June 26, 2020 - 4:01am
Old Dough Divider - Help Please!
So I just picked this up off the side of the road yesterday... it was a great deal so I couldn't pass it up. But this thing will barely move at all! Has anyone here had a good experience cleaning one of these up and bringing back to life? I am also hoping someone might be able to ID the brand, there is nothing on it besides an old 800 number (I will try calling). Here is a pic of the back side too:
Thank you all!
OKP
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Mark Sinclair, from Sinclair's Bakery (mcs on tfl) is using a machine like this! He cna probaly help you!
https://www.facebook.com/SinclairsBakery/photos/a.758277720936273/2610669035697123/?type=3&theater
I see signs of rust. That is enough to slow anything down.
I have two suggestions. One is a product that can loosens up rusted bolts and is used by mechanics. SUPER LUBE, Multi-purpose synthetic lubricant with Syncolon (PTFE). It comes in a spray can, like WD40.
It is a super lubricant and anti-corrosion. (I have personally sprayed rusted nuts and bolts that I couldn't get apart. A few hours or the next day, they came apart!)
Second suggestion is:
BARKEEPER'S FRIEND, it does NOT contain silica, (sand, like in scouring powder). It contains OXALIC ACID, will safely polish stainless steel, taking off discolorations, rust, crusted deposits of lime scale and more.
It is safe for many, many surfaces indoors and out., including fiberglass tub and showers.
I wouId see where the rusted areas are and spray those first. Be sure it is unplugged, Super Lube is flammable.
Then, try moving it by hand, so you can feel any areas it binds.
Use Bar Keepers Friend in areas you could reach and for the final clean and polish. It cleans stainless copper bottom pans - to a "knock your eyes out" shine!
I hope these suggestions give you some help with your old machine. If it never runs... You still have a great conversation piece, to use as a unique fruit bowl, will a wonderful story!
Best of luck!
Cindy
Have never seen one, or used one, but have taken apart, and mostly put together rusted machinery in the past. First , take as many photos as you can, and if you don't get some advice from someone who knows better, get a bunch of plastic bags, and starting taking it apart piece by piece, and put the related fasteners in labeled bags. It is tough a long time later to put something together and have a few parts that you don't know where they go. I am with Cindy in that your biggest challenge will be getting it to move freely. Superlube may work, though give it plenty of time, and you may also have to go to a stronger solution - such as Kroil or a DIY mix of 50% acetone to 50% ATF, though of course you will need to do lots of cleaning after wards before you put it to use around dough. You may also find you need some gentle persuasion - clamps, or even straps with a ratchet may help, and for things that are really stubborn and all else fails, heat from a torch can help loosen things up. As Cindy says, once you get it apart, BarKeepers Friend will be a good friend , then when it is looking good, go with a food safe lubricant. Nice find and it will probably look great once it is done.
We just got one similar to this and cannot seem to get the blade to come down. We are thinking maybe there is old dough stuck in there not letting it move.
Thanks in Advance!
385FDD9E-0F1B-4260-9AFB-5737AB02A45D.jpeg
https://www.oliverquality.com/bakery-equipment/product/dough-divider-623-16n-and-36n
Mine wasn’t seized up, but I did need to dismantle it all to scrub some rust and clean some wayward grease. I also painted the frame. The manual shows the different parts, and I found it was fairly straightforward to take apart so long as you keep track of how it all fits together. The most annoying part was realizing the main column connects to the blades with four pins that need to be punched out. I used a hammer and a 5mm Allen wrench. If you need anything, give me a shout!
Oh, and food-grade lube was the finishing touch (as opposed to whatever inedible grease the previous owner had lathered on, which caused me to take it apart in the first place ;))
I know this is old and not quite the same, but I'm having difficulties getting the knifehead assembly to remove from the center of my Erika Record SemiAuto Divider/Rounder. After reading numerous manuals and seeing a few videos, it appears I need to use a 6mm Allen Wrench to loosen some bolt/nut yet I don't see such a thing anywhere. One manual said it wasn't visible but its in there. Just wow, so helpful that was 🙄
I'm having the same problem with a Erica Record Manual Dough Divider - I found another video for a different machine though that suggests that on a Duchess machine which is very similar to mine you might need to, at the very end of the removal, gently turn to unscrew the head assembly from the main rod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4t3GKtUKMc 00:56 in the video. Although I tried to jiggle mine and it would shift after I did everything else, but it didn't turn. Though there is a lot of stuck in old dough and a bit of rust that might be causing trouble. I will probably try again.