My homade threshing machine

[luca]

I made it for sunflowers worked better than I expected.
I took a old gas clothes dryer and cut the sheet metal off the side.
Then cut grooves (large enough for seeds to fall thru) in the drum with the angle grinder parallel to the paddles that grab the clothes.
I lay it sideways on top of two saw horse's, put a tarp under it to catch the seeds throw in the sunflower heads with a couple of softball sized rocks. Set the dryer control to Sunflower and watch the seeds fall to the tarp. You have to remove the lint screen and route the vent back to you're tarp. I fill it pretty full and it takes about 30 minutes per load. Sorry no pics.

 

[pickstock]

can we get some photos??

im planning on making my thresher out of an old washing machine, already has the holes in it which are just the right size for peas and maybe other grains, then will have to clean them but easy done

good job

 

[DaveOmak]

luca, PICTURES!!
PLEASE!!

Ingenious builds should be documented. Dave

 

[luca]

It is tarped up and under 20 in of snow but I will post some pic's when the weather ease's up. Just imagine a dryer with no sheet metal on one side.
I think you could do different grains. The blower that all dryer's have really move's the chaff and some of the smaller seed's. I had to remove the lint filter as it would plug up with the sunflower seed's. that's why i directed the vent back to my tarp or a bucket. The paddle's catch the seeds so thats where i cut my groove's. One of my buddy's who has farmed all his life was impressed how well it worked. The flower's need to be good and dry.
Also I had to add a latch for the door beacuse the rocks would knock it open.

 

[pickstock]

this needs to be documented!!
not just for us who cant afford or dont want to buy a big one but need one, but more for people like ol mcdonald, he cant get them where he is and this could be a very big thing!!
cheers

 

[OldMcDonald]

pickstock, I have not forgotten this thread or the other one (posting there next) just need to talk things over with my co-planner on the ideas put forward. He is the technical man, I am the peasant. Watch the other thread for our responses.