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Jun 01, 2023

Ogden employees create sandbagging machine out of spare parts

UTAH'S FLOOD WATCH May 10, 2023, 6:10 PM | Updated: May 11, 2023, 9:22 am BY SHELBY LOFTON KSLTV.com OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City employees have created their own sandbagging machine using pieces of

UTAH'S FLOOD WATCH

May 10, 2023, 6:10 PM | Updated: May 11, 2023, 9:22 am

BY SHELBY LOFTON

KSLTV.com

OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City employees have created their own sandbagging machine using pieces of playground equipment and scraps from buildings.

The idea came from an employee with Ogden’s Park and Cemetery Division. They work on the river a lot and use a lot of spare parts — a perfect combination for this project.

“I’ve always been a problem solver,” said longtime city employee Jacob Chadwick. “Our day to day is maintenance on park restrooms, playgrounds.”

Click here for all current and upcoming forecasts on Utah’s flooding and resources to protect your home.

His team makes repairs and maintains city grounds.

“We replace a broken slide,” he said. “Weeding the cemetery.”

Chadwick and his team brought this sandbagging machine to life.

It’s not in their job description, but they engineered it.

A northern Utah city has created its own sandbagging machine…made out of spare parts. 1 piece came from a park playground. See how it works and how many bags it can make it an hour…tonight at 6 @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Uf2dGor34a

— Shelby Lofton (@newswithShelby) May 10, 2023

“This came together very fast,” said Justin Anderson with Ogden Public Services.

“About three days,” Chadwick said.

And it’s fast.

“500 bags in an hour,” Anderson said.

A metal hopper sits on top.

“The top comes off and it goes right back together in less than 10 minutes,” Chadwick said.

The rotating table is a merry-go-round “that had went bad.”

Pipes and holes are measured to fit the perfect amount of sand.

“When you’re filling them with shovels, you get some that are really overfull, some that are under full,” Chadwick said.

At the bottom is an old axel from a Christmas village building.

Its stand is an old diesel exhaust fuel tank that Chadwick said was laying in their yard.

They haven’t needed to use it yet.

“It’s very comforting to know we’ve got that tool,” Anderson said. “We could take it from here and have it up in a location easily working in under an area.”

Sandbags on the spot made at a low cost.

“It’s pennies on the dollar for sure,” Chadwick said.

Next, the team has plans to paint the machine and put a logo on it.

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