# Monster grinder build



## Drawin Deadly (Jan 15, 2009)

Looks good but that flywheel looks awfully close to the feed on the grinder. Anyway to get some distance or a guard for it.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Drawin Deadly said:


> Looks good but that flywheel looks awfully close to the feed on the grinder. Anyway to get some distance or a guard for it.


Yes it is. I plan on making a shroud out of the same composite fiberglass panels the is used for the base and my processing table. The only thing you will see is the actual grinder and switches. I put it in bold lettering lol.


----------



## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

heavy duty grinder - should make easy work of a deer


----------



## Cotton-Eye (Oct 28, 2012)

I frickin love it! I want one!


----------



## madarchery (May 28, 2003)

Sound awesome. I wouldn't get to crazy on the shroud, I think we all still have common sense not to stick or fingers in moving parts.


----------



## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

Nice thread 
this is a worth while project but I'm wondering if you are actually saving any money?
That's not the driving factor for me I just like building things but I know it is for some.
I guess if you already have the motor you'll probably come out ahead.

Well OK, I'm a knuckle head I just looked it up and the medium small 9 lbs/min version is over $400.00 with the mega grinder capable of doing 22 lbs/min is 800.00 (at Cabelas)
so for the enterprising young fella this is definitely a bargain.


----------



## MattR_WI (Sep 27, 2012)

Very nice looking grinder.


----------



## bschiltz (Sep 27, 2011)

Here's a link I found to a place selling the Alfa hand grinder

http://www.culinarydepotinc.com/p-31353-alfa-32hfg-hand-food-chopper.aspx


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Parts from Zoro came in yesterday. Wow that was quick. Was a little worried having never heard of them. They had a B+ rating with BB. Hopefully pillow blocks come in from ebay by the weekend. Think I will skip orange army opener and get this bad boy running.


----------



## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

BB ratings are based on if you keep your dues up to date with the main BB office. Not much more!
Back to the grinder! Nice.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

The 10" pulley with 7/8 bore was too tight to fit on the worm gear shaft. Took it to a buddies and put it on a lathe. I used emery cloth to sand it down. I also used a barrel sanding bit in a drill on the 7/8 bore. It was actually quite a bit of work. The worm gear shaft is tapered and made to fit the d-shape on the hand crank. It is only tapered at the end(first 3/4") and then it's 15/16 or metric equivalent since its German made. I was going to order a 1" bore but thought it might have too much slop and wobble. With the set screw secured into the flat of the D-shape it probably would not matter much. You want it loose so the 10" pulley comes of easily and the worm gear slides out of the front of the grinder for cleaning. 

I lined all the pulleys/pillow blocks up in a more compact layout than the other build pictures I found. I ground the 1/2" shaft flat for the set screws on pulleys/pillow blocks. Took some rope and made makeshift belts to get rough lengths. I went to TS and bought the belts, put them on and marked hole layout. You just need to add for belt tension. I timed the rpm's and came up with 147. It ran great. Still a little fast so I might switch to the 5" instead of the 4". Now I need to get a switch and make the housing/shroud. There is a few extra holes from the first layout without the speed brake. Good place for a switch box to cover them up.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Switched the belt on the speed brake from the 4" to the 5" pulley and it brought the rpm's on the grinder down to about 105. I was shooting for 75 to 90 rpm's but I think it will be fine. I have not located a decent double pole switch for a reasonable price to be able to select forward and reverse. With the power this has, I really don't see a need for reverse so I'm just going to use an on/off switch. It runs smooth with a slight hum. The motor heats just a little but no more than usual. The big advantage of the pulley's over gear reduced motorized grinders is easy start up and less stress on the motor. It also has some give in the belts to reduce stress when big chunks are fed into it causing it to bog down. For the shroud/cover I am thinking of just building a box that sits over the moving parts with a U shape cutout to slide over the worm shaft between the big pulley and feed. The top of the box will cantilever/extend over the feed intake with a cutout and chute to fit over the feed intake. For the chute I plan on using 4" pvc pipe boiled and shaped into an oval.


