Wood conveyor build time!!

[blackdogon57]

Why not just pick up a real gas motor ? You can get a brand you Honda for around 400 bucks or a chinese knock off for much less. I can't see
any kind of electric motor being useful.

 

[GeeVee]

Okay, you got me interested! Please keep us posted - always looking for ways to save the old back muscles!

Do you think a tread could run a 30' horizontal length? Would make getting my wood up to the house a lot easier.

Shari

Yes, as was pointed out, how many splits you goning to have on it at any one time? Ought to do 30' full of splits easy.

 

[Streblerm]

We use a 3/4hp electric motor on an old hay/grain elevator that we use as split wood conveyor. It works great! It is all in the gearing.

I like the idea of making a conveyor out of a treadmill, but before you get too deep you may want to check out old hay/grain elevators. Ours has served us well for over ten years and it was worn out when we got it.

 

[Johndirt82]

You could use a gas motor sure. Go ahead and do that , then buy all the other stuff you would need gears, belts/pulleys or hydraulics to step down a say max 3600 rpm motor to 60rpm to drive 4" drive roller. Or spend 200 bucks on a used treadmill , Electric motor no use?? thats what drives almost every conveyor system around. By the time I got the gas set up Id be out at least $800 bucks. Im trying to build the whole thing for about that. plus you can monitor your heartrate or plug in your ipod that way.
I would get a hay elevator or something but look at my location. Not exactly something easy to get as in Ohio.

 

[woodman6666]

We use a 3/4hp electric motor on an old hay/grain elevator that we use as split wood conveyor. It works great! It is all in the gearing.

I like the idea of making a conveyor out of a treadmill, but before you get too deep you may want to check out old hay/grain elevators. Ours has served us well for over ten years and it was worn out when we got it.

You know the more I think about it the conveyor I built a few years ago only has 1.5hp and it pulls all the wood my processor can throw at it and I think its 30+ft (cant remember for sure on lenght) long and pretty steep. I run a gear motor which is quite a reduction but heck a treadmill at medium speed is probably about the speed mine runs.

 

[BSD]

what about just using a treadmill and adding 4" paddles (have to increase clearances) to it and cranking the speed to the max. I bet it'd throw a split pretty darn far.

 

[psuiewalsh]

funny, I was just thinking about this over the weekend. I've got a treadmill and 3 used (usually free) snowmobile tracks on my shopping list. The sled tracks have cleats which will provide plenty of grip. I figure studs would really do the trick too for in the winter. 3 tracks @ 121" should give me about 14' of conveyor, just enough to load a truck or start making small piles that I can doze into a bigger pile with the machine. I plan on using an aluminum ladder as my frame to keep weight down.

Why not modify the track frame and have the snow mobile shoot the splits all the way to the woodshed. 900cc should do it.:rockn:

 

[Johndirt82]

Well I got the treadmule! nordic trac commercial 1500. 3.25hp with pretty dank Ipod stereo system. Been rockin tunes while I think things out. If you try this definately get a tilt deck one or fold up. THere is no safety to prevent it from running at any angle. It will shoot a light split over my truck at full speed (12mph) , This think will work perfect. Easy to mount new rectangle tubing in the existing frame to extend it.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I like the idea of making a conveyor out of a treadmill, but before you get too deep you may want to check out old hay/grain elevators.

I am late to this thread, but that would be my recommendation as well. You can run one off of an electric motor, gas engine or a PTO. In addition, it already has the cleats to pull the wood up and they can be adjusted on the conveyor chain. It is also wheeled and the angle can be adjusted.

Might be hard to find in California though.

 

[Johndirt82]

Heres a quick video. This thing will be way simple to modify. i can fit a 22" belt in there. The deck is just MDF . may use ply wood with a layer or hardboard ontop that stuff is pretty slick.
what a treadmill should be used for! - YouTube

 

[GeeVee]

there's a sheet goods product called shower board. Its 4x8 sheet solid plastic about an eight inch thick that has orange peel on one side and is smooth on the other and is used in campers and mobile home shower stalls. pretty slick and tough, don't know the coin, but its tough and water resitant.....

 

[STLfirewood]

I'm still laughing at the plate on the truck. That is funny.

Scott

 

[Johndirt82]

Yeah I can't believe california actually issued that plate , I thought it was funny.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

John -

Any updates on extending the length?

Shari

Heres a quick video. This thing will be way simple to modify. i can fit a 22" belt in there. The deck is just MDF . may use ply wood with a layer or hardboard ontop that stuff is pretty slick.
what a treadmill should be used for! - YouTube

 

[Johndirt82]

Im doing it today. Brown santa should bring the belt today. Going to the metal supply place after work. The treadmule frame is 1.5x2.5 inch rec tubing. to lift and lower it ( the extended conveyor) I am going to use an engine hoist jack bottle. I don't mind having to manually raise and lower that won't move much anyhow. going to use mdf with a hard board top for the conveyor decking. should work. I hope.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Im doing it today. Brown santa should bring the belt today.

Well, get cracking there! Inquisitive minds want to know! I've got a hubby on a 10# weight limit here for awhile and about 3/4 cord of oak plus other misc. wood to work on before the snow flies.

Shari

 

[Johndirt82]

Well here it is so far. Just need to finish the deck in the morning and make it adjustable . cliping together conveyor belt is a royal pain and slow process that and cutting 4" of it off.

 

[arlen]

Well here it is so far. Just need to finish the deck in the morning and make it adjustable . cliping together conveyor belt is a royal pain and slow process that and cutting 4" of it off.

No picture?

 

[Johndirt82]

I hate this new pic upload process. maybe this will work.
View attachment 203881

 

[KiwiBro]

I hate this new pic upload process. maybe this will work.
View attachment 203881