In modern life, farming is accompanied not only by growing crops, but also by raising and keeping livestock and birds. Indeed, many families dream of getting environmentally friendly products (meat, milk, eggs) on their site. However, in order for home breadwinners to be healthy and productive, a correctly composed diet, which involves ground feed, is very important.
Of course, there is no problem now to purchase the appropriate balanced feed in agricultural stores, but their cost will be much higher than the raw materials themselves (grain, corn, barley). Therefore, the owners of both farming and private households are constantly thinking about how to make a grain crusher with their own hands. Such a simple, self-made device in terms of functionality and performance is in no way inferior to industrial designs.
Appointment of grain crushers
The grain crusher is a technical unit, the use of which greatly simplifies the process of preparing pet food. Such food is obtained by grinding and crushing various agricultural crops to obtain a fine fraction, which is much better absorbed by the body of any animal. Obtained by crushers for grain for domestic use, crushed products increase the productivity of livestock, and also improves their reproductive functions.
Therefore, such devices are indispensable helpers for farmers who have a large number of livestock or birds.
The principle of operation of crushers
The work of the grain grinder is very similar to the action of a conventional coffee grinder used in everyday life, only in large volumes. After turning on the equipment in the electrical network, the engine is started. To avoid damage to the electric motor, it is necessary to scroll it for a while at idle to allow it to warm up a bit.
When the electric motor has gained speed corresponding to the technical requirements, the raw materials are filled for processing into a special receiving hopper. Then the grain enters the crushing chamber, where the cutting devices are installed. With the help of special knives rotating at high speed, the grinding of raw materials takes place.
The final step in the operation of a home grain crusher will be to sift the resulting fraction through a sieve of a certain diameter. It is the diameter of the holes of this device that determines the degree of grinding of the processed raw materials.
Types of crushing units
According to the method of action, self-made grain crushers are divided into several types. The main types of devices:
- Drum (hammer) crushers are used mainly to obtain products of medium or fine grinding. Grain crushing in such devices is carried out using rotating hammers mounted on the rotor of an electric motor.
- Home-made rotary crushers for grain produce raw materials by impact on the walls of the chamber body. Therefore, the working capacity must be made of high strength metal. Grinding products occurs until it spills through a sieve.
- Disk devices carry out grain crushing due to the rotation of the disks on which the shock elements are mounted. Wet raw materials may not be crushed, but only flattened, which is also used in the preparation of animal feed.
Making a grain crusher from a vacuum cleaner
If you have an old vacuum cleaner at home, then do not rush to throw it away. From this seemingly unnecessary unit, you can make a homemade grain crusher with your own hands. However, the vacuum cleaner itself is not needed, but an electric motor will be needed to make a small compact fixture.
In addition to the motor, the following materials will be required:
- a steel plate, which will be necessary for the manufacture of a cutting tool;
- a metal strip will be needed for the device of the working chamber;
- plywood sheet 10 mm thick;
- to supply the mixture you need a hopper with a shutter;
- sleeve, nuts and washers are required for mounting the entire structure.
Cutting element
The main working element of the grain crusher is a cutting knife, which performs grinding of grain, rotating at high speed. This part of the unit is made separately from a steel plate measuring 15 × 200 × 1.5 mm. In this case, the material must be selected with the highest strength indicators.
The shape of the tool can be selected independently. Some people prefer to make a knife in the form of a propeller or a flat plate with beveled corners. The look of the knife is easy to set with emery. Sharpening of the leading edges should be carried out in the direction of the axis of rotation.
To secure the knife in the middle of its plane, a hole is drilled corresponding to the shaft of the vacuum cleaner motor. The cutting tool is attached to the shaft with a nut connection.
Work chamber and sieve
Before you make a grain crusher with your own hands, you need to solve the issue of the functional use of the device. Therefore, you can use a finished sieve as a working chamber. But if you plan to grind not only cereals, but also vegetables, it is recommended to use a removable sieve. To make flour, the mesh is made small, but for chopping vegetables, you will have to install perforated discs with special large holes.
In the manufacture of home grain crushers, a removable working chamber is made of a metal sheet up to 60 mm wide and about 700 mm long. Such a blank is folded in the shape of a ring, and the edges are fastened with rivets or bolts. To install the sieve and fix the workpiece on the base, the lower edge is bent outward.
