DIY harvester
- Thread starter naturall_mystic
- Start date
naturall_mystic
New member
stonedar thanks for that info. That pricing, for the cheaper model you listed, is less than what I spent developing the one I built, but prototyping is expensive. Were I to market it I could sell it for less. I will look them up and see what their technology is like.
Xare that is really clever, true DIY. I started out in a similar fashion. I used a 5 gallon bucket. I didn't like the results using the trimmer line but that could have been due to my implementation of the setup. I would be careful using that name though, Weed Wacker could be a registered trademark !
Xare that is really clever, true DIY. I started out in a similar fashion. I used a 5 gallon bucket. I didn't like the results using the trimmer line but that could have been due to my implementation of the setup. I would be careful using that name though, Weed Wacker could be a registered trademark !
samba
Active member
I'm building a "trimbox" at the moment to. I'll have my first test run soon, if it works I'll upload pics and possibly a video when ready. Its all made of easily obtainable parts, like a dremill for a motor and so on... Hope it works, or it back to the scissors and thats a pain in the ass
naturall_mystic
New member
I have been doing a little investigating and am considering selling this in a kit form. Though assembly is simple it takes more time per unit than I can spend. That would make it cheaper for the buyer and easier for me. I write very clear instructions (did it for a living at one time) and assembly isn't difficult, just takes some time, which I have precious little of. If / when this get serious I will advertise here so I am not going commercial without supporting this wonderful Forum. THoughts ?
I
icon
Great idea naturall mystic i hope pontiac comes approves this for the DIY sticky.....i hope im not hi jacking but just wanted to mention something ive been looking at black and decker cordless grass shears, comes with 2 different blades 1 for grass & 1 for thicker stuff like bushes theres some other companies that make em too was thinking of getting one but i may do this DIY harvester to save money instead.just trying to help
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-...WLE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303968930&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-...WLE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303968930&sr=8-1
oldmanschild
New member
an rc airplane brushless motor may be a cheaper alternative
hook it up to an electronic speed control, and hook up the speed control to 12v (or whatever v is required) power supply
they are designed to swing RC propellers at high speed. they should be able to swing your blade easily enough. should be quieter too.
hook it up to an electronic speed control, and hook up the speed control to 12v (or whatever v is required) power supply
they are designed to swing RC propellers at high speed. they should be able to swing your blade easily enough. should be quieter too.
Awesome job there...it really looks like the pro ones at the growshops like the cannacutter for example and it really works too-unlike some other diy jobs ive seen.
Ive got an idea to make something along the lines of the aadvaark using one of those hand-held food blenders which you use directly in the pan. I think one of those blenders could be made into a hand held trimmer working along the same principle as this-a grill over the rotating blade, albeit a lot smaller so probably more useful to the home personal grower than someone doing big med or mersh crops. It wont take much modification at all to do it.
Damn thats yet another project thread for me to do and Ive only been back posting here 3 days LOL.
Ive got an idea to make something along the lines of the aadvaark using one of those hand-held food blenders which you use directly in the pan. I think one of those blenders could be made into a hand held trimmer working along the same principle as this-a grill over the rotating blade, albeit a lot smaller so probably more useful to the home personal grower than someone doing big med or mersh crops. It wont take much modification at all to do it.
Damn thats yet another project thread for me to do and Ive only been back posting here 3 days LOL.
Last edited:
D
Durdy
like it I'll take a kit next october haha
I'll take a kit next october haha
Kroggi
Member
Actually ive been doing some research on one of those DIY trimmers aswell, and came to it being the best to combine 2 things for the trimming procedure.
My guess (without having read it all, sorry for that), that u used the grill from a manufacturer of the trimboxes, right ? Would be my first choice Anyways... My idea kind of came as i was trimming the edges on my lawn... It used those plastic wires, but i know u can get those in steel too which keeps a good straigh line, and if not those, then theres propably something else, metalic kind of wire which doesnt "bend down"...
Ok... So lets say we have our steel bucket, or round container or what ever, that the grill is attacked to... What we need is the trimming placed inside this... My idea was that the bottom got cut out, so that the trim could pass through. To get it down there, we need something to suck it down, same thing with the wire for rotation... Is possible, find a high grade electric moter that u have the ability to connect things to... as a ventilation fan... The fan doesnt need to be that big, as long as it creates a suck to the grill, out the bottom of the bucket. The motor should have some sort of metal bar all the way to the grill, maybe even through it (just through) so it keeps a steady rotation... 15 cm ventilation fan on the bar aswell, and in the very top, the metal wires... Those are the ones that cuts the bud, as the bud gets slightly pulled down with the fan...
So the perfect thing for this would be to catch all the trimming in a bag, which could be mounted on a table of some sort... The bag could be anything as long as the holes aint too big, and it still "breathes". Make it long, tie it in the end, connect the top to the bucket and voila... A trimmer
Im still searching for the right parts to make this wonder machine, tho i havent found it all yet Got the bucket, ventilation fan and might have a motor soon too hehe. Maybe i could use the one from the ventilation, but ill have to do some testing on its strength.
