Pennco Feeder

[Passthru]

###Well i started this feeder along time ago then set it aside and started camera building,i drug it back out yesterday and finished it today,it works great!!
###I used a 12hr clock(dumps twice a day,one hand)had to adjust the trigger to the point that its real sensitive but actuall will grab the dump when it comes back up,made tweaks with a file a couple times and it now works,ready for #2!!

[Bald Eagle]

Good goin, passthru. ###I was out at the farm today to check on things. ###One being my feeders and feed. ###The Pennco type feeder that I made is working great. ###But man I had to fine tune the heck out of it to get it to be reliable. ###As I promised, here are some pics for you guys. ###Let me know what you think.

http://community.webshots.com/album/29590976kOQJZcJhNq


(Edited by Bald Eagle at 1:22 am on Jan. 21, 2002)

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:34 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[kellyg]

And where did you get the plans????

[Bald Eagle]

For you guys with questions I suggest you go down the list a little ways to "home made deer feeders" posted by bowhunt1. ###This thread offers tons of good info. on these things. ###I think Jesse told us about the Pennco type feeder.

I also have a couple of the 4" PVC feeders but they allow the critters to pig-out too much.

I've noticed that if you set your feeders to offer just a little bit of food they're more effective. ###First the animals do not tend to get dependent on the feeder and they seem to like foraging for food better than gulping it down. ###Usually the dominant male will hog all the food he can and become dependent your food supply. ###The other animals in the area don't benifit much. ###Well, all except for the chipmonks, squirrels, coons, and other small dudes. ###They camp out at the feeders.

Go ahead and try to make one they're fun to work on.

[Passthru]

###Since i picked up all the sheet metal and bucket for free,my total is small,i payed $3.00 for the clock(regular clock,not the 24hr clock in the plans)and $1.00 for the spring,found the nuts and bolts around the house to mount it to bucket,a Rivet or 2 no cost from freind,a peice of scrap metal at work for counter weight(free)total cost is $4.00 :) got to love that,of course i do not count time for something i make for myself.
###I didnt understand the triger till i started putting all the parts together but then it hit me how it works.

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:34 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[Passthru]

he says that if the feeder is hung 15' high it dumps in a 3' circle and that a bucket should last a week.I have had mine hung up two days to make sure it works right and so far so good,when i hang it in the woods ill let you know how the corn spreads when it hits the ground.

[Arrowhead]

Passthru >> I was thinking about one of those dump feeders.

If you hang it in a tree that has limbs below the dumper, as the corn falls it's going to get bounced all over the limbs and maybe spread out a little farther.

Know what I mean?

[Passthru]

###ya,and i also thought about some kind of cone right under the dump to spread the feed.

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:34 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[Passthru]

###Im almost finished #2 if you would lioke to see this dump feeder in action pennco has a small clip of it dumping and filling here:http://www.pennco.com/ ###

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:34 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[Passthru]

###used a ruler and cardboard.it isnt easy but if you click on the drawings you can use your scroll to zoom in and see the writing better.

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:35 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[knothead]

i guess i am missing it all... i can make whip open the file so i can get plans...any suggestions???

[Dbworld]

I get the whip plans to work at work fine. ###At home they are on a tiny corner of my browser and I can't expand them so I can see them. ###So I tried printing from home and they printed fine even though they are only a small corner in my browser. ###

[Passthru]

###hmmmm works for me fine,guess i could make up some plans on paper and post them for you.

[knothead]

finialy got whip to work right.looks easier than building the cams.like the hopper plans but think i will try to make a simpler release mechinisim. also think i will try to enlarge it some, and add a spreading device(shaped like a spade hoe)if i come up with anything that works i post results.

[Passthru]

###If you are having trouble with the whip,i have the plans uploadedhere (http://community.webshots.com/user/passthruw)
###If you build it bigger i think the clock may not be able to trip the trigger.The trigger is really easy to make and get working.

[knothead]

PASSTHRU;
###have you experimented with a cam on the clock instead of the hands??and have you tryed the clocks from wal-mart craft dept?have you tryed to alter the whip plans any...if so what DOESENT work .
### ### ### thanks for your help

[Bald Eagle]

knothead - I tried a cam and I found that the action required to trigger a dump is more of a push to the right than a lift. ###A cam only lifts the trigger where an arm will actually move the top of the trigger to the right and this moves the bottom of the trigger to the left to release the hopper pin.

Does any of that make any sense? ###It's kind of hard to explain. ###A cam with a step in it would work but would be more difficult to make.

