ctit101
starting to shine!
Member since May 2011
Posts: 38
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Post by ctit101 on Jun 23, 2011 0:06:23 GMT -5
Problem solved. For weeks no matter what I did I couldn't stop the pvc barrels from drifting. They would always drift towards the reducer end of the barrel. One barrel would push the other to the end of the axle. Then in a day or so they would head back the other way. So to keep them from grinding a hole in there end on the bearing housing I stuck a cheap caster on a flat piece of metal and stuck it under a bearing bolt. They spent there time drifting back and forth from one caster to the other. The picture shows one. Then about four days ago I noticed black dust building up on, and under the barrels. Bingo. I had slid rubber heater hose on the shafts for traction. It was breaking down from the weight of the barrels. I thought because it was braided it would hold up. The wife wouldn't let me cut up her garden hose so off to the farm store. Picked up some clear braided hose. Now this stuff does not go on easy and it is tough. Got the bearings and new hose on, put back together. Put all four barrels back on and flipped the switch. Not one barrel has drifted either way in 3 days and nights of running. Haven't touched a caster on the ends or the middle. It had to be that rubber heater hose causing the barrel drift somehow. We are all back to happy tumbling again. Attachments:
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Jun 23, 2011 11:53:09 GMT -5
When I slide rubber tubing on shafts, I lube the shafts a little with vegeteble oil, helps a bunch. Hopefully you will never have to replace them now. Nice build.
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Post by rocklicker on Jul 20, 2011 18:52:26 GMT -5
Glad to hear you are back on the road. I also use the castor trick. The barrels are free to wander around where they please. Another option to getting tubing on is soap. Steve
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Jul 20, 2011 21:23:49 GMT -5
How do you keep everything that clean? milt
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ctit101
starting to shine!
Member since May 2011
Posts: 38
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Post by ctit101 on Jul 20, 2011 23:42:57 GMT -5
The shelf the axles and barrels are on has plywood doors. So not much dirt or dust gets in. The barrels get a full dump about every two or three weeks to check how things are going. So washing out the inside and outside keeps them kind of clean looking. By dump time they are showing rolling tracks but it wipes right off with a wet rag.
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 693
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Post by docharber on Aug 29, 2011 21:09:33 GMT -5
I built a chassis for a very large and heavy MDF/wood barrel that i can't seem to get properly waterproof. The barrel isd sort of like a thumbler's, with 13 1/2" wooden rounds on each end as rollers. I used 1/2" aluminum rods (for corrosion resistance) and covered the drive roller with 1/8" thick clear vinyl tubing. it worked fine until it started to leak, except for barrel drift. now my rounds were as near identical as I could get them. The rods are mounted on ball bearings inset into MDF uprightss on either end. The rods are spaced about 5 inches apart. I figured out two things that could cause the problem. ONe weas that the rods were not equallt spaced and were bowing under the weight. I had eliminated the likelihood of unequal barrel circumference and the rods were level all the way across. I tthought that under weight the rods were lexing and thought if I could adjust the distance apart on one end, I could eliminate the drift. So, I cut a slot in the motor end upright and and, since the barrel tended to drift toward the other end, I drove a shim into the slot until the bearings were very slightly wider apart. VOila, no barrel drift. It was a crude approach, but it worked. Now if I can waterproof the thing I'm in business. I may change out the rods to steel some day, too. i was able to sand down the aluminum enough to get the bearings on tightly, but the steel will be a lot less cooperative. Of course, I have vbarrel guides on top of the uprights and on the non-motor end, there is a groove cut into the barrel end from that guide. The groove is of even depth for the most part, which tells me the barrel is squared adequately. i found soapy water is easiest for getting the tubing on. Oil will rot the rubber if you use rubber hose. and the vegetable oil will eventually get tacky and dirty.
Mark H.
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