Hand corn sheller

I know a guy that has to get rid of maybe 100 (??) bushels of corn on the cob every year starting now.   Rather than scrap it, he wondered if i want it.. I feed birds and squirrels all year round, so wonder what it would take to shell the corn. I see a small sheller on internet ( several venders, same sheller) for $60- 100.  It is manual crank, but says there is a pulley on the handle to use a small motor.  Im wondering if anyone has used on of these, or has a better idea for shelling.. Im not trying to make money or do it real quick.. He just needs to get rid of it and thought if it dont cost too much, i might make a small project of it.... dont see too many "antiques" for a reasonable price, and not sure if your buying something that is already worn out ?? ......... Ideas ?

Edited by steve(ill) - 27 Oct 2022 at 9:22pm

Well, its not my ARMS that need the exercise !!    ............ yea, i dont need an ANTIQUE Expensive one... just something that works. All of the "NEW" ones seem to be the same thing with 10 different names.. Probably all come from the same China factory.

That will work for your needs, just slow! I bought 2 old ones here for $17. and they are in excellent condition. The trick is finding them!

steve(ill) wrote: well, i bought one of the China units in the original post. Has a 10 inch pulley on it. I have a 1150 rpm motor with a 1.5 inch pulley so i connected it up to see how it works ( did not test manually, maybe i should have... Figuring the  crank is turning 170 rpm or 3 revolutions per second.. Does not do as good as i expected... does not PULL the cob into the machine... tried to adjust the spring loaded side wall.... dont seem to help a lot... some ears only get 60% of the corn off.... I only tried 12 ears... not a long term test yet.... Corn has been stored in a 55 gallon drum with the husk on it. Just took off today on a dozen ears.. Problems would be caused by turning too fast, or corn being too wet ??   I looked on you- tube and try to count the "revolutions per second" on the videos.. Seems like most are turing 1-2 revolutions per second.. that would be 60 - 120 RPM .... ?? Ideas ?

 

Yeah, those shellers want to run in the 'hand-operated' speed range, so you want it at about 45-80 rpm.  A jackshaft with second reduction stage 2:1 would do it.

Steve, I've got's 1 up in my haymow. I took a motor off an old Maytag Washing wringer type machine, bolted it to a 1x6 board, took a piece of twine and measured the length of belt needed. I got's the V belt from NAPA and went to shelling corn. Yep a little slow but it worked for her sheep. I was picking corn with a 227 JD picker on my WD 45, used snow fence for a corn crib. I shelled corn off of 10 acres with that darn thing. I sure was glad when she got rid of them sheep.

I have a 1/8 HP motor with a  angle drive gear box that output is 36 rpm... It has a 6 inch pulley on it.. I think it came off an old hospital bed 40 years ago... I think i will take the 10 inch pulley off the sheller and put a 3 inch pulley on it.. I have the pulley already.. That should be 6  to 3 pulley ratio so the sheller should run about 72 rpm.

GEES.... i feed the little ones all summer, and starting in Dec, the Blue Jays, Cardinal, Wood peckers, Doves and everyone else shows up EVERY DAY.... During the "peak season" i go thru 2-3 pounds per day !  They love it !

Edited by steve(ill) - 17 Nov 2022 at 9:16am

Uhhh Steve, you could save a little more by not burning the sucks and using them like my daddy did. 

Central Illinois has lucked out... They keep saying SNOW... but it hits the Mississippi River and then turns NORTH to Chitcago or SOUTH to St Louis..... I think old Shammers likes me !!