Maybe if you look at http://community.webshots.com/album/29590976kOQJZcJhNq it will help. ###I guess you just gotta touch it and fiddle with it to understand.

[knothead]

i see what you mean about the cam. i made one out of alluminum coil stock(vinyl siding trim) and it much to flexible. what guage galv sheet metal are you using. the design of the feeder is about as easy and simple as i could figure it can be. i dont see no way to change it that would make it easier to build. i do think the shorter the hands are the more torque you get. does this sound right to you?

[Passthru]

###The hands have to be short enough to allow the trigger to jump up over the hands,the trigger is pushed away from the dump whitch releases it,the force of the dump when it swings back up knocks the trigger back into place to catch the dump again,it will be on the opposite side of the clock hands this time,as the clock hand is at an angle not straight up and down (1:00 oclock)i start with the clock hands to long and shorten the a little at a time till they work.a cam would simply lift the trigger i think and would not work.
###Like i said earlier it dont make sense till you start putting it together and then it will all fall into place.
###The clock i used looks just like the one he shows but is a 12hr clock instead,walmart has them yes.
###I could have uploaded the whip plans but you would still need whip to veiw them,i just printed the plans out and scanned them,no alters,i am assumeing you can see the pictures on the pennco site.

[Bald Eagle]

For the clock arm I used a piece of 1/8" thick aluminum that I've been kicking around my shop floor for years. ###I found that the thickness was just right to grip the plastic clock shaft. ###I drilled a hole just a bit smaller than the clock shaft, then I used my exacto knife to SLOWLY trim away the alum. to increase the hole size until I achieved a good tight press fit. ###With soft alum. you can use the good ole trusty exacto knife to remove burrs, chamfer edges, and increase hole size. ###I don't know about you guys but my exacto knife has an apetite for human flesh. ###I used a small file to carefully adjust the length and shape of the tips of the alum. clock arm. ###It's pretty important to get the length correct for reliable triggering.

I'm glad someone brought up the length of the clock arm. ###I had to trim the length of the clock arms to get more torque. ###My little Wallyworld clock motor did not have enough horsepower to trip the trigger until I shortened the arm length. ###I also tried a small washer with one 3/16" long piece of piano wire soldered to it to act as a clock arm. ###This seemed to have lots of promise but I got ants-in-my-pants to get the feeder out in the woods and didn't perfect that yet.

Kind like passthru, I'm going to build another one and try all of my little tricks on the second one.

Did any of you guys have trouble with the spring? ###I think that was my biggest problem area. ###I tried several springs and it was very frustrating. ###As you can see in my pics - I had lots of spring holes in my trigger and none of them worked very well. ###My little counter weight balance arm workes perfect every time and goesn't require lots of adjustment. ###Less moving parts, too. ###Any comments?

[Passthru]

###my clock hand fits the clock really tight so i didnt have to glue it(the first clock i glued it all together LOL) my clock arm is less than 1/2" long for torgue.
###The spring:i cut the tab a little longer because it was too stiff,it has no pressure on it till its about to trip,i bent the tab toward the trigger till i had it just the right strength.
###My second trigger is not working,i change it around above the hook where the dump wire sits(thought id streamline it),it must have this part sticking out im guessing the wire hits just above the hook and lifts it above the clock arm and into place to catch the dump agian.
###I read the brand of clock on the back where the battery goes and it is made by Quartex,it is made by the same company that the plans call for,but in the 12hr version.
###Also i dont put the wire on the dump till very last,i line it up with the trigger then drill the hole and put in a small pop rivet,i have to take the rivet gun apart or unscrew it off the rivet.
###i about forgot,i use sheet metal like that used in heating duct for your home.

(Edited by Passthru at 6:11 am on Jan. 25, 2002)

[Passthru]

###This is where im at,I got my second feeder working.Now im onto the container to place it on,what im going to use is a galvanized steel trash can with lid going to make or buy a pully to put on the branch of a tree and hual up the trash can 15'.i cammo painted the trash can with flat white as a base color and put stripes it with flat black,this way it should help blend in with the sky as a background.
The trash can is about 30 gallon in size and will be heavy when full,im going to bolt on some 2' legs to hold it off the feeder when i let it down to refill it.
###Are you asking why not just use 5gal buckets? well they would be lighter but im unable to go refill them every few days,im hopeing this can will last a few weeks at a time between refills and i wont have to disturb the area.When i get it finished and hanging in the woods ill take some pictures and post them for you all.
###For those of you who have a feeder on tripods with the 50gal drum(dumb question inserted here)how do you refill them??