Assembly steps
After all the main parts of the mechanism are assembled, you can proceed with the installation of the structure. For this:
- From the plywood sheet, cut out the base of the grain crusher 300 × 300 mm in size.
- An electric motor is fixed to the base, while its working shaft should protrude 40 mm down.
- Set the working chamber.
- We fix the cutting tool on the motor shaft.
- We strengthen the hopper at the base through which the grain enters the working tank.
- From below we install a receiving hopper, or a bucket for collecting finished products.
The design is assembled and ready to go.
Washing machine crusher
A grain crusher made from an old washing machine is capable of grinding a large volume of raw materials, so its use is more appropriate in farms with a large livestock. The basis of such a design is better to take a cylindrical machine, in which the electric motor is located in the lower part of the unit. Such a machine, in principle, is almost a ready-made unit, only requiring a small modification.
For the normal operation of a homemade crusher, a second, additional electric motor must be installed in the machine. It is better to place it under the top cover of the unit. The motor is mounted on metal plates or corners.
Grain crushing is carried out by two cutting tools, one of which is installed on the top engine. The second knife is fixed directly to the motor of the washing machine. To increase productivity, the knives should rotate in opposite directions, and their planes should be located at an angle of 20-25 ° relative to each other.
A hole in the top cover is cut for loading raw materials. To reduce losses when filling grain, it is recommended to make a special box of tin with a wide neck.
To protect the auxiliary motor from dust, it must be closed with an empty can. A hole is cut in the side wall, near the lower engine, to remove the ground grain from the unit.
The principle of operation of such a device is largely similar to the operation of a household coffee grinder, so it makes no sense to dwell on this.
Homemade mill
The main working tool of any mill are millstones. It is by this principle that home-made electric mills are made, where the stator and rotor of the structure play the role of a millstone.
The case of such a device is structurally made in the form of a round box of metal with a diameter of 300-340 mm and a thickness of 5 mm. The stator is located below and has a small side, and on top of the device has a cover.
Inside the housing is the motor and the mill itself, which is mounted on the shaft of the unit, on which the rotor is also mounted. During rotation, the rotor is capable of speeds up to 3000 rpm.
The supply of raw materials is carried out through the hopper, which is installed on top of the housing.
Self-made rotor and stator
Before you make a grinder for grain mill type, it is necessary to prepare the main components of the structure.
The rotor is made of a metal sheet with a thickness of at least 3 mm. Having cut a circle with a diameter of 320 mm, draw a circle 20 mm smaller than the workpiece. Then we break it into 32 equal parts and drill holes. After we do it, I cut it with a hacksaw for metal from the edge of the workpiece to the mark. Bend the resulting strips. In the center of such a propeller, a sleeve 50 mm long and 30 mm in diameter is welded.
The next step will be the manufacture of the stator. Why, from a metal plate about 50 mm wide and 2 mm thick, the workpiece is bent around the circumference. It is placed in a container for pouring, and from one edge it is covered with a layer of aluminum to form a bowl. The bottom of the bowl is 4 mm thick. Then we make the workpiece ribbed by welding the stiffeners to the inside of the stator. In the center we make a hole for the shaft.
Before the construction works, the stator is mounted on the shaft, and then we strengthen the rotor on the key. The entire system is connected with a pin through the hole of the sleeve.
Simple grinder from grinder
The farmers came up with a hand saw with a rotating disc (grinder) a completely different application. After a little refinement, such a power tool began to be used as a homemade grain crusher.
The basis of the small design is solid plywood, on which all components of the device are mounted. In one of the holes, using the bracket and bolts, the grinder body is installed, and the other is necessary for the receiving hopper.
The saw blade must be replaced with a double-sided sharp knife, which serves as a tool for crushing.
With the help of bolts or screws, either a purchased mesh or a mesh of the required size made of an old colander is attached to the bottom of the base. The role of the hopper is any plastic container.
Home-made grain crushers, after a little refinement of unnecessary household appliances, can become an excellent alternative to industrial units, which are much more expensive both in price and in functionality can not always satisfy the needs of the owner. In a do-it-yourself device, it is easy to replace knives for grinding not only grain, but also potatoes or vegetables.