----------



## ILBowHuntFreak (Mar 12, 2008)

Have you thought about going with a potentiometer or a something of the sort to regulate the speed of the motor.
Something like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Velleman-AC-M...428560&sr=8-2&keywords=AC+Motor+Speed+Control


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

ILBowHuntFreak said:


> Have you thought about going with a potentiometer or a something of the sort to regulate the speed of the motor.
> Something like this.
> http://www.amazon.com/Velleman-AC-M...428560&sr=8-2&keywords=AC+Motor+Speed+Control


In the 1 star review the guy said it was a voice changer lol. I have read about controllers that will reduce the rpm's but the motor needs a separate cooling sytem because the fins inside the motor won't keep it cool. I read up on this project for a year and always came back to the speed brake. A gear reduced motor will work but they are high dollar and still seem to burn up. Lathes, drill presses and other equipment have used pulley's to reduce speed for years so I figured that was the way to go. There isn't a whole lot of information out there on the web for projects like this.


----------



## wsbark01 (Feb 26, 2009)

Been watching this and decided to ******* it up a little. I have a 32# hand crank grinder and I didn't want to put anymore money into then i had to seeing as how I got it brand new for $7, yes that's right $7! So I went to the local hardware store with the part that hold the handle to the auger and left with a hex head blot and a few nuts and washers for $1.96. Came home and attached the hex head bolt with the nuts and washers to where the handle goes, then got out the ol' Dewalt 20 volt and went to town. This set up works like a charm and I can control the speed while my son drops pieces of meat into the hopper! So I now have an electric 32# grinder for a total of $9! Not to bad if I do say so!


----------



## jrdrees (Jun 12, 2010)

wsbark01 said:


> Been watching this and decided to ******* it up a little. I have a 32# hand crank grinder and I didn't want to put anymore money into then i had to seeing as how I got it brand new for $7, yes that's right $7! So I went to the local hardware store with the part that hold the handle to the auger and left with a hex head blot and a few nuts and washers for $1.96. Came home and attached the hex head bolt with the nuts and washers to where the handle goes, then got out the ol' Dewalt 20 volt and went to town. This set up works like a charm and I can control the speed while my son drops pieces of meat into the hopper! So I now have an electric 32# grinder for a total of $9! Not to bad if I do say so!


That's ingenuity!


----------



## 13bonatter69 (Dec 23, 2007)

you didnt build that.........thats the same grider they used in the movie fargo.....:wink:
Good job!!!!!


----------



## Pittstate23 (Dec 27, 2010)

You've,got me itching to make one


----------



## DarnYankee (Oct 24, 2007)

You have got to me a mechanical engineer for a living .... correct ? Great job.


----------



## whack&stack (Oct 15, 2007)

My fil has the same grinder and a 2hp motor and you can't drop meat in it fast enough works awesome


----------



## HOYTINIT (Aug 28, 2012)

ran it off the 5 hp briggs in the 70s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN6ALxu3O_M

@ 51.00 minutes


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Put a simple light switch on today with an outdoor switch cover.
















Built the housing. The top and sides come off for easy access, cleaning and diss-assembly.


































The angled blocks on the base are to hold the walls of the housing in place. They need adjusted slightly to line up housing and eliminate movement. Still working on ideas to attach top without screws through the surface where meat will be placed. I also need to come up with a chute and attaching it. Unfortunately the composite polyester fiberglass panels are hard to get adhesion to.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

I added a chute. Took a new 4" ID toilet flange, boiled it and gave it a oval shape. I had to trim some of the flange off. Traced it and cut out the hole. I ruffed the surfaces up with a grinder and glued it in place with Urathane caulk. Then I took the router and beveled it.








I really like how easy it is to dis-assemble and clean.








