Need help with a DIY meat grinder project.......

[student]

Here's my materials...

1/2 hp motor

3450 rpm

#22 Meat grinder with ball bearing crank and a 13" pulley

5" pulley

1 3/4" pulley

2 3/4" pulley

36" v belt

48" v belt

Ideally I use one pulley on the motor and the 13" pulley on the grinder. If this isn't possible because of the high rpm out put of the motor, I would be able to use what I think is called a speed brake using two pillow blocks and two different sized pulleys.

I would like to use the materials I have to keep additional costs down.

Anyone feel like helping me out with this endeavor?

[Eelpout08]

What kind of rpm are you trying to get at the grinder?

With the 13" pulley on the grinder and:

5" on the motor = 1326 rpm

2.75" on the motor = 729 rpm

1.75" on the motor = 464 rpm

if that is still too fast you will have to put a jackshaft in like you were talking about with the pillow blocks.

with the 1.75" on the motor to the 5" on the jackshaft then the 2.75 on the jackshaft to the 13" on the grinder you would get about 255 rpm.

*Disclaimer- its early on a saturday so you may want to double-check my math.

[student]

Ideal RPMs fpor this set up is closer to 80 RPMs.

When I was screwing around with different pulleys on the motor I put the 5" pulley on hte motorwith the 13" pulley on the grinder. I thought the thing was going to spin itself into orbit. Should have realized the 5" pulley was going to increae the speed of the 13" not decrease it.

[student]

Anyone know of a way to get a cheap used electric motor that runs at about 1750 rpm's? Anything I can scrap one out of? I really don't feel the need to buy one new and I don't think I will be able to cleanly make the one I have work becasue the RPM's are so high.

[Eelpout08]

older furnaces with belted fans will have motors around that rpm. you could try an HVAC contractor or metal salvage yard. or you can take the two or three that are in my garage.

[TooTallTom]

If you haven't already, think about including a switch. I don't like to work the plug with my hands covered in meat, so I rigged a household light switch (the big flat panel kind) to control the power. I can just bump the grinder on and off with my elbow.

[Surface Tension]

Good tip on the switch.

Looks like you have it figured out as to motor and reduction.

Curious if your going to mount to the grinder so it'll be easy to take off for cleaning purposes?

You can do that by not bolting it down and instead, slide the grinder into a receiver with stop blocks.

[norm25]

Does anyone have any pictures of their grinding rigs? Seems like it would be helpful for those of us looking to build a grinding/stuffing platform.

Thanks,

Erik

[student]

I put mine together over the weekend. I ended up going to an antique shop and bartered for a 1/2 hp motor off a compressor. This one runs at 1750 rpms and is much closer to the 80 to 100 rpms that I am trying to reach. I'll take a picture of the set up tonight and post some pictures.

I tried to count the rpms on the new set up and it is between 180 and 200 right now. Moving too fast in my opinion. Stil looking at doing the pillow block speed brake, just need to find a used one somewhere.

I have seen pictures on the web where people have covered the motor and pulleys for ease of clean up and protection from fingers. Going to look at doing that. The grinder itself will be mounted with wing nuts for easy removal and I plan to use a hard wood base .