Sawdust Paper Log Press Project

Environmental impact of end of life products: plastics, chemicals, vehicles, agri-food marketing. direct recycling and recycling (upcycling or upcycling) and reuse of good items for the trash!
Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 15/05/22, 21:53

Well, the pebble does its job and the test is quite conclusive. However, this arrangement does not seem optimal to me: it is not too "elegant" a solution in my eyes and in addition, the limitation of travel is only done forwards...
Moreover, for some time, I wondered if what I call "the cassette" is really essential and this morning I decided to come clean and see what happens without this part (which more or less corresponds least to an extrapolation of the initial model of putty gun).
After removal, I notice that the piston, which had a little trouble starting its descent*, now slides very freely. The two functions of the cassette, disengagement and rear support to ensure jamming can be envisaged with only the pusher arm that it surrounded: it suffices to adjust the stop accordingly and the rear of the arm comes to rest on it; as far as rear support is concerned, a modest counterweight suffices to provide it. It seems that the tape play was a little too tight, despite my care.
So, exit the cassette and, in addition to the return to the starting position which becomes easier, the good point is the space which is thus freed up and which allows me to envisage a device for holding the push rod vertical in part low, which is necessary in view of the significant thrust forces (around one tonne according to my latest estimates). Indeed, by raising the pusher arm, I have sufficient space for this. Obviously, this supposes a correlative elongation of the connecting rod to save this space...
As you can see, focus is a big deal!

* I mistakenly thought it was probably due to friction between the piston and the mold walls... : Oops:
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 20/05/22, 08:57

The difficulty I run into is the thrust angle of the push rod which has been intentionally oriented slightly obliquely to the axis of the vertical push rod; this induces parasitic deformations due to a substantial push: not having much confidence in my calculations, I double-checked once by the ratios of the lengths of the lever arms and once by the ratio of their respective displacements and I fall of course a pressure of one ton, as I had already claimed ...
So I have to move the lever bearing slightly, which is not easy; after having considered (and started!) to cheat on the crosspiece which supports it by decentering this roller, I finally give up and decide to remove the crosspiece/roller assembly and take the opportunity to raise it flush with the frame main: I find it more "elegant", knowing that I had lowered it only because the presence of the cassette then did not leave me enough leeway. I want to get a "clean" version. Difficult cutting, because mounted very solidly; I do this with a light grinder equipped with thin discs (125/1 mm) from an Italian brand Abra Beta which are effective and, in addition, very durable, compared to other references: I therefore recommend them to you (Free ad!). There is a rather tedious job of grinding the remains of this fixing in order to completely erase the repentances before the reconstruction, but it is cool in the workshop...

Like that, everything is pretty much in a mess, but it will work out... 8)
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 23/05/22, 21:58

To position this crosspiece more easily, I used a temporary support: it allows me to test different positions, therefore different angles of the connecting rod. I try empirically to find a neutral point which does not induce an unfavorable component of the forces and therefore distortions of the vertical push rod. To do this, I go all the way to the stop and observe what happens when the pressure is applied. Each time, it supposes a pointing, then a grinding, slight shifting of the crosspiece and again... I manage to achieve something that seems suitable, so weld a little more to be sure and do a test brick: rather bad result , because the connecting rod leaves on the user side, as before... :x
After reflection, it seems that in a rocking situation, the forces are expressed in a complex way (the lever induces a rotation, therefore small variations in the axis of thrust) and that it was a methodological error to take as reference the final stop, since it requires very little power. I therefore cut a 7 cm wooden wedge that I place in the mold, to simulate the moment when the pressure exerted on the pedal is maximum. I start again the same cinema as above and I achieve the desired result, with a fairly significant angle (at a pinch, I would have accommodated myself with a slight bending in the other direction, since there is all the space required to block it). It remains to try in real situation, so I only made a partial welding... : roll:

On the other hand, I compared the weight of a dry brick (I remember: 30x12x7cm) and a very fresh one: 0,7 kg for the first and 2,2 kg for the second, which makes 1,5, 2 L of water to evaporate (right now, it's XNUMX weeks outdoors, which bodes well for what will happen in the greenhouse)...

In the "equipment" section, I mention that I use Hitachi 125 angle grinders: they are robust and simple machines. The defects of the old ones were the switch controls that no longer held in position after a certain use (plastic obliges); it seems that this defect has been corrected on current machines. I tinkered with the switch on one of these grinders several times, but in the end I found myself having to remove the external control and put the internal switch "on" and plug the device into a switch home made foot, which is quite convenient and makes it possible to prolong a machine that works perfectly).
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sicetaitsimple
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by sicetaitsimple » 24/05/22, 13:09

Ahmed wrote:On the other hand, I compared the weight of a dry brick (I remember: 30x12x7cm) and a very fresh one: 0,7 kg for the first and 2,2 kg for the second, which makes 1,5, 2 L of water to evaporate (right now, it's XNUMX weeks outdoors, which bodes well for what will happen in the greenhouse)...


