Walton’s package, 16, 19, 21mm casings, going to experiment.

[cdherman]

When i researched stuffers, I read that the vertical stuffers with a 90 deg bend were harder to stuff into small casings. So I bought the 7 liter horizontal Vevor copy of some more standard stuffer. Manual. Its OK. The 10mm tube works for 17 and 19. Have not tried 16. I bought a LOOONG 10mm tube from Smokehouse Chef I think. And it was that strange 2" size that I have to figure out a solution to use in my 2-1/8" stuffer. Ironic OP had the reverse problem.

I wanted the long tube so I could stuff a full 15 lbs of sticks into one length of casing. I tie them off and hang them and the less beginning and ends the better.

For little stuff, I think you also need to pay attention to water content. Still learning about that. My last batch was too stiff. I was beat, getting arm and hand cramps at last after cranking with 20-40 lbs of pressure for an hour!!! More water next time!

[Dave in AZ]

cdherman doh, I just about ordered that 2" base 10" long tube from Smokehouse Chef like 10 min ago! At $33 I decided to live with the 7" one I already have and ground to fit. But I did find a 2" base and 12.7mm outer diam, i.e. half inch, tube from them I DID just order! Virtually all the tubes are the 2-1/8" or 54mm base, except that nice long one!

Got another few packages coming! As I just pulled the trigger on stuff for a drying chamber: Inkbird wifi temp controller, power relay for it, Inkbird humidity controller, Apera bluetooth pH meter, dehumidifier, computer fan with variable speed control.

Also got a few stainless tubes 12mm and 13mm, 19mm; some tube cleaning brushes; and some Encapsulated Citric Acid from Eldons, since Walton’s is out.

My wife just walked in to query me on my Amazon charges, I told her it was “for My Sausage, which you love, Baby!” She shook her head and walked out mumbling about finding something to buy for herself, so… I’m good, I guess!

[cdherman]

I got the 2" base to work in my 2 1/8" stuffer with a home made gasket made out of old inner tube. Works, but requires a little fiddling when screwing things together. Not sure its worth the trouble. But it is nice sliding a whole stick of casing on and cranking out 27 feet of sticks.

[Jamieson22]

cdherman Yeah I trigger clamp my stuffer onto the corner of my island in 3 spots. Counter is granite. There are times the effort to crank makes me worried I may crack my counter.

Is there a large (15lb+) stuffer that could handle a 10mm tube AND is reasonable in price/weight for a hobbyist?

[cdherman]

I paid a little over $100 for my 7 liter Vevor (chinese copy, well made). That was a year ago. I like it, but since its manual, it makes for a 2 person job. If the mix is too thick, it will not stuff well. A little more water. Waltons recipe for snack sticks says to double the water for manual stuffers.

[Jamieson22]

cdherman I’ve been trying to reduce water and last batch was 25lb pork shoulder and 16oz water. Sure that is why even with a 13mm tube into 21mm casings it was hard to crank. Though my stuffer is manual and I generally make sausage solo.

[Dave in AZ]

Jamieson22 that’s the problem always with stuffers. So many of them specifically state they can’t be used with 10mm tubes, usually because they have plastic gears that can’t stand up to the pressure. I looked at L*M line, all the ones I wanted couldn’t do it. Had to go to a 5lb one, or their 30 lb electric. All the Hanna and Vevor ones on Amazon, and their clones, have tons of bad reviews on breakage with any sort of demand upon them.

I saw this same model I have but with a red painted top end, over at the Sausage Maker… if their piston disc is 2 or 3/8 thicker on bottom it would be great. And really, I think it will be easy for me to cut a disc from a plastic cutting board, slip it in there under the piston, and have it all work good.

I haven’t looked at Walton’s line much. But it looks a lot like Hanna stuff… all these things are made in China and sold under numerous rebranding. You just have to find if the place you’re buying from has spec’d out the better options on their version.

[cdherman]

My Vevor 7 liter horizontal came with a 10mm tube. Bout 6" long. And it has nice machined metal gears. Checked with a magnet. Not potmetal, but steel. The piston is either cast aluminum or potmetal. My only worry is the seal around the piston. It will get old eventually, and there are no parts from Vevor. But it looks like a carbon copy, sizewise, of a L*M.