But please do drop in a few ideas of your own if anyone got any... Maybe we could combine some things
My guess (without having read it all, sorry for that), that u used the grill from a manufacturer of the trimboxes, right ? Would be my first choice
Anyways... My idea kind of came as i was trimming the edges on my lawn... It used those plastic wires, but i know u can get those in steel too which keeps a good straigh line, and if not those, then theres propably something else, metalic kind of wire which doesnt "bend down"...Ok... So lets say we have our steel bucket, or round container or what ever, that the grill is attacked to... What we need is the trimming placed inside this... My idea was that the bottom got cut out, so that the trim could pass through. To get it down there, we need something to suck it down, same thing with the wire for rotation... Is possible, find a high grade electric moter that u have the ability to connect things to... as a ventilation fan... The fan doesnt need to be that big, as long as it creates a suck to the grill, out the bottom of the bucket. The motor should have some sort of metal bar all the way to the grill, maybe even through it (just through) so it keeps a steady rotation... 15 cm ventilation fan on the bar aswell, and in the very top, the metal wires... Those are the ones that cuts the bud, as the bud gets slightly pulled down with the fan...
So the perfect thing for this would be to catch all the trimming in a bag, which could be mounted on a table of some sort... The bag could be anything as long as the holes aint too big, and it still "breathes". Make it long, tie it in the end, connect the top to the bucket and voila... A trimmer
Im still searching for the right parts to make this wonder machine, tho i havent found it all yet
Got the bucket, ventilation fan and might have a motor soon too hehe. Maybe i could use the one from the ventilation, but ill have to do some testing on its strength.But please do drop in a few ideas of your own if anyone got any... Maybe we could combine some things
I don't think it really counts as what most people consider a DIY, since others can't make one easily. Custom motors and custom machined parts, this thing was great until that. There's already several commercial versions almost exactly like this. Awesome project but out of reach for most people.
naturall_mystic
New member
Actually ive been doing some research on one of those DIY trimmers aswell, and came to it being the best to combine 2 things for the trimming procedure.
My guess (without having read it all, sorry for that), that u used the grill from a manufacturer of the trimboxes, right ? Would be my first choice Anyways... My idea kind of came as i was trimming the edges on my lawn... It used those plastic wires, but i know u can get those in steel too which keeps a good straigh line, and if not those, then theres propably something else, metalic kind of wire which doesnt "bend down"...
Ok... So lets say we have our steel bucket, or round container or what ever, that the grill is attacked to... What we need is the trimming placed inside this... My idea was that the bottom got cut out, so that the trim could pass through. To get it down there, we need something to suck it down, same thing with the wire for rotation... Is possible, find a high grade electric moter that u have the ability to connect things to... as a ventilation fan... The fan doesnt need to be that big, as long as it creates a suck to the grill, out the bottom of the bucket. The motor should have some sort of metal bar all the way to the grill, maybe even through it (just through) so it keeps a steady rotation... 15 cm ventilation fan on the bar aswell, and in the very top, the metal wires... Those are the ones that cuts the bud, as the bud gets slightly pulled down with the fan...
So the perfect thing for this would be to catch all the trimming in a bag, which could be mounted on a table of some sort... The bag could be anything as long as the holes aint too big, and it still "breathes". Make it long, tie it in the end, connect the top to the bucket and voila... A trimmer
Im still searching for the right parts to make this wonder machine, tho i havent found it all yet Got the bucket, ventilation fan and might have a motor soon too hehe. Maybe i could use the one from the ventilation, but ill have to do some testing on its strength.
But please do drop in a few ideas of your own if anyone got any... Maybe we could combine some things
I am not sure if you are joking or serious here. Other than using string line you are simply describing what I built. I tried string line early on and didn't like, other's do, to each his own. Good luck with your project.
naturall_mystic
New member
gardenbug I did it myself. I designed several different systems until I had one I believed in. I then made a prototype out of raw materials from the hardware store. It was crap. I then started having parts, of my design, made until I had a working tool. What qualifies as DIY in your mind? Should I have mined the iron and smelted the steel myself. Come on, I just like to do things right and I did. Perhaps we need more rules.
Shady Smoka
Active member
Nice job
Kroggi
Member
I wassent joking m8, sorry if it sounded like it.
Anyhow, i was out shopping the other day and fell over a ventilator with a metal fan... I added that to the shopping cart and thought i might aswell check out what else there was, and fell over a plastik bucket with the right diameter... So, with those 2 items, i actually believed i could build a harvester...
The 2 items bought
I disassembled those whole fan so i knew what i had to work with, took the fan leaves and bent it out so it was completely flat. Removed all excess materials from the motor so it was a clean case. Took the backside of the protection lattice, and mounted the motor on the opposite side than the original mounting. Used a grinder to cut off the handle that u can see in the back of the fan, and smoothed it down a bit so there was no bumps. Came to look like this:
The protection lattice was mounted on the bucket, where i then cut out the bottom of the bucket for the air to pass through. Fan leaves was mounted on the motor and rebend to fit the lattice's curves. First test was succesfull, tho it kind of felt like it chopped it and not cut it... So i sharpened the fan leaves, which improved this.
Seen from the bottom:
Top left fan leaf, seems like it bends on the top part, but thats the part that WAS bent when bought, which was straightened out. And to improve the airflow i bend the other side (bottom side, when focussing on the top left fan leaf) manually, so press the air down.
Success
Only thing i might consider doing now, is removing every second steel string to open it up a bit.
Hope it helped a few in here, as to what they could do to make this of their own
bad asssssss
naturall_mystic
New member
Looks like I have a meeting next week to see if it is feasible to be able offer a kit. If it goes well I will post the cost and do pre orders while I tie up the final bits, like a manual. I will also place an ad here to help support the site and to be sure folks that haven't visited this thread have a shot.
Kroggi looks pretty nice, wish we could put them side by side and do a trim together. I would never have considered putting the motor on the top like you did. Clever.
Kroggi looks pretty nice, wish we could put them side by side and do a trim together. I would never have considered putting the motor on the top like you did. Clever.
