Homemade Sausage Making

Duk, I watched several videos before choosing the design. I liked the T design because it is simpler than passing the tube thru the container where you have to find a way to prevent chips/shavings from entering the smoke tube - not so in the T design.

Basically any container will do. I was going to use a coffee can until I spotted the liqueur tin at a friend`s shop. It cost me a couple of bags of sandwich ham. The black pipe fittings are 3/4" - 5 to 6" for the outlet and 3 to 4" for the inlet, 2" for entry to the tin, plus a T. I used electric box lock nuts which, to my surprise, have pipe threads to connect the short nipple to the box lid.

I had some 1/4" brake line that I used for the air supply. It begins with a 1/4" brass barbed connector with the barbs ground off and epoxied in place. The plastic line connects the aquarium pump to the air intake. I centered the brake line in the 3/4" nipple with a drilled out wood dowel about 3" long. The brake line was epoxied into the dowel which was epoxied into the nipple. The air tube ends about an inch past the T and creates the venturi.

The 3 pipe fittings and plastic air supply line are all loose fit for ease of disassembly and cleaning.

I drilled 3 (only needed 2) 3/8" holes about 1/2" above the tin bottom. I made a sheet metal baffle that angles towards the air inlet holes so the shavings are falling toward the burning shavings.

I have a lot of cherry that I use for the shavings. I haven`t found an easy way to make chips out of it although I`m thinking about cutting it into thin strips, ganging them up and cutting them into chunks on the chop saw.

I still have to put it thru burn tests to see how long the burn will last and also to try adding some chips to the shavings.

Long story for a fairly simple project.

Phil

A sharp hatchet makes pretty good chips.

ssorllih wrote:A sharp hatchet makes pretty good chips.

Being a year younger than you Ross I should be able to swing the hatchet too! Maybe I'll use the block I used to use to support the chicken's stretched neck whilst I swung the hatchet. Better wipe the blood off it before using it again. Now wheres my file so I can sharpen it.

ssorllih wrote:I had a kickback fracture my thumb while I did have a good grip. I shudder to consider where that stick would have gone if it had flown free.

Being a union carpenter for 32 years I ran a 16" DeWalt radial arm saw on a number of jobs, the first time as a 90% apprentice taking over for a guy who cut off his thumb. From high school wood shop, to 32 years in the field, to working now in my garage, I am on high alert every time the switch to a table saw is turned on. You can never be too careful with one of those dammed things, any error with one is serious. RAY

Ray My Dad was always afraid of the band saw but not the circular saw. That circular saw will bite hard and fast. I once had a stick kick back and break my thumb.

All power tools... No! ...all TOOLS scare me. I've seen some ugly incidents with all of the above, plus others that are lots simpler. (Knife safety, anyone?) ...so, yeah, take it easy and be careful out there.

I've tinkered with sawdust, pellets (compressed sawdust), chips, chunks, and it seems to me that somewhere there's got to be a good answer for what will stay lit but not burn too fast. I finally settled on an Amazin' smoke generator and pellets, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't love to get the right size wood in my homemade venturi myself. I always had trouble keeping the wood lighted, though, or else had ash buildup, or...

So I hope you have solved the problem and can get a good burn. To be honest, two to three hours of smoke is plenty for most of my applications, but the AMAZIN' I bought delivers smoke for 8 hours on a full pellet charge. For once, over-smoking is a problem! ...so I stuffed a wad of copper wool into it, and set the length for however ong I need it, fill, light 'er up, and...

When I was a 75% apprentice at the age of 19 I whacked the tip of my left-hand middle finger off thinking I was a hot-shot, wedged the guard back on a skilsaw and paid the price. The doc took a watermelon scoop sized hunk of skin from my left forearm and grafted it onto my finger. wore a guard on that digit for a month. The tip of that finger was pretty darned sensitive for over fifteen years. looks and feels fine these days. Lessons learned the hard way seem to stick. I had a 1/2" kerf from a table saw kick back and completely penetrate a sheet of 5/8" gyp board one time from ten feet away. Had someone been standing in the way it would have been like being shot with a crossbow. Geez, I love being retired! RAY

Shuswap, Would love to see some up close picture of your design! If that's possible that would be great. Love to compare it to what I did to see if design changes would be adaptable to the one I made out of a pipe.
John

jbk101 wrote:Shuswap, Would love to see some up close picture of your design! If that's possible that would be great. Love to compare it to what I did to see if design changes would be adaptable to the one I made out of a pipe.
John

Ask and you shall receive. Don`t know why I resisted detail photos in the original post but here they are.

I have electric Bradley smoker(s), but the bisquettes can get very expensive (very)fast......so I made a venturi type unit too.
I threaded the top plate for the pipe. The copper tubing is press fit into the plug.

Gulyas, are those galvanized fittings? I was warned against using any galvanized. Yours is more presentable than mine

No, I used stainless steel, only the small pipe (tubing) is copper.

If I can find small stainless steel tubing, 3/16 or like 1/4 inch, (6 mm) or so, I'll replace it.

Note the smoker on the right side.
I love it so I had to show it!!!

Steve

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Steve, because of the loop made by the air hose I first thought I was looking at a converted percalator coffee pot. I've never seen one used for a smoke generator but it might be an easy conversion for any one thinking of making one. One of the features is opening the generator to place the chips and the coffee pot comes ready made for that.

It's actually an old can light housing.