Small Trommel Build

[Gelmac]

I 've been building this small trommel for a while. It took me long time , because I work at weekends.

I gleaned ideas from various sources online. I have two motors to test/run it , one is a 12v windshield wiper motor the other one is an old Battery powered hand drill. I also have a 120 Watt solar system to run it. Water is provided with a 1200 GPH Bilge pump, I have another one just in case it doesn't provide the necessary flow.

I will update as I go.

The trommel measurements as follows:

The barrel/drum is 34" Long, 11" Wide.

Frame is 16" Wide front and back sides, 27" high from sides, and 48" Long.

Also the height of the end (where there is a tough type wheel is welded to support the barrel from jumping off the end) is 31" high.

The Frame is made of square tubing.

First a few pictures of the frame:

 

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[diverrick]

hange the wheels/rollers over to roller blade wheels They work much better and smoother. Those little things while jam up and give you flat spots quickly. Good luck

 

[Gelmac]

Then the drum, it is a tall oil drum . I cut in half and rolled and inserted an expanded metal screen. Then got it welded with square tubing to make it stuck to the drum ends.

I left about half an inch to the feed side of the drum to prevent backflow of material. I should have welded another half inch ring onto the chute end , but that was done before I saw AzVipers' glorious/shiny build

 

[Gelmac]

hange the wheels/rollers over to roller blade wheels They work much better and smoother. Those little things while jam up and give you flat spots quickly. Good luck

Thanks, diver. I am still modifying it . Only weekends I can work in this project.

 

[Gelmac]

 

[russau]

Id use the 12vdc wiper motor over the drill. the drill wont last near as long as the wiper motor IMHO! and I agree with not using the wheels directly under the barrel causeing flat spots.that looks like its kinda heavy to be (but very sturdy) dragging out somewhere. are you planning on a wheeled setup?

 

[Gelmac]

Agree with the 12v wiper motor, but I am just experimenting . No, not at all heavy , it is light I can lift the frame with one hand. Also the drum is feather light but sturdy. The pics make them look tad in weight, though, camera tricks, LOL .

Yes, I have tube-less set of wheels to attach. The next mod would be a belt drive system instead of a chain and a gear, still need to gear it down a bit.

It looks rusty now , but after final mods (I hope so !) I would paint it .

Thanks Russ for the tips

 

[grazjsw]

hi! the best way when u use windscreen vipers motor is to get the trommel high and less tought on the wheels as possible. here is mine trommel projecta test video
Im using 24 volt wiper motor.

 

[Duckwalk]

I dont own a trommel nor have i operated one but unless you have a large shoot under the expanded metal, that seems like quite a lengthy drop area to me. Just my opinion.

 

[grazjsw]

I dont own a trommel nor have i operated one but unless you have a large shoot under the expanded metal, that seems like quite a lengthy drop area to me. Just my opinion.

chek this topic its all in there
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/446637-trommel-project-v-2-0-a.html

 

[russau]

Yes, I have tube-less set of wheels to attach. The next mod would be a belt drive system instead of a chain and a gear, still need to gear it down a bit.


no need for any gears if your wanting to use a belt drive. pullies will do the speed reduction for you! you just need to figure out the speed/ ratio you want. mark out on the barrel where you want the belt to ride. mark it out on bothe sides of where the belt will ride then score the barrel with a (die grinder?) somesort of rotary cutter to give the belt some grip and use a pully on the motor that will hinge downhill to the belt to maintain some belt tension. and/or a reostadt (light dimmer switch) to speed up/down the drive.

 

[Gelmac]

hi! the best way when u use windscreen vipers motor is to get the trommel high and less tought on the wheels as possible. here is mine trommel projecta test video
Im using 24 volt wiper motor.

Thanks for the video. Now I noticed that from just running it by hand, it grinds on the barrel even without any load of gravel through it. I must have to modify the frame to accommodate the new wheels for the barrel to sit on. Gotta be tougher ones. The current set is welded , I should have welded a plate under them , then use screw-nut attach them, lesson learned

A 24v motor would require a large battery or two of the smaller ones connected to provide the juice for the system. Remember, I designed my setup to be as portable as possible. The 120v solar panel is huge, though.

