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f350ca (07-19-2016)
Greg some of the controls are hand operated push buttons on the white box to my right. I am working slowly on having some of the functions voice controlled so I don't have to search for a pedal and therefore interrupt the actually shearing. And no the controls are not proportional. I used two Siemens PLC's to control the hydraulic valves. Most of the functions are just on off but the crate retract is more complicated with limit switches and such so I don't have to be bothered with holding a button to get the crate out of my way while I am getting the sheep fully restrained to shear.
You are right about it being difficult to build this machine as there was not much to go on regarding heights and distances. If I would build a second one many of the functions to adjust things would not need to be included. I now know how high and how much distance things would need to be to make the machine usable for general use.
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I just watched this again (several times) and can't believe I said something as sedate as 'nice work' in my earlier comment. Absolutely amazing work! I spent a bit of time in shearing sheds in my younger days and the way this handles the sheep is brilliant- even down to the simple, elegant restraint system for the forelegs. Makes more sense now also knowing that you have a system for catching the fleece for tossing. I'd say the pen at the front of the race is for a 'Judas' sheep, no?
When you get the voice controls happening, I want to see how they react to 'Baaa'.
Lathe (n); a machine tool used in the production of milling machine components.
Milling Machine (n); a machine tool used in the production of lathe components.
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Pete my biggest naysayers when I started on this project were men from Australia and New Zealand. They pretty much told me I was an idiot and would be laughed out of their countries, bla bla bla. But after not a long time they started to be my biggest cheerleaders! They had all done shearing and knew first hand how hard it was on the body. I am 64 years old with a bad back and two knees that need replaced. There is no way in hell I can shear more than a couple of sheep and not be flat on my back for a week. No exaggeration. Plus this project gave me an excuse to buy lots of tools and machines to do the work required to build it.
My wife has always told me I could fly a Scottish shearer in to shear my sheep and it would have saved me thousands of Euros/dollars. Or kill my sheep every year and buy new lambs for a lot less money than I have invested in this project. She just doesn't understand my obsession with getting a job done and not quitting. I admit I am a toolaholic.
And yes the sheep in the small pen is a decoy to lure the other sheep to come ahead!
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(07-18-2016, 03:42 PM)Black Forest Wrote: Someone on here asked me to post some pictures of my sheep shearing machine...
That was me and thanks for sharing. That was very interesting to watch and you must have a lot of time invested in that build. It is hard to actually imagine the starting point. I have this mental image of a lot of mutton dinners as the early versions were put through their paces before you go to this point but I'm sure that I just have an overactive imagination
(07-18-2016, 04:52 PM)Vinny Wrote: Wow, you work fast!
He must be from West Germany
(07-19-2016, 04:44 AM)Black Forest Wrote: Pete my biggest naysayers when I started on this project were men from Australia and New Zealand. They pretty much told me I was an idiot and would be laughed out of their countries, bla bla bla. But after not a long time they started to be my biggest cheerleaders!..
The New Zealander's would have been hooked by the foreleg restraints...
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Once again BF my hat is off to you. Hope I get the feeling of satisfaction when the processor is working that you must have had when you put the first sheep through this.
And what's this talk old man your only 64, I'm 60, and the pup on the alligator crew, the guys there are mostly in their 80's.
Thanks for sharing.
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Greg
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f350ca (07-19-2016)
Greg in a former life (job) my body got abused a lot. I thought I was superman and invulnerable! I am paying the price now.
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Can you picture the sheep thinking WTF?
Mike
SB 10K (1976) Rockwell vertical mill (1967) Rockwell 17" drill press (1946) Me (1949)
