help with home made plucker

[belibutn]

I was reading around and decided to build a plucker.

I got an old washing machine motor (from like 230 BC) that my father and grandfather converted into a sharpener about 30 years ago. We bought a 3inch diameter PVC pipe end cap from Home Depot, cut up some rubber bungee cords (the S hook end ones) into 3inch strips. We cot them down a little so we left nobs on the ends and then fed them through some hole we drilled into the end cap. They hold in well, it rotates great. It has 16 fingers on it.

OK, here is the annoying part:

We killed a chicken, rinsed all the nasty off it, scalded it, and took it to the plucker. All it seemed to do was make the feathers black, and pull a few out.

I tried it again with a scalded, un-rinsed bird to the same effect.

I tried it on a non rinsed, non scalded bird and it seemed to work better.


For some reason the fingers aren't grasping the feathers like I anticipated them doing.

Any suggestions? Am I not trying it long enough? Does it take a bit to get going, or what?

Here is an image of the plucker:

 

[belibutn]

Anyone, anything? I figured with the traffic on the other 'plucker threads' that there would be hundreds of replies by now. Come on, BYCers! Don't let me down!

 

[jaku]

I tried something similar and it didn't work either. Maybe try getting some actual Kent C-25 plucker fingers, which are made to grip and hold feathers, and have the correct stiffness to pluck them, rather than just brush over the bird. Those bungee cords are pretty smooth. If you want to keep them, maybe try giving them some texture/ribbing, so they look like a plucker finger. I'd imagine wet bungee cord pieces would just slip right over the feathers and not do much. I just built a Whizbang, and I'll be posting some pics soon. If you can afford a couple hundred bucks, it's a really nice invention!

 

[belibutn]

I'd like to build a whizbang, or even buy one of these puppies:

There are a few of those for sale on eBay right now.

Thanks for the tip on roughing up the fingers. I'll give that a try.

 

[ChickenTender63]

by the looks of your picture and the other ones that I have seen on here. you would think it would have worked pretty good.

I'm sorry I'm not much help here, as I haven't made it that far yet. But, when I do get ready for one, I am going to build the whizbang version because I plan on doing several hundred birds at a time and don't need to spend three years plucking.

I'm sure there will be plenty of replies tonight. Most of the guys are probably still at work.

I hope you get the answers you need, I will be watching as well.

Good luck!

 

[pdpatch]

try removing half of the rows of the fingers,

I recently made one and had 8 rows of fingers, it didn't work on the first try. The second time i used it I had only 4 rows of finger and it worked like a charm.

Also it matter which side ot the cup you hold the bird on. The one I made was attached to a cordless drill so i could change the direction of the rotation in relationship to the directions of the feathers. But to tell the truth I don't remember the exact details

Also the going wrong direction works well in removing those really fine hair like feathers (pin feathers).

I removed the rows of single fingers and it worked. I was so excited I forgot to get Photo's of it in action. But there were feathers flying every where. We also used on turkeys, it worked on all the feathers but the large tail and wing feathers.

Also on a cordless drill it will give you for arms a work out.

Tom

 

[belibutn]

Hmmm, awesome. Thanks. I'll give that a try tonight. We have a couple BIIIIIG roo's that are both trying to be on the top of the pecking order, and neither is backing down. So before they both destroy all their meat, I think it is time for me to step in and win the argument.

 

[eggonomist]

Something I have stored on a thread somewhere but can't for the life of me find it is the correct way to hold the chicken. I believe you need to go against the feathers, also I read that the longer fingers worked better than slightly shorter ones. The fingers should rotate toward you from the top and you should offer the bird feet first and it should sort of float on the fingers as they do there thing. If that does not work then maybe offer the bird head first.

 

[Wynette]

I know absolutley nothing about this, but I met with a fellow BYC-er this past weekend who had made his own plucker using parts from here and there...you may want to give Opa a PM and ask his advice. Just wanted to throw that out there!

 

[eggonomist]

Also speed may be a consideration, most motors spin at around 1,750 rpm, on a 3 inch pipe with 3 inch fingers it may still be going to fast. I chose my drill because it allows for full load rpm figuring out. If your going to fast you will just skid the fingers on the bird. Think about how fast you pull at the feathers with your hands, they come out quite easily without having to brush them quickly. I think the slower the better is probably the way to go.