Machines
All general stuffing (injecting, shooting, etc.) machine related discussions. As in the main Machines category, the main subcategories will divide machines by type - Crank, Slide and Electric. Current Forum subcategories are Excel and Slide (AKA handheld).
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replacement parts & schematics
For those of you that have machines acting up it may be as simple as replacing a few worn out parts. Here is the page for you. I found this when money was tight & my machine had stopped working due to worn out parts. I was desperate due to my hands can not do too many from the little hand held units. I searched & found this hope it helps.
[RYOParts.com?]
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Topomatic hopper mod
Ok, I have a simple way to make your hand crank machine less messy. I have two topomatic machines, both require some perodic adjustment but great machines. Lucky i am a engineer.
First go to Walmart and buy a 1.00 dollar two peice plastic travel soap holder. Carefuly cut a opening to one side with a razor knife slightly larger than the fill hole, attach some thin double back tape (after my test i drilled and tapped two 10/32 holes and attached it with pan head screws, you need to be carefull if your not prepared to disassemble it as i did to not drill into the mechinism. The screws should be just long enough as not to go thru but just to grab enough metal to hold)
There you have it, plus since the soap holder has two sides you get to hoppers for your money.
This keeps a lot of the stuff that falls off the edges. I am looking at useing the other side now under where the tubes are inserted as a permanet fixture but for the moment i just lay it on the table to catch the dropings.
Not sure why these tanks never were fitted with some kind of hopper or atleast edges to trap the excess.
Maybe you have a better idea but for now this works for me rather than putting a pile on top of the machine and scraping it in as needed.
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Nut problem on gripper
I have the C series of the Supermatic. The small jut popped off and the gripper won't stay in place. The nut will not screw in as it doesn't even look riveted. I've tried popping it back in by tapping with a small hammer but I just can't seem to get it "plugged in." Any suggestions?
[ page | comments (1) - Monday, 09-Jan-2017 | top ]
Problem with Topomatic
I have a Topomatic crank type rolling machine. Of late it has developed a problem which seems to be getting worse with time. After filling the tobacco chamber, I rotate the crank handle, and it does not push the tobacco far enough to completely fill the tube all the way to the filter. Sometimes this problem is very slight, but at other times the unfilled area near the filter is as much as 5/16" to 1/4" in size. When this occurs I either have to discard the finished cigarette, or take the time to roll it between my fingers to release the tobacco. The latter is tedious and time consuming to say the least. Does anyone have experience with this type of problem ? And, If so,
what can I do about it ? Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions you may be able to provide.
Dalton
[ page | comments (1) - Thursday, 05-Mar-2015 | top ]
Having a nightmare!
Hi, I hope someone can give me some advice as to what im doing wrong.
Just purchased a ciggi super tabletop tubing machine :-
[link]
Sharrow tubes and auld kendal gold tobacco. Now Ive let it dry out as im new to this. So Ive tried a few amounts of tobacco and no matter how much or little I put into the chamber when I crank the handle to about 3/4 the cigarette gets pushed off the nozzle and is stuck hallway on the metal spoon. So I end up with a cigarette with a bit of tobacco in the middle but nothing on either side.
Its driving me crazy because even if I put in barely any tobacco it does the same so its not over stuffed.
Ive used the smaller tubing machines before like the rizla one with no problems.
[ page | comments (1) - Thursday, 05-Mar-2015 | top ]
Mikromatic by Top-O-Matic
Posted by Tim Aydt on Wednesday, 14-Nov-2012It's been a while since I had anything to contribute, but a couple of weeks ago I bought a Mikromatic cigarette machine and thought I'd post a review.
The Mikromatic is the first, real change in the design of a crank machine in many, many years. The concept is still the same, but the inner workings have been redesigned to be more compact.
The Mikromatic is considerably small than other crank machines, by almost half. It has a large handle, directly above the crankshaft to steady and grip the machine with your left hand. The crank action is the same as other machines, upper right, clockwise to lower left. This configuration allows you to hold the machine securely while making cigarettes.
It only makes king size cigarettes and the tobacco chamber seems to be smaller. This has it's benefits. I have yet to overstuff the chamber. The rubber base fits more securely than any machine I've ever had.
I have been very pleased with its performance and it would appear, so far, to be just as reliable as my T2 and Supermatics. The only caveat is that the cutting/compression blade doesn't seem to retract completely and requires a little push as I fill the chamber.
p.s. I intended to include a photo, but wasn't able to figure out how to do so. If anyone would be kind enough to explain how, I'll post a couple of pics.
[ page | comments (5) - Friday, 29-Jan-2016 | top ]
Laramie Shoot-O-Matic
Posted by Lee UK on Wednesday, 14-Dec-2011Hi All (First Post)
I have recently bought a Laramie Shoot-O-Matic (oasis hardware china - supermatic clone).
I have have been able to stuff rizla concept tubes with amber leaf straight out the box.
