crazy? auger fed hopper idea!

Everyone, A couple months ago I looked at a 4 inch agriculture(corn, grain) auger with the intent on turning it into an auto coal feed from my basement(inside the coal bin)to the first floor where my stove is. Dont laugh yet... the auger if your not familiar rides inside a steel pipe and is available in different lengths. the auger is welded steel and I beleive sturdy enough to move rice coal upstairs. Im a machinist/welder in an electric motor repair shop and figured I could easily fabricate a base mount for inside the coal bin(yet to be built) and mount a small, low RPM gearmotor to the top of the auger for feed control. I would make some sort of chute at the top below the gearmotor to fill buckets or....stop laughing....even right into the hopper on the stove. So easy my wife could load the hopper when im working late. Gearmotors ,bearings and scrap steel are all readily available at work so my cost would be time(now im laughing) and a couple hundred for the lumber and auger. Please feel free to say what you really think I want to make it work and could use the input. Jim

I think it is a good idea, my only concern is will the auger be able to lift the weight of the coal? Most augers run on an angle, they won't lift straight up. If you do it right ,it should be a great way to move the coal.

Axeman-Anderson stoker boilers used an auger fed hopper. The auger was a different design though.

I have been toying with trying to find a 4" or 6" farm auger to use to automaticly empty my ash pan when I'm using the stoker. I could then have a much bigger ash collection box, and have 2-3days of automatic heat for the occasional weekend away.

If you have a link to the 4" auger supplies I'd like to look into it.

Greg L

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Greg, When I was seriously looking into it I just went to the local silo/agriculture supplier who has since auctioned everything off and in according to my google search just now has moved to Syracuse NY the company was called Empire Agrisystems but sorry no link... As my infant gets a little bigger and I can get to work on the idea again Im sure I can find another local ag supplier. Ill keep you informed

Thanks, there are usually a lot of farm auctions in the spring,, I hope to finds something that will work.

If I find a comercial source I'll post the link.. I haven't even 'googled' for it yet..

Greg L

LsFarm wrote:If you have a link to the 4" auger supplies I'd like to look into it.

I have one of those, with the tube & hopper. It is off a bentonite clay feeder. Interested? I scrapped a sludge dewatering machine and saved it. I was going to use it for the same thing, but changed my mind. I already have too much to do. I believe it to be just shy of 3' long.

Hi Coaled sweat, can you send me a photo?

I'll PM you my email address

Thanks, Greg