The Soil Separator Project

PROBLEM: Last spring, I stripped about 30 yards of turf off the top of the lawn to establish my wifes' new, fenced-in, formal veggie garden.  Now the rolls of turf are going to seed out in the back lawn and quickly becoming Mount CHIA!  I need that 20+ yds of topsoil for other projects and the lawn really should be restored, soooooo I need to separate the soil from the weed / grass clumps.

SOLUTION:  Toss the turf clumps inside a rotating, perforated drum to beat / grind the soil free and drop it out of the holes, into a wheelbarrow.  I have the frame & drive roughed out with the drum suspended in a pair of V-belts.   A total of 5 casters support and guide the barrel in its rotation.  Today (2-12-07) I attacked the long dreaded job of drilling, heating and pushing in, 96 holes to get that "cheese grater" effect on the inside.  Old Goat (see; feel gr8 pharm) on my shoulder tonight for sure.

I'd love to see what this could do to a couple hundred pounds of

 Parmasian Cheese !!! (or the local stray tom cat)

(lighten UP !....I'm kidding)

March '07,  Getting the drive system finalized and the first trials. Stay tuned !

The final drive ratio numbers are:   14:1,  belts onto barrel.  4:1 intermediate reduction and  5:2, primary reduction from a 1/4 hp motor turning 1750 rpm = Barrel rotating speed of  12.5 rpm.

BTW / After the turf project is completed, I won't waste this machine.  I'll replace the perffed drum with a plastic barrel and use it for tumble cleaning metal parts for my other projects.  Oh that Yankee blood....

On May 8th, the assault on Mt. Chia began !

      I can load it up with 1 roll of turf which was about 18"wide x 3"deep x 10+/- ft long.  After an hour and a half, I have a wheelbarrow full of sifted topsoil and a long, twisted, fluffy, loose yarn of grass and weed roots.  The v-belt drive and suspension are so quiet that I have to look to see that it is running (while messing elsewhere with extension cords.)         MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

NOTE / 2016- still working well