River-powered clay pounders GIF.
<video controls autoplay loop>
<source src="https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net/river_powered_clay_pounders.mp4" type="video/mp4">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
Printable View
River-powered clay pounders GIF.
<video controls autoplay loop>
<source src="https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net/river_powered_clay_pounders.mp4" type="video/mp4">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
Note that the beam has no enclosed bearings, only simple, unrestrained pivots. The recoil from the beam hitting the clay would probably destroy an enclosed bearing quickly. I'd love to think that these primitive engineers designed it that way but the reality is probably a clay mill farther up the river that has its bearings beaten into splinters. It's still an ingenious way to avoid the complexity and frictional losses of the conventional waterwheel turning a shaft with embedded lifters.
For some weird reason I thought of the inverse of the thermodynamic drinking bird toy instead of using a closed system with thermally sensitive fluid where the bird dips it's beak which causes the movement to continue
except here the design is so simple that once the weight of the water overcomes the weight of the hammer on the other end of the fulcrum it tips spilling the water.
Genius really when you consider as Marv pointed out the low friction and almost complete lack of any possibility of stiction until the pivot wore down
The Primitive Technology guy did a build of one of these recently. Also called a monjolo or kara-usu; an analog likely exists in many cultures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9TdoO2OVaA
I'm both lazy and a fisherman so this use of water power appeals to me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IarZQFsDAiM
Just goes to show that not everyone is in as much of a hurry as a 20 year old texting while putting on her makeup and eating an egg Mc Muffin while driving to work in heavy traffic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon
This guy will probably live longer than his female counter part would.
Now that's the way to fish no $50,000.00 500 hp bass boat with another $20,000.00 in fishing gear needed. Lots more fun watching it catch fish then drowning plastic worms any dayQuote:
Originally Posted by mklotz
The only folks that allowed to fish like this are the Indians in the North West region of the country, and then only for ceremonial reasons.
My understanding is that fish wheels are illegal in the contiguous US. However, In Alaska they are legal for all residents of the state who have obtained the relevant license...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramps43
Regulations - Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Interesting. Per that link, it looks like they're allowing 55 salmon for a 4-person household; certainly enough to justify building a wheel.
I wonder if a fish gutting machine is feasible to build. Here's an example of a commercial one on YouTube that shows the workings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwu84nBcz_o
Especially sensible when you consider that a whole village can build one wheel and use it in turn to take their limit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon
Judging from the video, an average catch rate of one fish per minute when they're running is conservative. If the run lasts a day, two dozen families could outfit themselves for winter.
I've read that salmon is so plentiful in Alaska that they feed sled dogs with them.
Why not go all the way and build a fish filleting machine as well
https://youtu.be/qJovYQA8ycY
then you could catch gut & fillet all in one place
then make cat food out of the leavings use the proceeds from the sales of the cat food to pay labor and utilities. you could just about feed whole villages for free LOL
Judging from the videos online, some of the commercial salmon gutting machines are also careful to preserve the roe.
Then after the filleting machine, you just slide those fillets into one of these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoGE1q2kAow
Now you see we have gone from pounding clay into powder to making me hungry the heck with it I think that I'll just go fishing.
now where did I leave my cane pole
The Alaskan laws say that the fish cannot be sold. They also admit that there is a flourishing black and barter market.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank S
I guessed there would probably some law against the selling of fish guts for cat food LOL
If you can't process an entire catch, you are wasting bait, time, fish, or efforts in producing helpful offspring.
Sled dogs benefit from the ultra protein compared to volume, caloric return, oils, digestibility, calcium, fatty0-3(?) protecting their skeletal mass and joints.
Long as they don't get wind of bagels, sliced onion, and cream cheese...IYKWIM
Great use of automation. just like in the fruit packing industry, size uniformity is the key to this operation. Its usefulness as a salmon gutter depends on the uniformity of the catch. I suppose with a wheel, you can grade for size and return the too bigs and too smalls to the water.