Plastic Pellet Mill updates

 I re-visited the plastic pellet mill project again.  I checked my records, to see this has been a on and off again 5 year saga.

This time, I pulled the motor off, added belt, pulley, and jackshaft to slow it down by half.

Moderate success. 

Except my die is really large hole size.  I dont know where the smaller die went after the move, so I had to order a new one.  -----update found the die-----

I really just need the purpose built machine, but lacking the funds, I make things do with this.

The machine mod, was rather creative.  The motor and coupler  is 28mm but I only have 1 inch round shafting, bearings, and pulley.

So I built up one end of the shaft for the coupler by welding beads on it, then sending to the machine shop, turn it down to 28mm, and cut a keyway.  It fit perfect.

I had a stock bore 28mm 3 inch pulley in inventory, so that went on the motor. A 1 inch stock bore 6 inch pulley went on the shafting.  With 2 slightly used belts, we was cookin.   Belt is tensioned by putting the motor mount on 2 barrel gate hinges.

The coop is below:

update...  Kinda....  It is not hot enough, so adding the 2 rollers that was removed in previous experiment.

It works!  But I need to add in a stir bar and adjust the cutting blade to be shorter.  It only fed well when someone stirred if vigorously with a plastic stick.  I also added in powdered charcoal for coloring and to make it not quite so thin when melted.