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 » 21/03/22, 15:04

As I had mentioned, it was necessary to review the copy in the sense of greater rigidity of the push rod, better guidance, positioning at the lowest of the actuator lever and succeed in placing this tray in good conditions. Knowing that each of these imperatives is more or less in contradiction with the others, this explains the delays that were necessary before arriving at an adequate combination. This spring day seems to me to be the right time to announce the full success of the company: the first 3 briquettes were pressed yesterday, in a functional version, although not quite finished (only a few trivial details remain). The ratio obtained is just 1/2, which gives me 30x18x9 (but the thickness could possibly be reduced: the one that was targeted by default was eight).
The changes concerned:
a- the main axis in its tubular part which has been lengthened and its attachment to the piston modified: now it is one with the latter and gussets distribute the pressure force in substitution for the previous "fork" shape (this last one made the insertion of the tray very complicated). The dismantling of this assembly is now done in the lower part of the tube, towards the guide crosspiece, by a bolted sleeve. In this way, the guidance is much better. It was therefore necessary to shift the blocking system slightly downwards and reconfigure its environment by doubling the mold support (the bottom of the "U")...
b- the flat iron part where the active thrust takes place a, because of the modification a- has been reduced to the strict minimum in order to prevent buckling.
c- the cassette has been reduced in its upper part to be able to adapt to this reduction of the flat push bar; despite this, it works properly because it had initially been generously sized.
d- As expected, a connecting rod replaces the front roller. Its role is to deport the action of the thrust to a level allowing the total stroke of the piston, while allowing the lever to be placed at a very low level and therefore allowing a natural movement of the foot. To reduce the torsion forces, I tried to be as close as possible to the axis, but it was tricky since the principle of wedging requires an off-axis thrust... With a few adjustments, I got away with it.
e- the crosspiece that supports the axis of the lever has been shifted downwards to meet the requirement mentioned in d- (it was only pointed, because I had anticipated this eventuality).
Next are the additions:
f- a return spring from a tillage tool allows easy use of the pedal, while remaining discreet.
g- behind the push rod, we can see a small crosspiece that carries an adjustable stop. The cassette comes to rest there when the lever is in the high position, which triggers the disengagement of the thrust arm and therefore makes it possible to lower the piston by acting on the locking handle located directly under the mould.
h- manufacture of a plastic container to collect and evacuate the juices (from a plate that has been in my CPS for decades). The tightness of the passage of the vertical push tube is ensured by a rubber membrane (old truck inner tube, still in my CPS). The perimeter of the latter is glued flat and the central hole is of a diameter smaller than that of the tube...

Operation: The pedal is located about 30 cm from the ground, but after a first actuation it is possible to pedal very close to the ground (minimum: 3 cm); a terminal ring completes the lever. The operation is very smooth, effortless and perfectly controlled. It is possible to interrupt at any time and let, for example, the juices flow: the upper blocking plays its role perfectly. Arrived at the maximum compression, nothing seems to force; moreover, a positioning trick means that the flat thrust rod, which tends to deform slightly forwards, comes into contact with the roller at the bottom of the connecting rod (as they are united in this thrust phase, there is no has no friction likely to cause wear of these parts). After reaching the end of the compression phase, it is necessary to exert a new pressure while lifting the manual release (to release the downward pressure exerted on this part when it is in retention); release lever still pressed, the lever is released, which automatically triggers the release of the pusher arm: the elasticity of the brick makes the piston move back a little and it is then possible to easily open the upper door. A few quick pedals (which can be done in the middle of the lever, which limits travel while maximizing piston travel) easily extracts the brick which can then be removed. The return of the piston simply involves lifting the upper clutch (the pedal is at rest, therefore in the high position) and pressing the piston moderately to trigger its downward movement.
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 28/03/22, 23:29

I am in the process of putting the finishing touches to the "few insignificant details" which still require a little time...).
I completed the axis locks, with a new idea, I could publish a photo of it if anyone is interested... Also completed, the adjustable piston top stop system (not to exceed the upper level of the mold when the log is ejected). It remains to fix two immobilization cleats at the top of the tank, this is necessary because the tank is slightly dragged when the axle rises, by friction of the seal on the vertical thrust tube (in addition, this small movement slightly raises the upper blocking system, which is enough to prevent it from working correctly).
I also have to add a "bumper" on the front, to protect the tray in case of a fall or a rough contact. It will be a round iron already formed in an arc (with the press) and which will be welded to the support angles of the tank by two forged flats (probably).

During the tests in real situation, 3 bricks were made. After soaking the paper/cardboard, then manually tearing it into smaller pieces, it was mixed with a homemade tool attached to the end of a drill. Sawdust was added successively, due to a rapid and therefore inhomogeneous mixture (except on the surface, where the sample is taken. This addition considerably thickened the mixture and made the introduction into the mold more difficult, especially because of the presence of the two hollow tubes. I think it is a mistake to use a thick mixture: besides the fact that it complicates and slows down the filling of the mould, it leaves the press less to do its job and it is capable of expressing a lot of water without problem.The bricks obtained are of poor quality, in the sense that the sawdust has been overdosed, which probably improves combustion, but strongly impairs its behavior since one of them is partially crumbled during handling. However, the aim of these tests only related to the behavior of the press and neglected for the moment the products obtained. Exposed to the sun and the wind, it seems that the drying was very rapid, but the high sawdust content probably plays a significant role.