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:35 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[knobby]

(Edited by knobby at 9:35 pm on Feb. 17, 2002)

[Bald Eagle]

Good thinking knobby. ###I went out to the farm this past weekend and something got to my Pennco Homebrew. ###I don't have a clue what it was but whatever it was must have hung on the lip of the dump hopper. ###It is slightly bent open and the trigger pin is bent and all out of whack. ###I considered some type of skirt around the bottom of the bucket or some kind of guard but never did it.

Our squirrels are in the nest at this time of year but the coons are fat and sassy.

I'm getting a little discouraged with my Pennco Homebrew. ###Every time I think everything is looking good - something else goes wrong. ###It's great to make your own stuff and I'll never stop but when the excellent automatic feeders at BassPro are only $29 it's kind of hard to justify all the hassle. ###My two Kennco automatic feeders work great and have never given me any troubles. ###Every dawn and every dusk they spit out just the right amount of cracked corn without any hassle. ###Since I brought my Pennco Homebrew home for a re-do, I've discovered some rust on the trigger arm where the hopper pin slides into place. ###I'm wondering if the rust could get bad enough to interfere with the action/

By the way, I've learned that a very small amount of auotmatic feeding is better than a large portion. ###I've noticed that the deer and the turkey seem to prefer forraging for the corn rather than walking up to a pile. ###Maybe it's just their nature but I've wached them totally ignore a pile and nibble & scratch around the area. ###Also I want to limit their dependency on me as much as possible.

That's my $0.02 worth.

[Bald Eagle]

Man, I'm getting windy this morning.

Both of my store-bought feeders are on homemade tripods. ###Over the past 15 years I've determined that the tripod is the only way to go. ###I used to huff and puff and try to pull 100# up with a rope fall. ###Once I went to re-fill one and found the feeder on the ground all broken. ###One time the ice was pretty thick on the rope in one spot, the rope slipped, burnt through my el-cheapo glove and I still have a scar from the rope burn.

I use three 10 ft. pieces of 1" iron pipe. ###I fabricated a three pronged hook (kind of like an upsidedown ###trebble hook for fishing) and insert the pipes into each of the three hooks with the shaft and eye hanging down in the center. ###I put a pully up at the eye and route a small steel cable from the drum up through the pully and down to a boat trailer winch U-bolted to one of the tripod legs.

I know, (I can hear you now) it seems like a lot of junk out there in the woods but it sure makes life nicer. ###I put 100# of feed in each of the two drums and forget about them for at least a month. ###Also my feeders are pretty far back into the woods and I don't want to disturb the environment any moe than necessary.

Whew! ###Like Forest Gump says "that all I've got to say about that"

[Passthru]

###Maybe a little Vasoline on that trigger will help,i have not got mine in the woods yet but it has been ticking away on my back deck now for over a week without missing a lick.
###Little critters:i have thought of them and they can do amazing things,im hopeing that i can hang it far enough away from trees to keep them from jumping to the feeder,they could run down the rope but they would have to slide down a 20 gal can and then up underneath to grab the dump,dont see it happening,but then i havent tried to hoist a 20 gal can of corn up in the air yet either LOL,that would be why i asked about the tripod.
###i seen that Cabelas has a cage to go over the feeder to keep out the critters.

[Don]

I like to see some pics of you setup Bald Eagle if you can get some.

I like the way you have it setup. ###I like to limit my time in the areas I hunt also. ###Deer start avoiding it if you leave a lot of scent.

[knobby]

hahahaha ###good luck Passthru tryin to set it up where a squirrel cant get to it....they have amazing persistence and agility.

[Bald Eagle]

Hey guys, I just received a shipment of odds and ends stuff that I purchased from Harbor Freight Tools (http://www.harborfreight.com) and one of the things was a small 500# rope hoist. ###($6.99 ###item # 45076-OJHA) ###It looks like it would be perfect for lifting a feeder on a tree limb or tripod.

I use a couple of old boat trailer winches. One that I had laying around the barn and one I bought at a yard sale for $2.00.

[knobby]

hey... I am assuming the clock on these feeders doesnt get along well with water.... how did you guys go about waterproofing the clock motor?

[GWHunter]

Bald Eagle- I'm with ya on the spring situation, had a devil of a time getting the right spring just to jack with the tension forever.