 

[Gelmac]

Yes, I have tube-less set of wheels to attach. The next mod would be a belt drive system instead of a chain and a gear, still need to gear it down a bit.


no need for any gears if your wanting to use a belt drive. pullies will do the speed reduction for you! you just need to figure out the speed/ ratio you want. mark out on the barrel where you want the belt to ride. mark it out on bothe sides of where the belt will ride then score the barrel with a (die grinder?) somesort of rotary cutter to give the belt some grip and use a pully on the motor that will hinge downhill to the belt to maintain some belt tension. and/or a reostadt (light dimmer switch) to speed up/down the drive.

I wanted to say "reduction of speed" ! Yeb, a large pulley will do the job, I have a 14" pulley and another 8" inch. AzViper provided an online tool to calculate the required pullies/gears to the specific speed of the motor being used. Very helpful AZViper, appreciate it !

Russ, actually I was going to use a 12" pulley , cause the diameter of the barrel opening is 11" , so a 12 incher would fit around it with just screws and bolts or arc welded in place . Why use a pulley ? to avoid the slippage of the belt , especially when there is a jam. But couldn't find one , so I may try to use a bicycle metal wheel rim. It fits nicely on the barrel. Also the pulley provide some protection for the belt from sliding side ways. Your idea for grinding some "route" for the belt to ride is also good.

You suggest hanging the motor from above? I was going to attach it to the side and use a small pulley tension . Well, I asked a lightning supplies shop owner if I can use a light dimmer for a 12v motor, he said it won't work may be he needs an update to his knowledge

 

[Gelmac]

I dont own a trommel nor have i operated one but unless you have a large shoot under the expanded metal, that seems like quite a lengthy drop area to me. Just my opinion.

I may change that expanded metal , but yeah that lengthy drop area needs to have a long chute for the slurry to drop heading towards the sluice.

 

[Gelmac]

Id use the 12vdc wiper motor over the drill. the drill wont last near as long as the wiper motor IMHO! and I agree with not using the wheels directly under the barrel causeing flat spots.that looks like its kinda heavy to be (but very sturdy) dragging out somewhere. are you planning on a wheeled setup?

If you read my other thread :

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/375214-high-torque-low-rpm-low-amperage-12v-dc-motor-solar-powered-trommel.html

I posted there looking for the right type of motor to use. Also I posted about my Solar system specifications I intend to run the trommel with. I 've noticed the battery drill got hot with extended usage, no wonder it's a Chinese knockoff !

 

[grazjsw]

i have 3 x 12v 70ah batterys b1 spear one . last summer we runned 6 days 6-8 hours/day and 12m3 of dirt. after that i changed only 1 battery =). now i have 80w solarpanel and 4 batterys for 2 week trip.

 

[Gelmac]

graz, that is good, since you run a bigger motor it needs more energy . My rig consists of a 120W Solar Panel and 38Ah Battery box (that contains an in-built inverter). I tested it and it really very efficient . Of course being in the tropics part of the globe with sun hours in excess of ten hours daily makes the investment in Solar equipments more feasible. Sudan is in the zone known as the solar belt, where there is a direct normal radiation that is one of the world’s strongest, according to a Solar production energy company that has operations in Sudan.
Even in Winter there is still much radiation to suffice running a small mining equipment.

 

[russau]

the light dimmer switch I was referring to is from a car. and as long as it has the capability to handel the amps/wats of that wiper motor , it will work. there are several other electrical devices that work great. GG has posted a electrical device that he uses for his trammel and it is perfect for his application. BUT some people (me) have to stay on their budget and upgrade as they can afford it.

 

[Gelmac]

Understood, you don't have to go bankrupt just for getting some working needed tools. IMHO a rheostat works also there are many other small speed controllers, but if you are good at electronics you can build your own. I searched for a 12v speed controller locally but had no luck. There are alternatives , though. Yes, GG is very crafty and he builds his gears himself.

 

[Oregon Viking]

I realize this is a bit different then your build, but have a look.

Mike's Hand Trommel