Motorizing a Stuffer

[mulepackin]

Wondering if anyone here has ever done it. I have a gear reduction motor that I've used on my grinder. I think it is slow enough to work well on my stuffer which is an F. D***(nickname for Richard) 30 lb. model. I think I would really only have to make an elevated platform for the motor to get it at the head height of the stuffer, and have a shaft machined that would attach to the square shaft of the stuffer head, which I would then couple to the motor via a flex coupler just as I do on the grinder. Any thoughts are appreciated. Sometimes it would be nice to use both hands on the sausage and not have one tied up cranking.

 

[mossymo]

mulepackin
Thank you for posting the never ending question.

I have been wanting this for sometime now. Keeping both hands free for my sausage is my main objective.

I seriously hope someone has come up with a home modification to power their stuffer; and foot pedal operation like a sewing machine would be a great bonus !!!

 

[mulepackin]

I've got a foot pedal already wired into the grinder set-up. I think it would be fairly easy to do it with the particular style of motor I have, just as I described. With a standard motor, I'm sure you would have to devise a gear reduction system, and belts would slip, so direct gears or chain drive. I'm thinking a similar base as the grinder sits on, so the stuffer would be bolted to that, then a much more elevated motor platform.

 

[oneshot]

Here comes the bubble popping....The motor on a grinder will work because the grinder is designed to rotate continuosly, no problem.
Now with a stuffer, you have gears and a plunger that will stop at the bottom and that's the problem. When the plunger gets to the bottom and stops the motor will not and niether will the gears, resulting in stripped/broken teeth. The foot pedal control won't help because you can't see where the plunger is inside the stuffer. That is the reason Cabelas is discontinuing their motorized stuffers. I discovered all this while I was ordering the motorized stuffer from Cabelas. You can probably get a commercial grade motorized stuffer but I'll bet it will cost you a small fortune........

 

[mossymo]

To my knowledge The Sausage Maker still offers them - http://www.sausagemaker.com/52533mot...newdesign.aspx , pretty spendy though.

 

[fritz]

I would like to do this too. I wonder if you could adapt the motor from an outdoor grill rotissore (SP?)?

 

[travcoman45]

I spouse one could rig up a switch so when it gets close ta the bottom it would stop the motor. Ain't never thought much bout doin it but shouldn't be all that hard.

 

[mballi3011]

I'm thinking of the foot peddle to hooked up with a clutch or something of such so that the motor would stop with the plunger. But then again my shirt says commerical drywall on it and not mechanical engineer.

 

[miamirick]

i saw one on the porno channel but didnt get the motor size or cost!

 

[walle]

I'm all about building a better mouse trap, but I would have to contemplate the following:
1. By running it right out of the grinder, you would be limiting yourself to a one meat sausage (all pork, etc.). May have some consistency issues if making multi meat.
2. Would have to figure out the casings. It's been my experience that the spout holds about enough casing to run the batch, then it's reload casings, reload sausage. We use real casing, so this may not be an issue with some of the other stuff.

Maybe I need to research the motorized models. Just seems like a lot of headache to get around cranking a handle.

Please share what you end up building - ;o). If you're like me, you'll do it just to prove it can be done!
Tracey

 

[got14u]

Maybe a motor with some kind of clutch would work or a breaker at a certain load it will shut down....good luck

 

[beer-b-q]

Use a switch from a garage door opener that reverses when it encounters resistance...

 

[mossymo]

The resistance level would have to be adjustable cause it varies between summer sausage to ring sausage to meat sticks. The samller the stuffer tub the more resistance would be needed.

 

[got14u]

Ditto............

 

[mulepackin]

That's kind of what I was thinking. A limit switch that rides along the stuffer rod, when it goes below a certain level, the switch opens and power off. It wouldn't be all that tough to just keep an eye on the level as you proceed either. Anyway thank you all for your input. I agree that it may not be worth the effort to avoid cranking the handle. It's just the convenience of having both hands free to work on the casing and horn end. Guess thats what kids and friends are for. Walle, I'm not getting your concerns about limiting myself to one meat sausage or adding more casing to the horn by motorizing a stuffer.

 

[walle]

Mulepackin,
The grinder concern was a mis-read on my part - thought you were going straight into the casings from the grinder. We make our sausage, I guess it's really kielbasa, and use several meats, so I'm thinking that it wouldnt' be mixed very well. I'll slow down!
Second one - there's always a limit on the casings we can put on our stuffer, and you're either out of sausage, or out of casings.

Wasn't dis'en your thought process by any means, just trying to relate what you are thinking about back to ours. Like I said, I've not been around an automated stuffer, and am very interested in what you come up with.