"steamer" wrote in message
...
--Looking for a solution to a little design problem. The situation
arises due to a firewood pile that's periodically infested with various
crawley vermin, which means that, before a log goes into the fireplace I
first pick it off the pile, then throw it onto the ground and watch the
little buggers scurry off, then pick it up a second time and take it to
the
fireplace. What I'm thinking is I'll build a really heavy duty firewood
rack
out of steel, then build something that lifts one end a foot or so off the
ground, then drops it repeatedly, to shake out the unwanted critters. So
what I need to figure out is how to build a mechanism that's driven by an
electric motor that will lift, say, 400lbs a foot in the air, then let go
and do it without falling apart over a loooong winter. Suggestions?

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas

sorry, i'm not exactly sure what you mean.
i think if it were me and the insects bothered me that much i'd roll the
wood through a trommel and into my firewood hauling bin/wagon.
http://www.infowest.com/personal/w/w...r/trommel.html
even that would be a pain in the ass.
i'd think the bugs (you're just referring to insects, right?) wouldn't leave
if it was only dropping the entire pile repeatedly. i'd think they'd just
fall down onto the next piece of wood. i don't even know if they'd leave if
you put the rack (made w/ expanded steel mesh and like 2" square tubing) on
like coil truck springs with a massive vibrator mechanism (like a "plate
tamper"
http://webservices.siriusweblabs.com...114/MVC60H.jpg
bolted to it. (i remember an episode on tv of how they built the SAC base
inside that mountain in CO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_Mountain
and put the whole thing on MASSIVE coil springs. lol.) i guess the sonic
cure would be easiest, fastest, cheapest. the vibrator rack might be funny
though, take a video of it and post it to youtube. "shakin' my firewood"

b.w.