Last point, conceptual this one: it goes without saying that this solution for easily obtaining fuel by recovering waste is only based on the existence of prior waste. From this point of view, it cannot in any way be considered "sustainable", nor even "ethical" and even less "circular"; it's just a temporary opportunity, but one that could nevertheless be valuable in the fight against energy poverty.
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by gegyx » 29/03/22, 01:44

Do not worry. In two months, you will have to put it under lock and key, with a lock... : roll:
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 12/04/22, 21:47

This marks the end of this LED press project and my participation in this forum, become too brownish in my eyes; soon the start of the production of logs, but that's another story...
After painting and final adjustments, here is what it looks like on both sides (the photos are quite good thanks to the spring sun:
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If you have any questions on details or other points, do not hesitate, I would be happy to answer them.
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by sicetaitsimple » 12/04/22, 21:59

Ahmed wrote:This marks the end of this LED press project and my participation in this forum, become too brownish in my eyes; soon the start of the production of logs, but that's another story...
After painting and final adjustments, here is what it looks like on both sides (the photos are quite good thanks to the spring sun:
IMG0093A.jpg
If you have any questions on details or other points, do not hesitate, I would be happy to answer them.


Superb, well done! But it would be nice if you could show us the finished product (the log)! It's not really a point of detail....I don't dare ask for a video of the pressing sequence, maybe that would be overkill?
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 12/04/22, 22:50

Thank you, too kind! : Oops:
OK, I made 3 bricks for testing the device, but they are in no way references, since they were only for validation of operation. These bricks clearly contain too much sawdust, because I adjusted the thickness of the mix by aiming for something quite pasty. It turns out that this is a mistake, because it complicates the introduction and the distribution of the material (presence of two tubes, let's not forget it) and I am almost convinced that it harms the final density ( to check). I'll take a picture of the bricks, a little brownish, too : Wink: , due to the addition of soot... One of them crumbled partially and I burned it to see what happened: the combustion first started quite strongly on the periphery, then the combustion slowed down and most of it concentrated on the two orifices, with not ugly flames; this for a combustion which lasted about half an hour... But, I repeat, it is probably not representative of what a careful and regularized production will give later. I'll post a picture of the two bricks soon...
For a video, why not? But that will have to wait a bit: I have to cover the greenhouse and carry out the interior fittings (mainly the drying racks which will probably be made up of pallet elements: the corner blocks will serve as spacers).

I intend to make* a small press for small cubes, this for educational purposes, to show that it is not necessary to have recourse to such a complex device (at least for the "general" public) and that even wooden presses can be imagined...

* I have just come across a piece of perforated stainless steel sheet which seems to me like a stretched pole... :P

Note: the worst part of all this is that I don't need to pay for logs at the moment, having plenty of wood at my disposal! : Lol:
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 13/04/22, 13:30

Here is the photo of the two remaining briquettes from the very first "batch" (world exclusive!). The briquette on the left is presented seen from below and its neighbor from above. It can be seen that the top is less clearly formed, this because of the excessively pasty nature of the wet mixture which is poorly distributed.
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For my use, it will be a very powerful and easy to implement material, able to satisfy my applied rudological tropism ... while coming to the end of my stocks of papers.
If the interest shown by the local CAT materializes, and without presuming too much of their imperatives, I would see better a barrel system (with manual rotation, indexed) which would optimize the operation of the productive cycle with a single machine which would therefore only duplicate molds; with three molds corresponding to the three phases: filling (automatic by gravity hopper), pressing (either by hydraulic foot pump or, preferably, by a pneumatic cylinder in the upper part and piston at the bottom), extraction (with a manual lever). Two operators would then be mobilized: one who monitors the level of the hopper and activates the pushing system (which could easily be triggered automatically* by pivoting) and the other who takes out the bricks and places them on a trolley.

* But we are within the framework of a CAT, so the objective is not necessarily to reduce staff...
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by sicetaitsimple » 13/04/22, 19:24

Unless they fall apart as soon as you touch them, these first results still seem very satisfactory considering their end use!
You've probably said it before, but what is the paper/sawdust percentage you're aiming for?
And perhaps an indiscreet question, how do you supply yourself with paper/cardboard? It's not just the flyers that arrive in your mailbox, I imagine?
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Ahmed
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by Ahmed » 13/04/22, 20:13

No, the cohesion is not optimal, but remains acceptable for a start (it's much better than French society at the moment!). The characteristics vary as follows: the more paper there is and the more compact the log, the more sawdust and shavings there are, the longer the combustion will be; the result of the proportions is therefore a little uncertain. According to "generally well-informed sources", the mixture of 60% paper with 40% sawdust would be a good compromise... With practice, it will be done "by eye"!
The sources of supply are, in part, more or less old stocks (for lack of significant sampling flows) and, on the other hand, neighbors and friends who have "domestic" paper and cardboard* or from their job (there is for example a neighbor who works in the odious visual (sic) and who can pick up a bunch of newspapers every week), in short, a fairly enthusiastic environment... (and also a neighbor who would be a potential consumer).
I have no ads in my ball => stop ads, anyway, it's glossy without interest (because, besides bullshit, stuffed with minerals).
The sawdust will come from a carpentry for the portion that is not automatically vacuumed and compressed to smooth the amount of combustible material produced all year round, but used, of course, only in winter. Well, I don't worry, there's plenty to do in the area...

* E-commerce has abounded this waste...
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gegyx
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Re: Sawdust Paper Log Press Project




by gegyx » 13/04/22, 21:05

And a little flour in the broth, wouldn't it make the cohesion?

As a kid, we made diamond-shaped kites with reeds and the canvas was made of flour-glued newspaper. :D
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