels down on both wheel sites.
Put the hopper on the end with more metal. A car tyre mounted above the trommel barrels should be sufficient weight to stop it jumping
Great design! Adding two more sets of free wheels on the top pressing down on the Barrel. Same spacing as the wheels on the bottom attached to a metal shaft. Then weld bars on the sides to the top and bottom. I liked your slotted idea, because then the wheel tension can be applied to applying pressure on the barrel when you got it in at the right tension. At both sides doing the same thing. An idea for tension. Use A bolt through a nut that is welded to a piece of steel. When you use a nut driver on the bolt it either adds tension or removes it depending on if you are backing the bolt out or pushing it in. The bolt will move the motor where you want it. The other areas where you want to slide the pullies can also have the same idea applied to them as well.
The idler pulley should be on the lower portion of the drive belt because you never want it on the section of belt being pulled by the drive pulley. Look at the idler pulleys on your truck and Jeep, same principle.
First of all, good job. If I may suggest, using an old transaxle from a riding lawn mower could save a lot of work and there would be several speeds to choose from.
Cool idea 👍
Two engineering minds at work. Good job. Hope it lasts for your entire road build but knowing John, he'll be tweaking it often! BTW looks like you upped your video and audio game....awesome deer footage at beginning. Take care.
Hello my Floridian friends! I snuck up on that doe as close as I could and got the 300mm lens on her. I think I made her angry because she stomped before she left. Haha!
@@WalnutsandWineberries I snuck up on a buck last night but not with a 300mm lens. You know they taste good too.....juss saying!
Instead of screens, how about using a hole saw to perferate the drum? That would tolerate the forces of the rock much better than the the screen. But at any rate it won't last long, because the Post-it notes with the speeds will fall off.
Lol, Post-It’s!
This would also be great for your garden mulch. Except for mulch I used lath for the screens. What falls out underneath is garden gold. What runs through remains in the mulch pile to breakdown further. I used HF furniture dolls turned upside down to lay my barrel on.
Dollies
Me again with more suggestions. Glue a strip of rubber on your barrel where the belt runs so it will stop slippage. Your tremel needs to be angle for the rocks to fall off the ends quicker about 15 degrees. You will need a thrust wheel to keep the barrels in line. Haha flannel shirt are not flame retardant always wear an apron, you learn that. You are all doing a great job and learning at the same time.
Thanks AD! Definitely going to make some mods and share as we go. I like the rubber sleeve idea and the extra rollers are already in the works to keep the barrels from torquing one way or the other. The plan there is to mount some braced verticals so the tension idler is pulling it into a corner. That should work really well.
At 80 enjoy reliving my DIY youth, middle age and to 60...my girls called it "Big Tonka" as in Tonka Toys ...an early 1980 Kabota front end loader...12HP three cylinder diesel, 4WD, ag tires...my suggestion don't really need purple cleaner on PVC schedule 40 as long as it's not pressurized but use big can brush when using 3-4 in pipe or just get the cement that says don't need primer good for pvc and cpvc...PEC/TEC was just in the scene when I finished my DIY...recall the manager of the plumbing supply house in Indpls was concerned that it might not be mouse/rat proof...apparently they don't chew it...Your road construction is Mr and Ms. Sisyphus..it looks never ending...Is the big house to be constructed by the lovely shed and the mountain lookout cabin at the end of the Sisyphusian rock push...if the big house is to be at the end of the road how are the construction material, delivery trucks going to negotiate the switch backs?
What you want is a rock grizzly. There are several builds on various TH-cam channels. No moving parts, and will separate large rocks from dirt.
Thought about building one of those, but the rocks here are very flat and I'm afraid the size we're after would slip right through. Maybe down the road, if we need a first step to separate the extra-large ones to keep them out of the trommel.
Love the free wood pile at Rural King. Found some great thinks there, plus all the pallets to burn.
Thank you so much for making this video.