Gave it a run yesterday. It took 3" chunks no problem. Tried to push it to the limits by adding a big chunk of forearm with sinew. The pulley started slipping on the belt but I expected it would. I also over stuffed it with second grind and it bridged the worm gear and needed a push. Only thing left is figuring out how to attach top. I am thinking of trying a trying a couple straight pieces of 1/8 in aluminum that bolt to the switch sidewall and extend 1/4 in above. Then it should snap into place and I don't have to put any holes in the meat surface.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Made a couple aluminum latches from some scrap and knobs from an old router table I had lying around. I might add some ventilation holes and come up with a push rod but other than that I'm done.


----------



## TJK (Dec 2, 2010)

Rairdog said:


> Any tips would be appreciated. If anyone wants to run the numbers that would also be nice. Motor at 1750 rpms with an adjustable sheave set currently at 1 7/8 in. The speed brake step pulley is a 2,3,4,5 in. It will be able to go from 4 to 2 or any other combination. Then to the 10 pulley on the grinder. I am also looking for ideas on a meat tray to feed it safely.


Here is a link to a RPM calculator, It doesn't do multiple pulleys but you should be able to enter the Motor speed and pulley size and then the pulley being driven by the motor, right that number down (This number would be the RPM of the Jackshaft)and then start over and enter that number as the motor and then the jackshaft pulley and the grinder pulley to get the actual rpm.


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Very nice design. My layout is similar to that of the design from sausagemania.com. It works very well, easy to disassemble for cleaning also. Your setup is a very functional and it makes a smaller more compact layout. Where did you purchase the composite polyester fiberglass panels? I had built a unit cover out of fiberglass panels that I made. The unit cover flew off of my setup this fall when I was coming home from the cottage. I had the meat grinder in my trailer. I tried to find it but did not have any success. My fiberglass panels were thinner than the composite polyester fiberglass panels. I have enough of the thinner fiberglass panels left over to make a unit cover, however I am interested into possibly making a new unit cover out of composite polyester fiberglass panels. 
Thanks,
Raymond


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Rairdog said:


> I might add some ventilation holes and come up with a push rod but other than that I'm done.
> 
> I just thought about adding a couple of cooling fans from a desktop computer into my setup. It would be a good idea to add them inside the unit cover to bring in some cool air and also help in removing the hot air. It would be very easy to connect them into the wire connection of the motor also.
> Raymond


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

TJK said:


> Here is a link to a RPM calculator, It doesn't do multiple pulleys but you should be able to enter the Motor speed and pulley size and then the pulley being driven by the motor, right that number down (This number would be the RPM of the Jackshaft)and then start over and enter that number as the motor and then the jackshaft pulley and the grinder pulley to get the actual rpm.


I tried that calculator. The speed brake has some resistance in the pulleys blocks and seems to slow it down. I just timed the worm gear and came up with 105 +/-. The calcs were around 175 if I remember right.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Raymond 1 said:


> Very nice design. My layout is similar to that of the design from sausagemania.com. It works very well, easy to disassemble for cleaning also. Your setup is a very functional and it makes a smaller more compact layout. Where did you purchase the composite polyester fiberglass panels? I had built a unit cover out of fiberglass panels that I made. The unit cover flew off of my setup this fall when I was coming home from the cottage. I had the meat grinder in my trailer. I tried to find it but did not have any success. My fiberglass panels were thinner than the composite polyester fiberglass panels. I have enough of the thinner fiberglass panels left over to make a unit cover, however I am interested into possibly making a new unit cover out of composite polyester fiberglass panels.
> Thanks,
> Raymond


I had a bunch of the panels stacked up in the barn. The ole man is a plastics engineers so we have lots of stuff laying around. If I were to buy something I would go with ss 20 ga and fab a box. Everything for this project was laying around. I have about 90 bucks in pulleys and belts in the whole project.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Raymond 1 said:


> Rairdog said:
> 
> 
> > I might add some ventilation holes and come up with a push rod but other than that I'm done.
> ...


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Rairdog said:


> I had a bunch of the panels stacked up in the barn. The ole man is a plastics engineers so we have lots of stuff laying around. If I were to buy something I would go with ss 20 ga and fab a box. Everything for this project was laying around. I have about 90 bucks in pulleys and belts in the whole project.


