Stuffer Score!

[mgwerks]

I was talking with my son the other day about cooking and smoking and such, and the topic of making sausage came up. I told him that I had bought a grinder, but wasn't happy with how it worked out using it as a stuffer. He told me that the seems to remember seeing something like that on a shelf under a bench in the old canning house out back, all covered with dust. At least he thought that's what it might be.

So about 2 hours later, he calls back and said he's been cleaning it up, and he thinks that was what it was. He sent me a picture and I about fell out. Sitting abandoned on that shelf was a Chop-Rite 35, about 50 years old! And they still make them, selling well even today.

Now for the odd part of the story. He lives with his mom and step-dad, and step-grandmother in the house step-GM and GPA built way back when. No telling what else might be out there. So I asked him to see if his grandmother would be interested in letting me use it. She says that she'll give it to me, if they get a little kickback in sausage occasionally. Now that's a deal!

Here's a pic of it as I received it. There were no stuffing tubes, or the tube retaining nut, but they are easily available. Now, to just save up money for that slicer...






I can't wait to get this cleaned up and going!


.

 

[smokeguy]

The pic is showing up as a red "X" for me?

Nice find though!!!

 

[DanMcG]

Great score!! can't wait to see the pic ( hint hint only a red X as mentioned already

)

 

[mgwerks]

Sorry - no red X any more.

 

[pineywoods]

Looks great that ought to get ya stuffing lots of sausage. Congrats

 

[uncle_lar]

nice score, what size is it ? do you know
I have an enterprise which is its predicessor I do believe
mines an 8 qt size and its works great

 

[rivet]

That's a good old-time, forever keeper- congratulations!

 

[desertlites]

nice find the son did-a great stuffer

 

[fire it up]

Great that she let you have it for some good eats in return. It's great that we are all involved in something that is so ancient, so delicious and so right that people are willing to barter for some good smoke.
There you go, I think I may have just fixed the economic crisis, do away with the dollar and trade in smoked meats. Not sure how that solved the "crisis" but PETA and the vegans would be pissed!

 

[mossymo]

mgwerks
Nice score and you are in business !!!

I had a couple old Enterprise's; a 4 and a 8 quart. Not much to go by except the base board behind yours, but it looks to be a 6 quart.....

If you ever decide to restore it, I took my 4 quart completely apart and a friend of mine who was a mechanic took everything to work with him and bead blasted everything to bare metal. It gave me a good starting point for repainting. I think if I would do it again I would look into powder coating it instead of painting as long as powder coat is food friendly; not painting the threaded shaft, interior of the gear, inside the tank or the under side of the press.

 

[kookie]

Great find....They are very good stuffers....................I have an 8qt one.............

 

[mgwerks]

Thanks all for the comments. Yes, it is an 8-qt stuffer, and yes, you can bet that they are going to get sausage from me on a regular basis!
As far as the condition, it will be completely disassembled and cleaned up. Rather than bead-blast it, I am planning on using electrolysis to get it to bare metal. I hadn't thought of powder-coating it, that's a great idea and so much more durable than paint.

I won't be able to start it immediately, but I think I'll document the efforts to bring it back to life.