# Homemade water powered sausage stuffer.



## teamteke

I have been a lurker here now for quite some time.  This forum is great and I have added much to my knowledge.  That being said, I have been making sausage and smoking meats and fish now over 35 years.  My equipment has been a mix of mostly odds and ends and some homemade devices.  It worked, but not all that well.  I was intrigued recently when I saw both a commercial and homemade water powered sausage stuffer on the internet.  Being a handy kind of guy I decided to build one.  Here is my story.













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__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-The most difficult part to make is the piston.  Others have used thick plastic cutting boards and thick sheet plastic but I went another direction using a 3" pvc glue cap.  The tube itself is a 4" pvc drain pipe.  Mine is 30" long and will hold about 15# of sausage.













P1010105.JPG



__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-The 3" glue cap will fit nicely inside of the 4" pipe.  I chose to turn the cap diameter down (I used a wood lathe) a little bit but I bet you could use it right out of the box.  Two grooves with square bottom corners need to be cut.  Again here I used my wood lathe and a faceplate jig to hold the cap concentric. I think you might be able to do this with a table saw also it you were careful and went slow.

I purchased the "O" rings off the internet. Cut these two grooves carefully for depth so the "O" rings seal inside the 4".  If you cut too deep the piston will not seal and water will pass through.













P1010103.JPG



__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-The top of the stuffer is another area that requires a little work.  I glued on a 4" pvc threaded adapter.  I also then purchased a 4" threaded plug.  The plug needs to have a hole drilled into to accept the drainpipe adapter commonly called a desanco fitting.  I used a 1 7/8" hole saw or Forstner bit for this.  I must be a snug fit so the desanko can be glued in.













P1010104.JPG



__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-Now you must glue another 4" glue cap to the oposite end.  This is for water in and water out.  Drill & tap two holes for a 3/4" pipe fittings.  I did not have a 3/4" pipe tap so I made one by using a 3/4" galvanized pipe nipple.  Just make 4 cuts around its perimeter with an abrasive cut-off blade and this will work for the soft pvc plastic.  Be sure to tap this square and straight.  I purchased inexpensive plastic garden hose on/off valves for this.













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__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-When you are ready, grease up the piston with some shortening like Crisco, assemble your in and out garden hose and fill the tube with your prepared sausage blend. I purchased a Lem sausage tube for snack sticks and also have other sized in plastic.













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__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013






-Bleed the air our of your stuffer first by running water in and have the exit port open.  Close all valves and put your casings unto the stuffer tube. Turn your garden hose on just a little where it is connected at the house.  If opened up this thing moved way too fast.  Now just crack open the plastic valve on your tube and start filling the casings.  Here is a tip...when you need to stop, first open the drain valve and then close the inlet.  This prevents the residual pressure from pushing more meat out the tube.  Parts for this stuffer run $30-40.













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__ Sep 4, 2013


















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__ Sep 4, 2013


















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__ teamteke
__ Sep 4, 2013


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## turnandburn

that is just awesome...you know i had this same idea the other day when looking at water stuffers...i told the wife, i bet i can make one of those..lol..she just gave me the look...haha. thanks for sharing.


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## smithmal

Thanks for the info and your pics.  They are very helpful.  From my research on making a DIY "Dakota" water stuffer it seams the hardest part is making the piston with the o-rings.  From what I've read, one can purchase a replacement piston directly from Dakota for $12 and it will fit fine within a 4" PVC pipe.  The catch is making sure your pipe is not deformed when you purchase it.

My ideal design would incorporate the following:

1.  A "watch" window within the PVC tube so that one can see the progress of the piston.  I haven't yet seen anyone incorporate this into their design and have no idea how to do it.  Purchasing clear PVC tubing is very expensive.  So much so that it's probably better to suck it up and just get a Dakota instead of building DIY version

2.  Incorporating a foot pedal for a "no hands" design.  Many have done this with a cheap solenoid and foot pedal

3.  Converting a water pressure to an air pressure model so that one it not tied to the sink.  You could an air pressure stuffer with either a small air compressor or canned CO2 air cylinders.  There is limited information out there on how this should be done.  I've read that using air pressure for packing is more difficult to control than water pressure.  Also, there is an inherent increase in danger due to air pressure unknowingly building up within the unit and exploding in your face.

smithmal


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## boykjo

Nice job..........................


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## reinhard

Fantastic job on the stuffer!!! stuff's real nice in that pic. Reinhard


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## shoneyboy

Thumbs Up great job ......


