I finally decided to join the chunker club.
Using a wood splitter, bandsaw, and hatchet has worked for me, but after making about 20,000 lbs that way and then seeing Wayne and others making PILES of chunks. Well, it is time
So bought a 1994 F350 rear end advertised on Craigslist for $75.
Good luck with your new wood chunker, i built one from a rear end about that size and it chunks up too about 1 1/2" branches and kind of sounds loud, i think i need too snug up the ring and pinion too chung bigger branches, though it is geared good i can chunk fast, and only using a one horse elec. Motor.That was a good price on the rear end and you caint have too many chunking tools.Maybe i will learn something from your build too chunk bigger branch, but i am happy with mine for fast chunking smaller branch.
I noticed your cutting edge goes from wide open full throat and inclines to full cut over the 360 degree rotation. I think if I were building the chunker I would have somewhere between 45 and 90 degrees of the cutter to remain full open throat . This will let you get your wood into place before the cutter grabs it .
I noticed that on yours but with less horsepower I am going to try to get under 60 rpm
And I can always cut off more
Thanks for the comment
I have a 33” wheel for the pinion as a flywheel and gear reduction
Hy Mike G all i used for cutter was the wheel and its a little thin, and i found this old grinding wheel shaft at bone yard years ago. And the small 6 or 7 " pully is my only othet reduction besides the tire.
Good luck on your wheel alinement, i got lucky on mine first time around just using limited tools cetering. Once the momentum getsgoing i am serprized how well the little one horse motor runs cool.
I thought about just using the wheel but read where others had tacos or rolled edges
1 hp is not much power
Is that a 1780 or 3600 rpm motor?
And what is the cutter speed?
Hi MIKE I JUST CHECKED the motor and its an old well pump 3400 rpm. and dont know how too tell how fast the wheel goes but with the pully thats on there its just in time too line up another branch or i may have too catch second time around,The rotating anertia does most the work, and seem too work better faster with the smaller motor. it was what i had laying around not makeing chunks. It could use a bigger power supply and slowed down some, but it pretty close too the speeds there useing, probbly 50% faster than the slower speed cutting. Mine came off and old 85 ford pickup dually. It seems like if i could shorten the axels without creating a week point it might chop better, it allmost sounds like the axels are twisting when it finishes cutting through a bigger grean branch inch and half range, this axel was rusted inside from sitting around and has slop in ring and pinion. I think a bigger axel would be nice when one finds deal on one.like 10 ton dump axel or so. These smaller ones are good too learn from and use for smaller wood at a faster speed seems like on my build design ,I just use a slip belt incase it hangs up. Mine wont chunk any dry pine slab wood, just grean branches.Though i need a better cutting wheel too, when find time.
Mike i just chunked a barrel of wood in about an hour so not too bad for staying under 1 1\2" branch and i had too de lim the smaller branch befor chunking. Its still faster than table sawing skids and useing hatchet too size.With your smaller heavy cutting wheel and bigger elec. Motor you might be serprised on the one your building, Good luck keep us posted , Thanks.
Hi Bob i live about 300 miles north of argos, i hope too make it there sooner or later, I missed the one they had up here in michigan by about 15 miles away, back then i had no knolwlege of wood gas other than wikipedia.type web sites, and did not know of Wayne or DOW. I seen something in the new paper about alt.energy meet up .figured it was just another comercial type sales event.These days i seldom travel over too 40 too 60 mile range with my older trucks.
300 miles, that will only put us into the state of Montana from East Wenatchee, Washington. Michael Gibb and I are planning on driving to Argos next May. It’s a 4 days journey for us. The 92 Dodge Dakota misses the Eastern part of the U.S.A. Hope you can make it Kevin, looking forward to meeting everyone at the DOW Event.
Bob
Thanks Bob M , i caint promiss but i am hopefull, right now i need make a way too dry my wood faster with out summer time. Good luck on that big trip, if i had back up money it would be a yes yes. My vehicles kind of RATTLE TRAP.
I have a questain for you and or Mike, i have two of them water fire extengwishers in back of my truck that i tryed too use as cyclones, and would like too change over too a cage type sock filter just after the cooling rack.just woundered if there is any filter cloth or wool that would last few hundred miles range before pluging up as i only have room for one 3" wide by about 16" long sock type filter. ? Thanks, PS. MY HAY FILTERS UP BY MY FRONT TIRES WERE BONE DRY AFTER BURNING 60 POUNDS OF WOOD THROUGH YHE TRUCK YESTERFAY WENS.
I have noticed that in cool weather (below 40 deg) that the monorator tubes on the hopper are very effective and so nothing in hay filter or condensate tank.
So then I wonder about flushing the hay filter, I am still using the original bag of straw from 2 years and 7000 miles ago. I have flushed it maybe 4 times by dumping 4 or 5 buckets of water which confirms it is not plugging.
Thanks Michael G i was woundering you other guys in the cold weather were getting that kind of condencing too. I rinced my hay filters today. I got one good size leak in one of my cooler rack drain tank too fix.