I need to make another box unit anyway. I will have to save up some money to do it with SS 20 gauge. I am on a set income and it takes a while to get things. For now, I will make another unit out of my fiberglass panels. Thanks for the answers.
Raymond


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Hey Rairdog,
You are right about the cooling fans. I would not have remembered that until I would have smoked them fans, :smile:, thanks for the info. That is awesome of you offering some panels. That material makes a really good functional and sturdy cover unit. Would it be possible for you to find out what it would cost for the shipping? Could you check with USPS and then check with a Courier Service to determine what would be the cheapest cost to ship some panels to make a cover unit for my meat grinder? I would appreciate it very much.
Thanks,
Raymond


----------



## bigred04 (Aug 19, 2010)

I have a set up similar to this. I made a stuffing horn out of stainless. I stuff all my burger into 2lb. Packages that I order. I half the on off switch on mine but I added a foot pedal switch as well. It is much easier when you are stuffing burger into packages or stuffing summer sausage.


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Rairdog said:


> Raymond 1 said:
> 
> 
> > Computer fans are DC operated so you would need a converter. It really doesn't need cooling if you process at 40 deg +/-. I figure it will need cooling I bring it indoors to grind. If you were closer I would give you a 3'x5' panels which made the cover. They are heavy so shipping to CA would be costly if you were to cover the cost.
> ...


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

bigred04 said:


> I have a set up similar to this. I made a stuffing horn out of stainless. I stuff all my burger into 2lb. Packages that I order. I half the on off switch on mine but I added a foot pedal switch as well. It is much easier when you are stuffing burger into packages or stuffing summer sausage.


Hello bigred04,
They make an awesome electric meat grinder. Do you have any photos of your setup that you can post? What kind of foot pedal switch do you have and where did you purchase it? What was the cost of the foot pedal switch and how is it connected into the electrical connection of the meat grinder? Will a foot pedal from a sewing machine work, and if it does how would you connect it in the setup? Now you have me wondering about your meat grinder setup and how it works with the foot pedal switch. It should make the task of stuffing burger into packages or stuffing summer sausage a breeze. Any tips that on the subject will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Raymond


----------



## bigred04 (Aug 19, 2010)

I would imagine that yes it would work. The one I used was a commercial one I got from work. You can also purchase one thru Grainger or any electrical supply store for around 50 bucks. The way I hooked mine up was basically like a three way switch. I can use my regular switch if I am just grinding. If I wanna use the foot pedal I shut the regular switch off and use my foot pedal. I hope this helps.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

I thought about adding a foot switch if I come across one cheap or free.

@Raymond 1, just make sure the sewing foot pedal is 2 step ON/OFF and not variable with could burn the motor up. PM me the rough dimensions of your box. It would probably be cheaper and easier for me to precut the panels a little big so they could be stacked and shipped instead of a 3x5 panel which would probably get broke or chipped.


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Hello Rairdog,
I sent you a PM with the information that you requested. 
Thanks,
Raymond


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

bigred04 said:


> I have a set up similar to this. I made a stuffing horn out of stainless. I stuff all my burger into 2lb. Packages that I order. I half the on off switch on mine but I added a foot pedal switch as well. It is much easier when you are stuffing burger into packages or stuffing summer sausage.


Hey bigred04,
Have you any photos of your grinder with the stuffing horn on it that you made?
Thanks,
Raymond


----------



## ycastane (Jul 21, 2011)

Rairdog i have a question for you or anyone who knows for that matter. Why the pillow blocks and pulleys and gear brakes and whatnot? To bring down the rpms? Reason i ask is because i run a 1/4 HP 1725 RPM motor on my wet tumbler for reloading and with a 2" driving pulley to a 4" pulley the rpms come down below 100rpms so im just wondering the reason for the pillow blocks and so many pulleys. Thanks!!!

Definitely building myself one of these babies!!! Great thread by the way!!


