Cabela's Stuffer

[BigJohnT]

Just a thought could you add a shim between the disk and the shaft?

JT

[smokeitall]

Ok JT how about we take your 11lb stuffer and put a big pneumatic cylinder on it pushing on the piston.  For control we use a adjustable electronic proportional pressure control with a 0-10 VDC or 4-20mA signal hooked up to some sort of knob.  For example your stuffing some sausage and you turn up the signal to 8 VDC and get an output of 80 psi say on a 5" bore you get 1570 lbs of pressure (ok maybe a smaller cylinder) and when you want to slow down you crank the signal to 0.  For the retract we run full line pressure and use a flow control so it doesn't retract too fast.

What do you think?

SIA

[Quarlow]

How about the brake pot from a semi's airbrakes and a electric compressor. If you rig it with a 3 way valve you can put air pressure to the pot as needed and release pressure so it will stop pushing product out when you don't want anything to come out. I you got a small brake pot like an 18" it would not be to big and bulky. I have a 28" that I rebuilt back when they would still sell us the parts, but it might be to big for this. Someday I will find a use for it. Actually now that I think about it you would probably want something like a tailgate actuator from a dumptruck, it's the same thing just smaller.

[BigJohnT]

I do have a couple of linear slides left over  :o from a job...

John

[squirtthecat]

Don't they make electric actuators?  (not sure if that is the correct word?)

[HawkeyeSmokes]

Don't they make electric actuators?  (not sure if that is the correct word?)

They sure do make those!

Not sure how to make one that would backup to release the pressure when you stop so that the meat quits coming out the stuffer tube though.  ???

[BigJohnT]

Usually they are DC and you just change the + and - wires to reverse unless it is an AC one then you swap a different wire. The only drawback is the price on electric actuators. For 12" stroke and 500 lb force your looking at $500.

JT

[squirtthecat]

You could pick up a hydraulic cylinder at a farm auction for next to nothing..
Sanitation would be a issue, then.  ::)

[BigJohnT]

We just did some scrounging and came up with a couple of pneumatic cylinders to try out...

John

[smokeitall]

JT, I tried the snack sticks this morning now and they are a way better texture than I thought last night when I tried one hot off the smoker.  I will save a sample to bring with me, if I can keep these kids from eating it all for breakfast. 

You can tell my wifes out of town, for dinner last night we had a pound of bacon, ravioli's from a can, cake (made by my 14 year old), and what earned my the title of best cook ever from my 7 year old, bacon grease fried hot dogs...
SIA

[OU812]

Just a thought could you add a shim between the disk and the shaft?

JT

I have used a piece of foam but it dont last very long. Been thinkin about gettin another shaft but thats $90 now I'm thinkin about another piston sat in the stuffer then the original piston pushin the new one to the bottom, kinda like I was doin with the foam.

Sure would be nice to weld the area where the teeth were ground off back up and grind back into shape then cut the teeth back in. The weldin part would be easy but cuttin the teeth I'm still workin on.

[squirtthecat]

bacon grease fried hot dogs

Holy cow...

Something for tonight

[BigJohnT]

If you took your time with a 4 1/2 grinder and cut off wheels you could shape the tooth well enough.

JT

[BigJohnT]

Just a thought could you add a shim between the disk and the shaft?

JT

I have used a piece of foam but it dont last very long. Been thinkin about gettin another shaft but thats $90 now I'm thinkin about another piston sat in the stuffer then the original piston pushin the new one to the bottom, kinda like I was doin with the foam.

I was thinking more on the lines of a longer set screw with a metal spacer to position the piston lower but that might not work if you can't load the cannister...

JT

[OU812]

Just a thought could you add a shim between the disk and the shaft?

JT

I have used a piece of foam but it dont last very long. Been thinkin about gettin another shaft but thats $90 now I'm thinkin about another piston sat in the stuffer then the original piston pushin the new one to the bottom, kinda like I was doin with the foam.

I was thinking more on the lines of a longer set screw with a metal spacer to position the piston lower but that might not work if you can't load the cannister...

JT

Tried that idea and you are right, you cant get the canister on.