Dutchess
Well here I go again with a winter project. Buy an old piece of bakery equipment (cheap) then clean and fix it up.
This is a Dutchess Model RR-36 Combination Roll Divider/Rounder I'm thinking about 25 years old. This picture makes it look small-ish in fact this is the picture he sent me to show me the machine. SO NOT TRUE!!! It is nothing but heavy cast iron and lots of steel. After I bought it I discovered it's estimated weight is 900 lbs. ( good thing I own heavy equipment to move it)
It has been sitting in my kitchen for a number of months and life only allowed a quick glance at it now and then.
Today I decided to start this thing. It was cold, snowy, wind blowing outside so what's better then a nice indoor project.
I decided to start with the head and dismantle it then clean and put back together. This is the part that squishes the dough to spread it out in the ring then the cutters chomp down and cut the dough into equal portions. Then flip a switch and it makes the cut portions round. So this part gets quite intimate with the dough.
Now this was being used by a bagel shop when I bought it. They sold the bagels to the public (you and me) this is what I found when I removed the center pressing section.
Very old crusty dough and mouse droppings. This is just from one small section the rest was just as bad.
Just what I want hidden in my food...Yuck
This looks like a fun but heavy project Everything is mechanically sound so this is a dismantle and clean, paint project and I expect not to need any parts to make it operational.
Things I do for fun. Feel free to call me crazy.
Faith
Comments
to treasure hunters everywhere! What great winter project - ridding your kitchen of mouse dropping that have been there for months :-)
Mice hate you and want you stop this madness.
I say have no fear and preserver!
Happy Maintenance Work Faith!
I didn't think about that until you mentioned it....Yuck It had mouse signs when it got here and I gave it a quick cleaning of what I could see. This section required dismantling to get to. but still...yuck
LOL...I'm glad mice hate me because I have a real dislike of them...But I do keep them well fed (with the green cube bait from the feed and grain store)
Good thing steel is easily cleaned and disinfected.
a real problem in Richmond, VA when I lived there. Nothing could keep them out of the house. You would need all 5 of Ian's cats as the killer bait never worked.
I live in an old farm house so mice are a part of the country scene. I don't mind them outside but inside is my space. The mice love the green cubes I put in the crawl space and in the attic so rarely are they in my space.
Cats: they belong outside as well. Not sure which I would have more of a problem with cats or mice in the house. Cats scratch around in the litter box then jump on the kitchen counters...more yuck.
I had a boyfriend that got angry at me and while I was away on a trip he set 24 big rats free in my house. Mom was checking on my house while I was away, she walked in and said it was like a scene from the movie Willard. Took a week and a case of Clorox bleach to feel like I could live here again.
So not an animal person I see :). Not a very nice boyfriend....I take it he is an "ex" boyfriend?
Is it hydraulic? If there's a serial number you can find out its age. I thought our washing machine was only 10 years old, turns out it was thirty. Great project.
No it's not hydraulic. The press and cutter section is woman powered. Just pull the big leaver then unlock the knives. The bottom plate is electric it just moves in a small circle and that is what rounds the dough.
I'll look for a serial number. That's a great idea...thanks.
Good luck with your project. That's an impressive piece of machinery. I hope the beagles make out okay :)....They must have eaten a lot of bagels, those beagles....
Ian
Thanks isand66,
I got this nasty thing called dyslexia. I just can't see the words correctly so spelling is quite difficult. As you just saw I can spell the same word differently three times in a row. Numbers are real fun as well. I edit the best I can but sometimes things slip through.
I promise not to run any beagles through the machine. Woof, Woof. :-)
Did a quick check and saw that even refurbished dividers/rollers are pricy items. Looks like a great buy for someone with your expertise.
Looking at what you cleaned out makes me doubly glad I make my own bagels. Yettch.
crazy in a good way. good luck with the project.
evonlim
Faith, if you find the serial no. take a picture of it then zoom in and post. I'm sure you won't mix up the numbers that way. Some of us have great fun with such puzzles. :)
Mini, it has RR-numbers on almost every piece and every number is different. So far the only serial number I can find is on the electric motor. As I tear it down I will keep an eye out. I could also send a picture to Dutchess and ask for an approximate age.
I actually work with numbers. So I just need to take my time and check myself often. I know I have this problem so I have learned ways to adapt but still at times things slip. I hate having to dial the phone three times to get it right even though I'm looking at the number. Easier on my phone the shows me what I have punched in already.
Ian, Actually I'm a big animal person I just don't like hair in my food or poopie feet on my kitchen counters. Yes ex- boyfriend of some 20 years. I still and forevermore refer to him as Rat Boy. :-)
I could also send a picture to Dutchess and ask for an approximate age.
That's what I did once with a similar piece of equipment. I never bought it, but I least I learned its age!
There is a patent date of April 14, 19?1. The ? could be an 8 or a 6 the paint filled in the holes.
I also have a service manual published July, 1987 The front of the service manual also has "old style" printed over the name of the machine.
Decided to blast some of the parts with walnut shells today to get the old paint , rust and grime off.
Hello Faith:
Another Project? It is amazing that you have time for the project when you are already working full time, baking and also fixing heavy equipment! My, my, my. Ican't wait to come to bake with you and get to see your wood fire oven! What are you going to do with the machine? Making bagels?
mantana
No problem I have the manual right here. PM me your address and I will scan it to a .pdf file and email it to you. I won't be able to get to it until this weekend.
Actually I have not used it yet. Life and work...mostly work has kept me from working on it much but it is getting back to the top of my to-do list. I have many things that really could use the divider like English muffins, rolls, braided breads, pretzels, and the list goes on and on.
Would love to see pictures of your machine.
Hello Faith of virginia, my name is Omar looking for help. I also have a Dutchess just like yours trying to restored my self, it has been in our family by several years and we still used for tortilla factory.
Need to know if you can sell me the manual file and send it to me..
Regards.
Yes it looks like the same machine. Looks like you will need to a bunch of work on it before it's food ready. What are your plans for that machine?
Sent the manual to your email..Have Fun!!!
Faith
Yes I put the restoration on hold and have been trying to get back to it. Mine has a 36 cutter head. So sorry no new pictures. I did picked up a Dutchess BMIH 36 and 18 that machine is so cool. My current project is a Rondo syn306 dough sheeter. It is in pieces where my kitchen table was once sitting.
Have not been here much for a while. Most of my stuff is on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/faith.king.1654 and will show more about the Rondo project. Drop by and say Hello.
Hi Faith!
I just came across your post as I too am refurbing this model of divider. I am unable to find a manual anywhere. Do you still have yours??
fingers crossed!
-Pete