I've got two of these out. One I put on a piece of 14" PVC pipe (free) and built a lid out of sheet metal. Also recessed the hopper up inside the bottom so that birds could'nt get to it. I hung it 30' off the ground from a pulley 40' up hoping to keep it less visible but someone told me they found it about a month later. Oh well. ###The other one I put on a 55 gal. drum and put a piece of pvc pipe on the bottom of the barrell to shroud it to.

I've had a problem with my barrell feeder getting water in it. It has a water-tight lid with the band you tighten with a big bolt. So I don't know it's leaking. My dad said it was condensation from the sun striking it during the day and cooling off at night. What do you guys think?

BTW I used a climbing stand to hang my pulley and my fourwheeler hoists it up fine. PVC pipe feeder 175 lbs. corn, Barrel feeder 325 lbs.

[Bald Eagle]

I'll bet your dad is right. ###With the temperature changes from night to sunlight AND the moisture from the corn in the barrel it's got to be condensation. ###I had a similar problem with one until I devised some little vent openings . ###I cut a series of 1/2" diameter holes around the top (about an inch or two down from the top). ###I took pieces rubber innertube and cemented a little "nose" shaped piece over each hole. ###It let the drum breathe but kept the rain out. ###I'm not sure if all the labor was worth it but the condensation problem went away.

Where did you find a 14" diameter PVC pipe? ###Man that would be great. ###Something that I found several years ago is a couple of plastic flour shipping containers. ###They are the best I've seen yet. ###They are round and look just like a plastic drywall pail on steroids. ###They are extra heavy duty and hold just under 100# of cracked corn. ###The best part is that they have a screw-on lid. ###The lids came with a large, soft O-ring for a gasket which was great until I encountered the condensation problem. ###I removed the gasket and found that with the gasket removed there are about fifty small holes exposed up under the overhang on the lid that lets the drum breath but keeps the rain and snow out. ###Too bad I can't find these containers anymore.

[GWHunter]

Well I guess he WAS right then. I wonder if a hole could be put in the top with screen over it and a house type vent cap put on?

The pipe, I found at work, it was what was leftover from a scrubber stack. I wish I knew where to get more its a real nice size for a feeder.

Oh just so somebody doesn't do what I did. I ordered 2 of those 6 pulley hoists 1000 lb. cap. from I don't remember where right now. But I got one for hanging my pipe feeder the other for whatever and went to Lowes and bought 200' of 1/4" rope so I could have enough to raise said feeder at least 25' off the ground. Don't try it - 1/4 rope slightly to big and causes too much drag and won't slip through all pulleys. Also you ever try to keep 200' of anything untangled.:mad-fumin-red:

[knobby]

webpage with the instructions been down for a couple days ###:-( and I only got mine 1/2 done ###lol

[GWHunter]

Knobby,
I don't know what you need exactly but try this old link I kept, couldn't get some of the pages to work until I downloaded WHIP again.

Hope this helps if not I may have some of the drawings printed out somewhere and I could try to scan them and e-mail them to you. Good luck!


http://cordoba.ns.itd.umich.edu/dwf/pennco-plans.htm

[gantley]

gee guys, at $32 why build one. ###buy it from http://www.pennco.com. ###i have 4 in service thruout the year. ###i have had them for 5 years now. ###3 are on 10 gallon steal trash cans that have a heavy duty bale on them. ###i use a rope to hang them from a limb. ###the trick is getting the rope over the limb...

take about 36 inches of rope and run thru the eye of your pulley. ###put you pulling rope thru the pulley and double it. ###next tie a heavy cord in the loop of rope on the pulley. ###tie a heavy weight on the other end of the cord. ###chunk weight over desired limb about 400' up the tree away from coons. ###ha ha. ###pull the cord and pulley over the limb back where you can grap the loop of rope. ###put the pulling rope thru the looped rope. ###remove the cord from the looped rope. ###pull the looped rope up around the limb. ###tuff to get down but hell of a lot easier to put up this way than climbing the tree.....

[Passthru]

gantley,
###Because it is much funner to make them myself,I now have 3 of them and i have $4.00 each in them.
###I put them on 6 gallon buckets,they hold 50 lbs of corn and last about 13-14 days between refills,The deer have actually bedded right there by my feeders waiting for them to dump.

[1BowHunter]

I have 4 of them in service and they cost less than $25.00 for them man this saveing and I am in for saving all the money I can why I visit this thread (Home Made Stuff ).
I think this is why you are here as well.
Build it yourself and save.
Good luck hunting and be carefull.