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Tell us about yourself:“Telecom technician by day and welder/fabricator/inventor by night. I learned to weld in my teenage years and found it to be a valuable skill around the house and yard. I am always working on something new to make life or the house better. Usually, that involves welding...”
Slit seeding (also called slice seeding) involves a machine that cuts thin grooves into the ground, and then drops grass seed into them. Unlike overseeding (where grass seed is spread on top the lawn), slit seeding puts the grass seed in direct contact with the soil, giving it a better chance at germination. It’s usually the method reserved for lawns in need of a major makeover, or when starting a brand new lawn from scratch. Rob built his own slit seeder machine that looks like it will do the job quite nicely.
Great project, Rob! Thanks for sharing it with us!
What is it? Home-built gas powered slit seeder. Used for seeding, overseeding, or repairing a lawn.
What is the main power source for your project? (e.g. electric motor, gas engine etc.) A 5.5 HP Powerfist gas engine.
How do you control your project? (e.g. hydraulic control valve(s), electric switches etc.) Power transmission is with a pair of pulleys and an operator adjusted tension idler.
What components are used to perform the work for your project? (e.g. hydraulic cylinder(s), hydraulic motor(s), sprockets, pulleys etc.) Gas engine, pulleys, pillow block bearings, 1/8 in. aircraft cable, 3/4 in. threaded rod, 8 in. tires, drop seeder.
What design/build challenges were overcome? Building a driveshaft that could have 11 cutting blades evenly spaced 2 in. apart was tricky. To keep it simple I used 3/4 in. threaded rod as the drive shaft. Each cutting blade is made out of 1/8 in. x 2 in. flat bar cut into 6 in. lengths. A cutting edge was sharpened on opposing sides of the blade and in the middle of each blade there is a 3/4 in. hole that slides the blade over the threaded rod. Each blade gets sandwiched between two 3/4 in. nuts along with some Loctite. The threaded rod is suspended below the frame with two 3/4 in. pillow block bearings and is belt driven.
If you had to build it again, what would you do differently? The belt tensioner requires revisiting, as the cutting blades don't fully disengage when the clutch lever is released.
Which Princess Auto location do you visit most? Panet Rd in Winnipeg, MB