It does carrot top them as the spoon is to long for these tubes. I put the seam on the gripper and the tube slides off at the end of the crank without tearing.
I have only put 100g of tobbacco though it so far so I will have to see how it holds up over time.
It has a handle like the top machine and cutter is aluminium.
[ page | comments (2) - Wednesday, 17-Feb-2016 | top ]
monsteromatic followup
Posted by BruceW on Saturday, 22-Dec-2007
Captain U-96 aka Mike asked what it might cost to make our aforementioned modifications to the topomatic and to be honest, I have little idea what it would cost to hire a machine shop to do what we did. The little I do know is that any kind of machine shop work is not cheap, and that the further away from being a machinist you are, the more they charge you. I have the good fortune of working in a place that has an excellent machine shop with a boss who's a hot rod junkie like I am, and he's a good friend.
After relating our odyssey that led to our present configuration of the topomatics I will make it much simpler. Here's all you need to do to a stock unit:
Above any other modification, replace the handle if possible, and turn it 180 deg from where it stock mounts. It doesn't have to be like mine. ChasM has an excellent design using a piece of tubing. Any local hobby store sells a two part resin based liquid called "Alumilite" that could be used to reinforce the stock handle. Just be sure to remove all the stock silver paint first and mount it to the axle bolt before you pour it to fill the underside of the handle for the best fit. Another co-worker of mine did this to her new topomatic and it seems as strong a handle as the steel.
Second; take your unit completely apart. Remove all the paint down to bare metal inside the compression compartment. I noticed that my paint has worn off which most likely means I have been smoking paint chips. Use steel wool or 3m pads and shine the aluminum cutter to a mirror finish. Shine the spoon to a mirror finish. This effort greatly reduces drag from the tobacco, easing operations, and will stop the metallic metal taste. Lubricate each piece you re-assemble with a lite coat of white lithium grease, or any stiff grease. I don't recommend oil, because it could spread to a point of contact with the tobacco. Doing these simple things will greatly increase the lifespan and functionality of your machine. Good Luck!
Our latest project involves an old sausage stuffing machine that we are trying to convert into a cigarette making machine. We have no problem at all extruding the tobacco with out shop made die set. We are however having major problems locating flat paper stock and glue. Seems that the big tobacco companies have this paper custom made overseas, and no one is willing to talk to us about it... Another problem arising is who gets the machine when it's finished. I got the idea from watching an episode of "How it's made" on Discovery when they visited the RJ Reynolds manufacturing plant. oh well, maybe more after Christmas.
Happy Hollidays
[ page | comments (1) - Saturday, 22-Dec-2007 | top ]
Super "C" Where is it made?
Posted by Jeffo on Tuesday, 18-Dec-2007
Any of you Supermatic C series owners: Where are they made? (Canada) Just a guess.
[ page | comments (2) - Wednesday, 19-Dec-2007 | top ]
Brad new Top-O-Matic!
Posted by Mike B on Sunday, 16-Dec-2007
SWEEEET! Picked her up this afternoon. I can't believe I was patient enough to actually use a hand held now that I got this beautiful piece of machinery!
[ page | comments (7) - Tuesday, 18-Dec-2007 | top ]
Zen HH?
Posted by Mike B on Friday, 14-Dec-2007
Anyone use(d) this? I have the TOP HH and seem unanimously the worst and think I know why.
Saw, the Zen HH in a newer local shop and wonder how it works in comparison to the "good" ones. I already know how poorly the TOP works. Can't get a full stick because of that poorly designed plastic "half pike" looking thing attached to the opening end.
[ page | comments (11) - Sunday, 16-Dec-2007 | top ]
Top-O-Matic VS Supermatic
Posted by Dave L on Saturday, 08-Dec-2007
Moved from the Top-O-Matic page.
[ page | comments (4) - Saturday, 08-Dec-2007 | top ]
Thread type used on Supermatics?
Posted by Jeffo on Friday, 07-Dec-2007
Hi Dave L. or anyone who knows,
What type of threads are used on the Supermatic's hardware? Is it
Wentworth, some metric odd thread or what?
[ page | comments (1) - Saturday, 08-Dec-2007 | top ]
Supermatic: Loose H-Link bolt fix
Posted by Jeffo on Wednesday, 05-Dec-2007
I just purchased a used Supermatic Model B. I love this machine it has the new plastic cutter and it stuffs so easy it's like butter. However 1 annoyance with it the H-Link bolts and nuts kept coming loose and if you tightened them they squeezed down on the H-Link making the action stiffer than it should be. I removed the 2- bolts and placed a #4 stainless lock washer under the shoulder bolt. This gives a slight clearance to the head of the bolt. No more loosening bolts and the machine functions even better than it did. This works for the Model A, B, and maybe the C.
[ page | comments (7) - Thursday, 06-Dec-2007 | top ]
Monster "o" Matic - beyond the edge
Posted by Bruce W. on Sunday, 02-Dec-2007
The real title of this post should be how to improve Chinese junk when you have no life.......
