Skate Water Riser

We have water well on our summer cottage place. The water level has become over 10 meters so the vacuum pump is not enough (Bernoulli law in action). Diameter of well is about 100 mm and we have no electricity but the water is needed for our plants. We try to use a bucket with a valve but it is too heavy to raise the water (about 6 kg) in up direction many times a day. I thought about how to change our force direction - from "rise" to "pull" (it is much easier for our spine). The simplest solution is to use a mechanical block. How to make it?

I remembered about my old skateboard with a good mechanical part but a broken rubber wheels (Oh time, time, time ...).

We have two ready supports (with bearings!) and it remains to add only a roller. Because we use a jute rope (for water rising) the roller need to be made of appropriate material - I think that plastic is good for it. So I made a roller using a two pieces of plastic water pipes (and added rubber amortization between them).

See details about this project in fusion360 gallery.

See video about this project.

Tools:

• hacksaw
• rasp
• sandpaper
• drill set (d = 7, 8, 9 mm)
• screw driver
• wrench set or bits
• pliers
• ruler
• pencil

Materials:

• old skateboard (with suspension brackets, )
• wooden board (360x160x30 mm)
• plastic tube (L = 125 mm, D = 28 mm, t = 3 mm)
• plastic tube (L = 125 mm, D = 60 mm, t = 4 mm)
• rectangle piece of rubber (130x300 mm, t = 2 mm)
• bolt (d = 7, L = 90 mm), 2 items
• nut (d = 7 mm), 2 items
• washer (8 mm), 2 items
• bolt (d = 5 mm, L = 38 mm), 8 items
• nut (d = 5 mm), 8 items
• washer (d = 6 mm), 8 items
• wooden board-washers (120x45x25 mm), 2 items
• piece of wire (L = 500 mm)

See details about this project in fusion360 gallery.

Base first of all. Measure the flange of the well and put appropriate sketch on the wooden board. Cut the contour with the groove for the bucket motion.

Next we need to prepare the roller. I have had a piece of plastic water pipe which inside diameter is the same as outside diameter of the bearing on skate board suspension brackets. So I have trimmed this pipe for appropriate length - distance between suspension brackets. Because of a small outside diameter of a pipe I have had to add another plastic pipe of a large diameter (~ 60 mm). I have assembled two pipes concentric each other by putting a piece of rubber between them.

We need to measure position of suspension brackets on base (keeping in mind the length of a roller). Then drill the holes in the base (four holes for each suspension bracket, diameter is about 7 mm).

Next we need to find position for the holes for mounting base to the flange of well. Drill these two holes (diameter is about 8 mm) in the base.

We need to make washers to easy fix of the base to a flange. I have made these two parts using wooden bar because of a large size of existing buttonholes on a flange of well.

I have made winding with a wire to prevent side motion of the roller on bearings (not a 'pretty' solution but reliable). Put the roller on suspension brackets and mount construction to the base using bolt connection.

Mount device to a flange of the well using to 'long' bolts (d = 7, L = 90 mm).

Put the bucket into the well, wrap the rope around the roller and let it to fall to a water level (roller rotate with a high speed at this time!). When the bucket will be full start to pull the rope passing on roller. Select a convenient angle of the rope for this process according to your height.

See details about this project in fusion360 gallery.