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## thole

Check out superior sausage stuffer's online


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## wade

Impressive engineering - looks great


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## timberjet

Thole said:


> Check out superior sausage stuffer online


ok, that is stuffer q-veiw right there.your link didn't work so I added it at the top


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## jockaneezer

Hey Smithmal, I'd say an air powered stuffer would be the best way to pebbledash your kitchen. If you want to be away from the sink, rig up a water pump with it's own resevoir tank like a bucket and stirrup pump.


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## dirtsailor2003

jockaneezer said:


> Hey Smithmal, I'd say an air powered stuffer would be the best way to pebbledash your kitchen. If you want to be away from the sink, rig up a water pump with it's own resevoir tank like a bucket and stirrup pump.



Add to that a foot pedal switch and you have a winning combo! Have you discharge hose lead back into the reservoir. Hmmm best make a run to The hardware store....


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## dirtsailor2003

TeamTeke said:


> I have been a lurker here now for quite some time.  This forum is great and I have added much to my knowledge.  That being said, I have been making sausage and smoking meats and fish now over 35 years.  My equipment has been a mix of mostly odds and ends and some homemade devices.  It worked, but not all that well.  I was intrigued recently when I saw both a commercial and homemade water powered sausage stuffer on the internet.  Being a handy kind of guy I decided to build one.  Here is my story.
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> -The most difficult part to make is the piston.  Others have used thick plastic cutting boards and thick sheet plastic but I went another direction using a 3" pvc glue cap.  The tube itself is a 4" pvc drain pipe.  Mine is 30" long and will hold about 15# of sausage.
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> -The 3" glue cap will fit nicely inside of the 4" pipe.  I chose to turn the cap diameter down (I used a wood lathe) a little bit but I bet you could use it right out of the box.  Two grooves with square bottom corners need to be cut.  Again here I used my wood lathe and a faceplate jig to hold the cap concentric. I think you might be able to do this with a table saw also it you were careful and went slow.
> I purchased the "O" rings off the internet. Cut these two grooves carefully for depth so the "O" rings seal inside the 4".  If you cut too deep the piston will not seal and water will pass through.
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> -The top of the stuffer is another area that requires a little work.  I glued on a 4" pvc threaded adapter.  I also then purchased a 4" threaded plug.  The plug needs to have a hole drilled into to accept the drainpipe adapter commonly called a desanco fitting.  I used a 1 7/8" hole saw or Forstner bit for this.  I must be a snug fit so the desanko can be glued in.
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> __ teamteke
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> -Now you must glue another 4" glue cap to the oposite end.  This is for water in and water out.  Drill & tap two holes for a 3/4" pipe fittings.  I did not have a 3/4" pipe tap so I made one by using a 3/4" galvanized pipe nipple.  Just make 4 cuts around its perimeter with an abrasive cut-off blade and this will work for the soft pvc plastic.  Be sure to tap this square and straight.  I purchased inexpensive plastic garden hose on/off valves for this.
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> __ teamteke
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> -When you are ready, grease up the piston with some shortening like Crisco, assemble your in and out garden hose and fill the tube with your prepared sausage blend. I purchased a Lem sausage tube for snack sticks and also have other sized in plastic.
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> -Bleed the air our of your stuffer first by running water in and have the exit port open.  Close all valves and put your casings unto the stuffer tube. Turn your garden hose on just a little where it is connected at the house.  If opened up this thing moved way too fast.  Now just crack open the plastic valve on your tube and start filling the casings.  Here is a tip...when you need to stop, first open the drain valve and then close the inlet.  This prevents the residual pressure from pushing more meat out the tube.  Parts for this stuffer run $30-40.
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Looks great what did you use for the stuffing tube?


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## sam1amm

nice job!! just wondering how you clean it after using it ? I am trying to build one where both ends unscrew. Also trying my hand with air like some others mentioned. I ran it up to 90 psi and everything held together. Need to make a piston for it. maybe a piece of oak. My son is in machine shop at vo-tech. maybe he can make me one. Does water from the tap have enough pressure to push sausage through it?


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## daveomak

sam1amm said:


> nice job!! just wondering how you clean it after using it ? I am trying to build one where both ends unscrew.* Also trying my hand with air like some others mentioned*. I ran it up to 90 psi and everything held together. Need to make a piston for it. maybe a piece of oak. My son is in machine shop at vo-tech. maybe he can make me one. Does water from the tap have enough pressure to push sausage through it?




Using compress air is NOT a good idea....  If something lets go, there will be shrapnel flying everywhere....    Please rethink that idea....   