Hope it's helpful! I recently posted updates on this build which improved performance. It's episode 74 on our channel 👍
great episode. Came across your chanell 5 days ago and have to admit binge watching since.
You need to have triangular gussets supporting your pulley mounts. This will stop the twisting force exserted by the pulleys and belts which will eventually cause a permanent twist or complete failure.
Great build but one small detail to consider, the idler should be on the bottom half (slack side) of the belt, not on the pulling (power) side. The ldler will last a lot longer and be easier to adjust.
Good point! It might need a second V-belt to transfer more power when it gets really loaded up in use.
Hi Guys. Excellent show with so many tips for us. You could maybe glue a rubber strip around the outside of the barrel so the V belt doesn't slip on the metal.
Well I’ve just watched beginning to end of your channel. I’m also self building a architectural salvage home. But I was born into building.
May be a concrete pad for your rocks to go into. Plus a lowered concrete section for sand to go into for easy scooping.
Love your channel
Thank you, David! Lots to come for the trommel, if the weather would ever let the topsoil dry. Should have a new episode out today.
looks like its all gonna be great, such a great team, puppy prints are always special. good time to set bolts on for the saw:)
Hello! I just subscribed to your channel and have watched about 6 or 7 videos. I find your videos informative and enjoy the scenery of your property. I am a barn enthusiasts and so appreciate your vintage barn. What a great gem to have on your property. Best wishes to you on your upcoming house project. p.s. I have the piranha bar on the bucket of my John Deere 1025R. Great addition to a small compact bucket.
You may need 4 uprights with wheels aginst barrels on the rack to brace barrels midway. When loaded, the whole thing very possibly will come off small bottom rollers with weight of dirt.
Great, but normally when building or using a trommel you infeed at one end that which is elevated higher then the other end and the rocks will work their way down hill and out the other end
Working with the grade of the land for that. Very mountainous property, so building the sloped angle didn't seem necessary because of the uneven terrain. Might add some adjustable feet though, like those ez up tent legs.
Way to go now if you just had an old cement mixer drum setup from a scrap truck you could make a good heavy duty one, just a thought.
Cool build and on the cheap to boot, Bravo. Some ideas I had, the guide wheels and idler need to be changed out for something with roller bearings, the friction will heat up and melt the plastic bushings. On the step down pulleys use a piece of 2" pipe instead of nails as a connecter, the pipe will handle the torsion much better. And on the idler use a heavy spring or weight to pull it down and provide better tension control. Best of luck.
Great tips, Martin! I'm with you about the casters. Should have used ones with steel bearings. It's probably going to be a 'replace it when it fails' thing. Cool idea with the spring too. I have an old 4-wheeler I grab parts off of and the coilovers would work nicely.
Great job Bro..👌👌👌👌👍👍.
Made something like it years ago but used rebar in a grid pattern. Allot more welding but it help up for awhile. The rocks really did a number to it after about a months use but the rebar held it together. I built a square cage in 4 places around it and put the idlers in the corners. I could really put tension on the belt after that.
Yeah, I see coming up with a new wire solution. At roughly $22 per barrel, it might be worth making the drums again but drill a hole pattern directly in them instead of messing around with mesh. At this point, I'm going to run it until it breaks and address it then. I'm upgrading the rollers to skateboard wheels and adding 2 more on the top of the pull side. Should keep things nice and tight.
@@WalnutsandWineberries should work. Can always reinforce with 3/8 rebar later. Keep experimenting and it will be fine.
Hey all! Looks like we became SW Virginia transplants roughly at the same time haha. Our "origin story" is a tad different, but looks like we have a lot of the same goals in mind. Such a beautiful part of the country to live in. Looking forward to more content and borrowing some of your homestead ideas. :) - Shane
Hi guys! We're excited to hear you're in SW VA! Just subbed to your channel, too. Looking forward to checking it out - especially the gardening content. I really need to expand my knowledge in that category, especially with the awesome agricultural zone we're in!
@@WalnutsandWineberries Looking forward to learning from one another!
