Construction
Assembling the Device
Step One
The first step was machining the new spacers and housing plates out of ordered and pre-existing materials. The work on the housing plates included drilling and tapping holes to mount the bearings and shaving excess material for better fit.
Step Two
The first thing to be assembled was the housing, leaving off the cap. The bearings were mounted on the outside of the plates, and adjusted after the shafts were inserted.
Step Three
The shafts were fed through the holes on one side of the housing, and the blades, gears, and spacers were slid onto the shafts. The components are retained in place by shaft collars and spacers. Then the shafts were slid through the other housing wall. The drive sprocket was fastened to the portion of the shaft that remains sticking out on the side of the motor.
Additional Parts
Some other parts were fabricated out of sheet metal after the device was assembled. These included a ramp for easier discharge of the shredded fibers, and guides for the incoming composite to lead it through the center of the blades.