I started prototyping the Garden Mill today. I took my existing trommel sifter which normally mounts on top of my wheelbarrow and begun with it as the sieve in a new framework to test drive capabilities.

The zip ties have not held up over the years.  Recommend anyone who wants to do this uses bailing wire to fasten the hardware cloth to the rims.

I've had the gearbox for some time but needed to visualize how it was going to drive the rollers. I cut some wheels and pulleys out of scrap plywood (because shoestring budget) and ran them on to threaded rod for axles. I mounted the gearbox to an appropriate surface and had to kludge together a belt tensioner.

All was for naught though as at the end of the day, the single drive axle did not have enough traction to drive the drum.

(volume warning)

Maybe I should have cut additional pulleys and put another belt on thus turning the idler axle into another drive axle. This still relies on the weight of the drum to provide the high coefficient of friction necessary to create traction between the plywood wheels and bicycle rims. Unless... damn. I just realized I could have cut some gears.

I'm presenting this idea to my local hackerspace on Wednesday and I want to have something tangible to show rather than just the sketchup file. I think tomorrow I'll see if I can't make some 24" diameter gears to wrap around the bicycle rims.

edit 20230505: Updated project log title from "Prototype Failday" to something more fitting as we never fail, we only learn.  Also fixed a broken image link.