Water is perfect as it does not compress and if a part lets go, it may only travel inches instead of yards when using a compressable material...


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## sam1amm

DaveOmak... Will take your advise... Don't need to create a bomb! Just don't know if tap pressure is enough to push sausage through the tube. If you have 15-20 lbs of tacky sausage you will get a lot of resistance.


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## daveomak

With 40 PSI water pressure, and a 3" diameter piston, that's 7 sq. in. at 40 PSI, that's 280 pounds pressure... It will work just fine...  has been working fine for years...


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## thole

Everything except the main cylinder on mine fits into a dishwasher.  The main cylinder  which holds up to 100#'s is simply wash with hot soapy water and rinsed. 

I agree with Dave, when PVC is used, the plastic can become brittle with age.  I have seen the remains of PVC stuffers that were operated with air and cannot imagine being near it when I explodes. With my unit being stainless steel, the rubber piston seal is designed to be the weakest link and the first thing to go if there is a malfunction.  Much safer.


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## baumer64

sam1amm said:


> DaveOmak... Will take your advise... Don't need to create a bomb! Just don't know if tap pressure is enough to push sausage through the tube. If you have 15-20 lbs of tacky sausage you will get a lot of resistance.


Yes, sink tap water pressure is more than enough. I have a Dakota stuffer and barely crack the intake to start the piston moving at a slow even pace.  The original white pvc stuffer was a pain not being able to see how close to to end you were.  The see through one is much better in that regard. After using the Dakota for 15 years, I got a 15# Kitchener vertical stuffer last year. I like the loading and clean up of the vertical much better.  The problem is the smallest stuffing tube is too big for snack stix casings.  I need to figure a solution for that in the next couple days.


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## brandonthompson

You have any dimensions on how deep you cut the slots for orings? Diameter thickness of o rings
 Thanks fellas


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## dcarch

I agree. Air pressure is not going to work because air can be compressed, water cannot.

You will not have any control with compressed air.

I have a caulking gun powered by an electric drill, that can be used to make a great stuffer.

dcarch


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## mike842

Looks like a great design and I plan to make one soon. For piston position: I intend to add neodymium magnets to the inside of the piston and use BBs or ball bearings on the outside to show where it is.


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## couger78

Nice job on the home-made stuffer!

I've had very good success in using homemade hypo stuffers as they do quick work when you have a large load to stuff.

I have two versions: one holds about 8 pounds; the other 13.

One of the advantages of 'building your own' is the ability to customize per your needs.

For large chubs, you can add on a larger nozzle to accommodate the larger casings...

This is the larger model— the big bazooka..













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__ couger78
__ Jul 21, 2016


















Krakow_stuffed_lg_zps8ead94d5.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jul 21, 2016






The smaller '8-pounder' — shown with the 'meat rammer' (lower right)—which allows tight compaction in the tube. A similarly shaped brush attachment which hooks to the hose allow for fast, efficient cleaning of the cannon afterwards.













KCannon_lazySus.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jul 21, 2016






The lazy susan allows for fast winding of the sausage as it comes out at a fairly rapid rate.













Kielbasa_fresh.jpg



__ couger78
__ Jul 21, 2016


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## BGKYSmoker

Nice work

Dave is right, stick to the water.

I have 2 Dakotah stuffers 4 sale if anyone interested.


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## Penguin

sam1amm said:


> DaveOmak... Will take your advise... Don't need to create a bomb! Just don't know if tap pressure is enough to push sausage through the tube. If you have 15-20 lbs of tacky sausage you will get a lot of resistance.


Aye so the fun part is that resistance. If you are using air the pressure builds up until it over comes the resistance. Once it breaks the static friction and the piston starts to move, the friction drops to about 1/3 of what it was. Combine that with the compressibility of air it's going to make sausage in a bit of a hurry. No doubt it can be controlled through devices, perhaps a foot peddle. I would caution against using air. I will give folks the benefit of the doubt in that they are probably sensible enough not to build a bomb. My issue with it is that the compressibility of air makes it hard to control. It may not pebble dash your kitchen but the first time it blows the casing off the tube you probably have a 3 foot slug of ground meat snaking itself across your counter, the dogs will be happy, your significant other maybe not so much.
 Water is much more controllable. Just some thoughts from an old oil patch engineer that has seen air turn things sideways too often. 
Been making sausage on and off since 1990, always used an attachment on the grinder to stuff em. It's possible but it's a royal pain in the posterior.  Build or buy a stuffer it will improve your satisfaction no end.


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