Rail and trolley system for kiln ideas

[Big J]

Just wanting to pick brains here.

 

In the coming months, I need to contruct a second kiln with a rail and trolley system. I have the best part of a thousand cubic foot of Oak beautifully stacked air drying, and I'll be damned if I'm unstacking them to restack them in the kiln!

 

So a rail and trolley system is required.

 

The difficulty is the weight of the timber. The plan is to get another 18-20ft box, which has the capacity to accommodate about 8-9 tonnes of boards (when green). I need to have a trolley that can take that weight, and then also some way of pushing that into the kiln. I have a forklift with a 2.5 tonne lift but I don't think that it will push that in.

 

Ideally the rail system protruding from the box would be detachable, as I don't really want 20ft of rails permanently sticking out into my yard.

 

Any ideas would be hugely appreciated!

[Rich2484]

Tried any old rail yards. See if you can get hold of any old dollys.

[treequip]

See this site (or other) for groved steel or cast wheels. They run well on angle iron which you can bolt to the floor of the kiln.

 

We made a trolley system that way to get stuff in and out of a blast cabinet.

 

If you can't push the trolley in with your FLT you can put a pulley at the blank end of the kiln and pull the trolley in that way

 

http://www.aut.co.uk/

Edited May 19, 2012 by treequip
Forgot the link

[agg221]

Given that the environment will be pretty corrosive it might be worth considering something fairly think section so it doesnt rot through too fast.

 

Although the main steelworks in Workington has shut, I think they still roll crane rails which go down to about 2" high, so fairly light and portable. They should also know which companies they supply to, who should have the matching wheels.

 

Alec

[wisewood]

This is the future

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6AAhTw7RA]Quantum Levitation - YouTube[/ame]

[Rob D]

Nice - mind you I'd like to see that disc go round the track with 8 tons of timber on it.

 

 

I reckon just the suggestions that have already been offered. Some way of stacking then pushing in with your forklift.

 

Or what about the roller beds that feed the big sawmills? - can take the weight, should be able to find second hand, little friction.... they'd have to be customised though..... maybe two lengths in parallel.

[openspaceman]

 

 

I reckon just the suggestions that have already been offered. Some way of stacking then pushing in with your forklift.

 

Yes

Or what about the roller beds that feed the big sawmills? - can take the weight, should be able to find second hand, little friction..

 

Less easy to service and height becomes an issue as debris builds up between the rollers. I prefer rails and a lift out section for the door to close. I've wanted to try a system with cheap home made flanges wheels and scaffold pole rails.

[farmer rod]

If you use a couple of say 6 x 3 channels on the floor, u side up, I would go for forklift rollers, 4 of them would easliy put up with 8 tonne, just have to keep the channels free of debris, with a couple of removable extensions so you can close the door

[agrimog]

theres a lot of narrow gauge rail stuff kicking about on various sites, the wheels are really small dia and there designed to carry very heavy loads, this could be an option, another one I remember from my distant past was a u section rail set in the floor, and a set of skates that fitted in, you could pump them up similar to a pallet truck to manouver loads along the tracks, these thing , when used as a pair would shift about 10 tons at a time

[delabodge]

how about a collapsable kiln? build it round your stack of timber? not sure how feesable ,but sounds easier?