The speaker magnet are great, but getting the fine metal shavings all off is a pain. Put a plastic bag over the magnet then when done invert the bag and pull off. All shaving are now in the bag.
You guys are brilliant
That was amazing what you an your wife build there it was amazing to watch it there an ho it runs 👍👍
1. Perhaps the weight of the barrels is the way to keep tension on the v-belt around the middle of the barrels; consider a way to lower them on their rollers. 2. The amount of material in the trommel is a way to control how much they want to raise in use. 3. Take some wear off the backhoe with an a-frame on wheels with a boom and chain hitched to the tractor to lift logs off the ground; take less dirt to the band saw to dull your blades. Enjoy your work... as I have cleared by hand over three acres of trees too close, vines to the canopy, and sticker bushes ten feet in diameter; all is out of control.
Good thoughts, Burke. I'll be doing some updates in the trommel soon. Stay tuned 👍
Awesome build! For the idler pulley arm, a crank jack (like on a trailer) would be a quick, easy, safer, and more stable way to adjust it. Just my thoughts for an upgrade to your build.
U have to put the idler/tensioner pulley on the down side, not the top side and it will work much better. Love your channel..
Thanks for the tip
nice idea with the magnet you can put the magnet in a plastic bag, use the magnet to remove the metal pieces then reverse the bag to remove all the metal splinter from the magnet 😉
nice job really works great
Thanks Glen! Quite pleased with it so far. I'm sure I'll improve the heck out of it as time goes on. Great starting point though!
One end of your trommel screen should be higher than the other. Doesn't need to be much. Throw your raw soil in the high end, what doesn't pass through the mesh neatly comes out the lower end into a pile of segregated material. If your trommel legs are high enough to fit a wheelbarrow under the low end, it deposits the segregated material right into the wheelbarrow - That much less shoveling !
Hard to tell on camera, I know. The terrain has quite a slope that provides enough of an angle. I do intend to add some legs for adjustability though. Sort of like those shade tent legs.
If you put the magnet in a heavy plastic bag, like a zip-loc freezer bag, and seal it, you won't have all the filings stuck to the magnet. They just fall off the plastic bag when you pull it away from the magnet.
The circumference of any pully is PIE X the Diameter. Or 3.14159... times the pulley diameter equals the circumference. And RPMs gets lesser and lesser from the combination of pully sizes the torque goes up proportionally. So the actual torque to the drum is a lot more then the torque at the output shaft of the engine. Simple physics. ALso, cut the lip off the output end so the rocks can exit easier.
True, but pi cancels out when comparing the circumference of the small wheel with the larger one. It doesn’t matter if you compare circumference C, diameter (C = pi * diameter), or radius (C = 2 * pi * diameter) - the ratio between the wheels is the same.
Great job! Thanks for sharing 👍
Just found this channel. You guys are terrific.
Love that you don't pretty everything up with perfect designs every time. The lessons learned stuff is great! I was turned on to you by your tree stump/pully vid and damn that was good.
Nice job guys!!
You do not need to spoil barrels. You just have to use few rims from bicycle wheel. Construction would be much lighter and balanced.
That's a great lady better not let that one go. Beutaful smart amazing all of us guys need a lady like her
Have you thought about using jack bolts to adjust the tension of the belts and to slide the engine back?
Also, I’d suggest an emergency shut off or at least an oversized button or lever.
What about a chute on the inbound side so you could use the FEL to put the material in instead of shoveling. Just an idea. Sorry, I made my comment before you mentioned the hopper. 😁👍
All good, John. Definitely the plan to automate and take advantage of the tractor. I'd really like a conveyor throwing it in, but a hopper might be all I need.
I suggest mounting the trommel on skids
Andrew Camatra has a tromol for his skid steer go see? You need to think of the number of times you are touching the product? 1 pick it up in tractor 2 empty tractor bucket 3 shovel in to tromal 4 move excess soil away from under tromal 5 move good stone away to storage area or out to road site? That’s a lots of handling??? 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