Ah, about 2/3 water at the end of pressing! And that does not pose too many problems for the extraction phase of the press and handling towards the drying supports.? The brick stands?
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 24/05/22, 13:56

The extraction does not pose any problem since the top of the piston stops at the level of the mould, but obviously the log must be handled with care because it is indeed soft and fragile at this stage. It is possible that a much higher pressure greatly reduces this quantity of water, but because of the rapidity of the drying time, I do not really see the need for it for the moment (the water can be arbitrary, even from gray water).
Once dry, the material becomes hard and very resistant and its color also evolves: it goes from gray to brown, as can be seen below; in the foreground, a test log from this morning, behind it another from yesterday (which could not be exposed for long outside due to the rain), there is already a very slight difference in coloring (unfortunately not very visible on the photo) and in the background a completely dry one:
IMG0095A.jpg
IMG0095A.jpg (322.35 KB) Viewed times 788
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gegyx
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by gegyx » 24/05/22, 14:16

good insulation to build a house. : Cheesy: with lime cement plaster and a roof overhang
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 25/05/22, 18:38

It is a great reality, it is that when we solve a problem, we often create another one. Because of the division of labour, particularly on an international scale, this poses no problem: the one who has solved his own easily puts up with the trouble caused to others...
After a new test brick, I notice both the good behavior of the connecting rod and the sliding of the (horizontal) cam arm during the phases of maximum effort: normal, since I had initially chosen an angle which favored jamming , given the low offset of the bearing that actuates it. As I cannot modify this parameter, which I had a lot of difficulty mastering, I only have to play on the opposite end of this arm by increasing its load... Another test shows an improvement, but not functioning 8) that I'm looking for. Another more interesting possibility would be to move the load further to increase the effect, but I'm blocked by the presence of the bucket that collects the pressing water... : Evil:

After much thinking, the idea arose, in all its biblical* simplicity: since the bucket is unavoidable, why not use it as a "dynamic" counterweight and transform the disadvantage into an advantage? I write "dynamic", because not only do I obtain a significant offset of the weight, but during the pressing the weight of the bucket will increase and reach its maximum when the mechanism will be the most stressed... So I made a cradle that attaches to the cast iron flange that I had just welded and that supports the bucket. I'll take a picture once the assembly is complete, but today's test is totally conclusive. :P

* That, I'm not totally sure, but it's an image that "causes"! : Wink:
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sicetaitsimple
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by sicetaitsimple » 25/05/22, 19:00

Ahmed wrote: I'll take a picture once the assembly is complete, but today's test is totally conclusive. :P


"A video!, a video!" all in chorus.
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 25/05/22, 19:46

Yes, yes, but for the video, you will still have to arm yourself with a little patience: this press is a bit like the EPR, all proportions carefully kept (and notwithstanding any consideration of cost!).

Gegyx: yes, it would be a good insulator especially as it sticks (do not put sawdust in this case, seems preferable to me) on most supports, provided they are not dusty...
There are professional processes for applying cellulose wadding by spraying under water jets, as in the video below, but it would be possible to do this in a "low cost" version...
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 26/05/22, 08:31

To complete my previous message, I specify that given the large quantity of water necessary to grind the fiber in the amateur version, this application should only be considered in the right season and, probably in successive layers, like a classic coating. ..

On the other hand, for those who would be scared off (and I understand them!) by the complexity of building the press, but still want to produce such logs, there seems to be a simpler solution that I just found on the net thanks to the wise incentives of Guy:
https://www.vevor.fr/compresseurs-de-re ... 0767135123
As can be seen from the link, this is an auto mechanic's tool and only the jack is useful for our purpose. For an affordable price, it's a simple solution that seems to meet my initial specifications: actuation by pedal, ample stroke and fast rise speed (?), which I extrapolate from the modest power of the cylinder: 1 T I had a previous prevention for delicate pushing systems from below the mould, but experience has taught me that if the receiving tank is well designed, there is no noticeable projection on the mechanism located in below. If I had known about this product, I would have given it preference and saved a lot of time... : roll: , but without my tests I would never have found it! : Oops:
In any case, it's good to know for a possible duplication (or if any complications arose during use on my lifting system?). 8)
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