The piston is cupped to match the end of the tube. Leave only a little residue in the nozzel where the tube attaches. Probably 1 oz or 2 oz waste out of 15 lbs.

[processhead]

cdherman said in Walton’s package, 16, 19, 21mm casings, going to experiment.:

My Vevor 7 liter horizontal came with a 10mm tube. Bout 6" long. And it has nice machined metal gears. Checked with a magnet. Not potmetal, but steel. The piston is either cast aluminum or potmetal. My only worry is the seal around the piston. It will get old eventually, and there are no parts from Vevor. But it looks like a carbon copy, sizewise, of a L*M.

The piston is cupped to match the end of the tube. Leave only a little residue in the nozzel where the tube attaches. Probably 1 oz or 2 oz waste out of 15 lbs.

Is the piston seal a round profile like an O ring, or some other shape?

[cdherman]

No, it got a lip. Kind of hard to describe. Think of an “H” on its side with one of the arms tipped up. Now, it came installed with the tipped up arm/lip to the BACK, which meant it kind of leaked a little along the way. Not much.

But then I figured out how to reverse the seal, so the lip was really sealing. You have to really baby the piston in, by turning it (I keep it partially unthreaded) and using your finger to start the seal. But once I figured that out, man, perfect seal. I mean NO meat escapes except the little bit left at the end.

I’m also amazed that even with thick sausage, somehow or the other most of the air escapes via the air valve. I do try and “throw” handfuls of sausage into the stuffer so that they kind of splat at the bottom. Trying to work out the air bubbles in advance.

[processhead]

cdherman
It sounds pretty effective. Would be nice to have a backup gasket if it were to break.
My old machines don’t have any gasket per se.
I did turn a tight fitting round piece of poly from a cutting board on the lathe to go under the cast iron piston and it does a surprisingly good job of stopping the blowby.

[Dave in AZ]

cdherman I wouldn’t mind seeing a picture of that stuffer and wierd gasket, sounds interesting!
processhead It’s surprising this pretty simple hydraulic based machine, a stuffer, hasn’t been perfected… area ratios for a 10mm tube ability, simple gearing, lever arm to drive it easily, seal, minimum wastage by making piston hump insert into exit tube. I mean I look at mine, and with a lathe I could greatly improve it. It just amazes me that with a lever, gears, and hydraulic area ratios all in play, some of these stuffers won’t drive a 10mm tube!

[calldoctoday]

processhead I have heard about those horizontal PVC water pressure powered stuffers in the past made from PVC pipe & considered making one several times. However, when I thought about it, I thought that perhaps the stainless steel vertical stuffer is better for part time users as I thought the stainless steel may be more sanitary. Plastics can pick up the smells & tastes of the materials they are in contact with & sometimes that can be hard to remove. You remember when back in the late 70’s they tried putting liquor in plastic bottles more & the taste was just off. Re-using plastics etc., no matter how well you clean them, sometimes has an after smell, etc. I am curious to anyone else’s thoughts on it though.

[processhead]

Dave in AZ said in Walton’s package, 16, 19, 21mm casings, going to experiment.:

cdherman I wouldn’t mind seeing a picture of that stuffer and wierd gasket, sounds interesting!
processhead It’s surprising this pretty simple hydraulic based machine, a stuffer, hasn’t been perfected… area ratios for a 10mm tube ability, simple gearing, lever arm to drive it easily, seal, minimum wastage by making piston hump insert into exit tube. I mean I look at mine, and with a lathe I could greatly improve it. It just amazes me that with a lever, gears, and hydraulic area ratios all in play, some of these stuffers won’t drive a 10mm tube!

This was my solution to the leverage issue on a couple of my stuffers. It works really well.

[Dave in AZ]

That looks like it can generate some torque!

[processhead]

Dave in AZ said in Walton’s package, 16, 19, 21mm casings, going to experiment.:

That looks like it can generate some torque!

It does. It means smaller helpers like my wife or daughter can get it on the processing fun.