Post Incising Machine Design

Hot and cold bath preservative treatment of tropical hardwood posts gave insufficient penetration in six of 13 species. Penetration after incising increased from 0.3 to 0.8 inches. On a 3-inch diameter post this results in 75 percent coverage of cross-sectional area instead of 35 Percent. Because no commercial machines were available a post incisor was built. Incising is done by five rows of “oyster knife” teeth in two curved drums. The lower drum is adjustable by air piston. Drum pressure up to 6,000 pounds can be varied by a pressure regulator on the air line. Foot pedal operation leaves hands free. A one horse electric motor provides a feed speed of 15 feet per minute through a gear reducer and chain drive. Posts 3.5 inches and less in diameter can be incised in two passes, larger in three passes. Eighteen-inch ground line incising takes 30 seconds. About 1,000 posts can be done in 8 hours at cost of 2 cents per post. Cost includes depreciation, electricity, operator, and handling. The cost of the machine is $1,900, including engineering drawings. The cost of air supply must be added if a source is not available.

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