Building a small scale thresher

[OldMcDonald]

Many, many thanks Chad. I knew somebody had to have some ideas - the half scale ones sound quite fascinating. Is there anywhere you know of where I could look up some pictures? I am not going to rush it, because the first crop I am likely to want to thresh will be oats this time next year (one of my neighbours was threshing his current crop with a flail yesterday). I have seen a combine harvester about 100 miles away where farms are bigger, two in fact, but that is a long way to bring a contractor!!

I do see the straw walkers as a problem and might opt for a hand feed idea of only letting the heads be pulled off so that the straw does not go through. I know they do that in India and China but the "feeder" person needs to be guarded against being pulled in with the heads. Should not be too difficult to arrange. I also think I will go for pto power otherwise I need help to operate it. Old McDonald.

[Spiffy]

Might try a google search, but most of the ones I know of were built by guys who I doubt have much interest in the internet. Also these machines are scaled replicas so the number of moving parts is probably much more than you need.

However, I did snap a couple pictures of my Case machine this weekend. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Spiffy]

Taken from on top of the cylinder, I still think you'd be fine with just beater bars instead of toothed.

[Spiffy]

Close up of a concave, I think have it set with 3 concaves.

[Spiffy]

Wide view of concave; 32 inches wide. Thus, 32 inch machine; actually 32 X 48 [or is the separator end 44", dang absent mind...].

[Spiffy]

Immediately behind the cylinder is the primary sieve, if you made this long enough and wide enough [and fed slow enough], I don't think you'd need straw walkers.

[Spiffy]

The round thing in the sieve picure is neither the cylinder or anything related to it. I'm sure somebody is going to poke fun at me for not knowing the name, but it only helps direct the output from the cylinder, I really don't think your machine needs one. Again, I'm thinking you just need a really large [in both dimensions] primary seive to simplify much of your needs.

I'm thinking if you build the output side of the cylinder really high, wide, and long, it may make the rest simple. Then you can "funnel" the rest of the machine down into one or two smaller sieves and a fan.

Also, that 32 inch machine was considered pretty respectable in its day. A lot larger ones [and smaller ones too] were made, but this thing could keep four people pitching continously. Been over 5 years since I had it out, but I love watching city folk try to keep up with it [I don't laugh out loud to anyone though; you never know who was once a "country boy" and remembers how to slug a machine {make the cylinder bind}] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[OldMcDonald]

Thanks again. What you say makes a lot of sense. I do believe in keeping things simple. I am not really into being a "do gooder" but some of my neighbours would have a much easier life if I could make some of these simple implements, and either lend them round (probably means me and my tractor too as donkeys have little pulling power) or let them copy it for themselves. They make such good agua-ardente (fiery water) around here from their grapes that I would be well repaid, and if they had more spare time they could make more agua-ardente. My present project - a 2 row corn drill from scrap materials ( a self set limit of €100 or about $70)and using my scarifier as a frame needs to be finished very quickly, and we are in the midst of haymaking (contractor baled some today) so time is precious and the weather is hot. Cold Portuguese beer helps a lot in the afternoons though, and I do enjoy a Guinness or two when I am finished at nights! Old McDonald.

[zbeckerd]

here are some pictures of a build it yourself thresher. Plans are available from
Intermidate Techonology Publications
9 King St
London WC2E 8HN England
They also have plans for many low tech rural implements.

[zbeckerd]

Another Picture.
Putting a box with differing screens(depending on size of grain) under it makes winnowing much easher.