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

ycastane said:


> Rairdog i have a question for you or anyone who knows for that matter. Why the pillow blocks and pulleys and gear brakes and whatnot? To bring down the rpms? Reason i ask is because i run a 1/4 HP 1725 RPM motor on my wet tumbler for reloading and with a 2" driving pulley to a 4" pulley the rpms come down below 100rpms so im just wondering the reason for the pillow blocks and so many pulleys. Thanks!!!
> 
> Definitely building myself one of these babies!!! Great thread by the way!!


Yes to bring the rpm's from 1725 to near 100 without stressing the motor. You answered your own question lol.


----------



## MissStalker (Nov 28, 2013)

:set1_applaud::set1_applaud::set1_applaud: I'm clapping like a ******ed seal here -- "grinding chunks of meat the size of your arm" -- LOVE!


----------



## TheRiverBottom (Nov 12, 2013)

Pretty cool. I'd be worried about the metal wearing and leaving shavings in the meat.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

TheRiverBottom said:


> Pretty cool. I'd be worried about the metal wearing and leaving shavings in the meat.


The front is supported by center hole in grinding plate. The back has a nylon bushing. The only place there is metal to metal is the support at grinding plate. I does leave a little black on your finger if you swipe your finger over the front stud of the worm gear but they all do unless you have a 10k Hobart with bearings built into the grinding plate.


----------



## Kramer588 (Mar 7, 2008)

So i'm working on building one of these and i just bought a LEM #32 grinder from Fleet Farm for less than $50 buck with free shipping, but i cant find anywhere how big the shaft is where the hand crank connects. I would like to find out so i can order a pulley for it before it arrives, im guessing it is a 1 inch but i would like to have some input before i order one.


----------



## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

going to make one too, what do you guys think about using a gear reduction direct drive instead of belts .. more power no belts ,


----------



## madarchery (May 28, 2003)

You will find the shaft to be tapered for the handcrank. I can't remember what it is right now but you will need to have it turned down at a machine shop or if you know someone with a wood lathe and carbide cutters. (I know its not the best way but it gets done - its how I did it DIY!)

I have a gear reduction motor and use a connector similar to this http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/475244600/JM1_55_aluminium_spider_spline_flexible.html


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Kramer588 said:


> So i'm working on building one of these and i just bought a LEM #32 grinder from Fleet Farm for less than $50 buck with free shipping, but i cant find anywhere how big the shaft is where the hand crank connects. I would like to find out so i can order a pulley for it before it arrives, im guessing it is a 1 inch but i would like to have some input before i order one.


Calipers


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

madarchery said:


> You will find the shaft to be tapered for the handcrank. I can't remember what it is right now but you will need to have it turned down at a machine shop or if you know someone with a wood lathe and carbide cutters. (I know its not the best way but it gets done - its how I did it DIY!)
> 
> I have a gear reduction motor and use a connector similar to this http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/475244600/JM1_55_aluminium_spider_spline_flexible.html


The shaft on mine was tapered on the end but not that far back. I was able to do most of it with a drum sander on the pulley and emery cloth on the shaft. It fit tight but I needed the pulley to slide off to pull worm gear for cleaning. 

I thought about gear reducers but they put a lot of drag on the motor and it doesn't spin fast enough for the cooling blades in the motor to work effectively. They are also costly unless you have the parts lying around.


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

Another tip. All my pulleys have set screws which will work loose after time or too much sinew. Use the blue locktite.


----------



## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

Somebody should make one with a chain saw motor just because!


----------



## madarchery (May 28, 2003)

ofashea said:


> Somebody should make one with a chain saw motor just because!


No need to build anything fancy. Freeze the meat, run the saw, and scrape it off the floor. DONE!


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Rairdog said:


> Another tip. All my pulleys have set screws which will work loose after time or too much sinew. Use the blue locktite.


So far I have never needed to use any Loctite, all my pulleys have set screws also and they have always stayed tight.
Thank you,
Raymond


----------



## Rairdog (Sep 7, 2012)

ofashea said:


> Somebody should make one with a chain saw motor just because!


I was thinking mini steam engine!


----------



## Raymond 1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Now that would be awesome. I would love to watch you build that.
Raymond


----------

