26Nov11
Today was interesting.
Gayly, from Olive Tree Projects, accompanied me to Port-Au-Prince.
We really only had one reason in going, and that was to pick up two dogs from the Destiny Village orphange to bring down to the Pierce’s new place in Jacmel. That all went mostly according to plan. The only exception was that, being saturday, we had to pass through a very busy street market in 3 or 4 small towns on the way. No big deal, just a little delayed in travel from each of them.
I think today Gayly just rode with me cause he didn’t have anything better to do.
However, he is becoming an apprentice for me in Jacmel. He speaks good english, and wants to learn electrical and plumbing. Plus, he already does welding. We’re working together on window bars for Dr. Pierce’s house, so it will be a good project to gauge where he is at. Either way, I am excited to have another set of hands working with me, and I am expecting he will become a close friend very quickly.
As an engineering project for someone back in the U.S., please look into this problem for me.
Olive Tree is collecting #1 and #2 plastic bottles for recycling. Some of them are simply being taken to PAP, but Sarah is asking about the possibility of “grinding” some of the materials down themselves to press into plastic lumber.
Based on quick research, it looks like a basic “granulator” or “shredder” for recycling plastics is a drum with a rotating shaft covered in blades. The bottom of the drum is screened to allow bits to fall through after they are properly ground.
Olive Tree is looking for something like this, but would like it to be manually powered. Hand crank (with proper leverage), or even a pedal system using a broken bicycle to power a chain drive system would be great.
Any takers to help with this project?
