Today was all about making a log press for a former neighbour to supplement the logs he has from my wood for the greenhouse stove I made him a couple of years ago; I showed him how to make pucks from waste for fuelling his fire by using old chainsaw chips, waste paper, and cow muck.
This press was as simple as a simple press frame with a 4" bore pipe inserted which sat on a turned base in the press frame to locate it, the centre of the base was drilled and tapped to take a 24mm bolt which was centre drilled to tale a 20mm tube which was perforated with 1mm holes to let the water drain out.
The 20mm tube was inserted into the base and screwed in and he filled it with his mixture and a plywood spacer plate was added, it was filled again and repeated until the tube was full and a metal pressing plate was inserted, the centre hole of the spacers kept the central tube centralised.
A 4 tonne hydraulic jack was inserted over a piece of 50X50 box section which sits on the top spreader plate and he simply pumps, this compresses the contents of the tube into compacted pucks complete with centre hole for better burning and the water drains out through the centre tube. When the mixture is compressed and drained it has a couple of lugs on the frame and on the outside of the tube, the centre nut is undone and the central tube is pulled out, the base plate is pulled out and it drops slightly onto the lugs, the hydraulic jack is then used with a longer box section to push the pucks from the tube.
This press was as simple as a simple press frame with a 4" bore pipe inserted which sat on a turned base in the press frame to locate it, the centre of the base was drilled and tapped to take a 24mm bolt which was centre drilled to tale a 20mm tube which was perforated with 1mm holes to let the water drain out.
The 20mm tube was inserted into the base and screwed in and he filled it with his mixture and a plywood spacer plate was added, it was filled again and repeated until the tube was full and a metal pressing plate was inserted, the centre hole of the spacers kept the central tube centralised.
A 4 tonne hydraulic jack was inserted over a piece of 50X50 box section which sits on the top spreader plate and he simply pumps, this compresses the contents of the tube into compacted pucks complete with centre hole for better burning and the water drains out through the centre tube. When the mixture is compressed and drained it has a couple of lugs on the frame and on the outside of the tube, the centre nut is undone and the central tube is pulled out, the base plate is pulled out and it drops slightly onto the lugs, the hydraulic jack is then used with a longer box section to push the pucks from the tube.