Hand corn sheller question

[nh8260]

I've got a McCormick Deering hand corn sheller (the 3 foot tall kind) that i want to put an electric motor on instead of having to crank it all the time. Does anyone know what horsepower and RPM motor i would need?

Also what is the best way of attaching it, i know the handle and large flywheel will have to be removed, but not sure what to do after that.

Thanks a bunch!!
 

[willie in mn]

1/4 horse motor should have plenty of power. 1725 rpm on the motor comes to mind.
count how many revs you turn the crank in a minute. have an assistant time you while you crank, or the other way around, have assistant turn the crank while you do the timing. 60-75 rpm sounds reasonable.
1725 (motor) divided by 75 (crank) = 23 to 1 reduction. might have to use a jackshaft & do the reduction in 2 steps.
now someone with better numbers can jump in & make adjustments to my thoughts.
Willie
 

[Dick2]

How much are you going to use the sheller? If it has any value as a collector's item, you will destroy the value by converting it to an electric motor.

If you don't reduce the speed down to the speed that it is normall cranked, it might just destroy itself real fast. There are no high speed bearings on that machine.
 

[Bret4207]

If you are going to do it, don't put your drive pulley right on the crank handle, run some sort of jackshaft so there are bearings taking the stress from the pulley and belt. The original design wouldn't be built to accomidate side pull/thrust. You'll wear the crank shaft or frame material out.
 

[Fergienewbee]

A JD sheller sold for 275 or 300 at a recent auction. It was in good shape and worked great.

Larry
 

[glennster]

my dad mounted an old steel car rim to the big flywheel, then used a 1/2 horse electric motor to run it. just used a regular v-belt.. made a bracket and mounted the motor on top of the sheller. worked real good. the belt ran in the center of the rim. you could get a weld a hub pulley from any farm store, or shoups sell them. and make your own pulley. about a 12 to 14 inch pulley with a 1750 rpm motor should be fine. i would leave the big fly wheel on.
 

[paul]

You'll need to keep the flywheel, it's needed.

Some shellers have a little pulley on thenm, looks cogged, but for a belt. Don't know the different brands enough.....

--->Paul
 

[gtractorfan]

Long ago my dad fixed his hand sheller with a motor and didn't have to alter anything permanently. He made a large wood pulley, no groove for the v-belt, and used hook bolts to attach it to the flywheel, then rigged a bracket for the motor, the motor had a small probably about an 1 1/2" pulley. I think it was a 1/3 horse. You had to let it keep up, putting in ears too fast slowed down the motor so a half horse would have been better. It was kind of fun to use.
 

[Berth 29 opinions]

Our hand corn sheller had a six inch pulley that was attached to the flywheel with j bolts.
 

[Tramway Guy]

We had one that had the v-belt riding right on the flywheel. Worked very well. 1/3 HP motor, I think.
 

[60 acre hillside]

My dad's cream separatot needed a crank speed of 60RPM. So you are right!@
 

[nh8260]

this thing has a round piece of metal that goes on the end of the flywheel shaft, it has teeth up in it, i think its to pull or push cobs. I might could run a v belt on it and mount a motor below it so the weight of the motor would keep the belt tight, think that would work? I'm trying to make it so i can put it back to hand crank easily if i ever need to.