Four years or so ago I decided to investigate rolling my own smokes because of the ever increasing carton prices and health issues with commercial smokes. What I found was that yes, the tobacco was much less expensive but that even the top of the line machines available were Chinese junk that marginalized the tobacco savings with replacement parts costs.
Despite better advice, I started with a Topomatic machine, since I could not locate any Premier machines locally. As a process engineering technician, I know too well that the best machine in the world is worthless if you cant get replacement parts or service for it. My local tobacco shop didn't seem to have any problems getting Tops stuff. So, topomatic rules in my castle.
After learning how poorly the ergonomics of this crank injection machine preform, with carpal tunnel syndrome and my first handle Failure at about 1000 pulls, (the keyed hole in the handle wallowed out after having to tighten it before almost every use, and this rounded off the shoulders on the axle as well) I purchased a second topomatic unit, and took the broken unit to work for some hot roding.
I started with the cheesy Chinese sheet metal stamped handle and the axle assembly. I made a new handle with a piece of 1"x3/16" flat steel stock. I replaced the grab knob with a 2"x1/4"x3/8" shoulder bolt into a 1/4-20 tapped hole in the business end of the flat with a little red lock tite. I copied exactly the axle, replacing it with 440d tool steel. I located the keyed hole in the flat stock handle so that when the machines handle is in the home position (chamber open) the shoulder bolt is slightly below the upper left corner of the machine frame.
The stock configuration started with the knob above the upper right corner of the frame, and when loaded and cycled, the handle drops to the cut/rest position below the lower right corner of the machine, then cycled across the front of the frame to stuff and eject. This just was NOT a comfortable way to operate any way I gripped it. So.....
My configuration started with the handle below the upper left corner of the frame at maybe 300 deg. I hook the I-bolt with my thumb and pull it across the top of the machine to the cut/rest position, (about 10 deg.) and then hook it with my index finger, resting the heal of my right hand on the lower right corner of the frame (which is heavily padded with silicon) and make a fist, injecting the tobacco. I use my left hand to gently pinch the end of the tube at the brass nipple (the stock holder is just above useless) so that the injector can actually penetrate the cotton wad slightly and eliminate completely the voids at the filter I was getting before! This also eliminated the temptation to push down on the handle and bend it. (I have already written a registered letter to Tops with detailed design changes in my name, neener neener neener.....TH PT!) BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. My guess is that even the high end machines are junk. Don't look for any of the changes I made to apear on a production tops machine. This is EXACTLY like buying a $8000.00 import and puting $20000.00 worth of parts and time in it.
By now, my boss sees I am up to something on my lunch hours. He smokes too. My improvements made it less likely to break, but operation was still rough. My second top o matic stock machine has since failed as well, (handle failure) and I am back in commercial cigarette land.
One thing that nearly put me off of roll your own was the metallic taste I was getting in any tobacco I tried, which was a good experience as I got to taste many different tobaccos along the way. It occurred to my Boss and I that the metallic taste had to be coming from the parts contacting the tobacco itself. Turns out, the aluminum cutter blade was causing most of the noticeable taste, and I was getting residue buildup that caused miss feeds and jambs when it got bad. Putting a mirror finish on the aluminum with 600 grit grinding compound did two things: The metallic taste stopped, and operation of the handle improved a lot! My old nemesis friction.
My boss is a registered millwright/tool maker and made me a new cutter out of hardened steel with a carbide concave cutter/former. I replaced the outer plastic axle boss for the operating handle with one made from mild steel with a Teflon bearing in it, and mirror polished the axle shaft. I also installed a small electronic counter inside so I can log failures.
The end result is this: Smooth comfortable operation with very few failures. I can barely make 80 cigs per hour on a stock machine with 10% failures on a good day. on my "monster o matic" machine I can push 200 per hour with no failures if I drink loads of coffee and I am pressed for time..... The new handle configuration also left me with a place to leave a large pile of tobacco to stuff the slot with without being wiped off by the handle. It has been working so well, I gave my backup machine to my boss who is now a RYO fan as well. The only breakdown I have had since I made this modification three years ago has been the handle return spring broke. It was almost useless, and I didn't replace it. I always flick the handle back with my thumb to drop the cigarette anyway.
Over 6000 smokes made with no failures, or voids I didn't cause. I might get one of the Premier machines and see if there in need of any improvement..... and in case your interested, I use Premier light king size tubes and Wind River Tobacco Co. TETON mild tobacco.
Hope you had fun reading this
[ page | comments (5) - Tuesday, 18-Dec-2007 | top ]
Plastic Cutter on Supermatic 500 series
Posted by Jeffo on Tuesday, 20-Nov-2007
I've read a few posts on using the new plastic cutter on the Super 500 series. Does anyone know if it is possible to change the H-link on the "500" to the new C series H-link and plastic cutter and avoid the looseness in the linkage problem? If so are there any other parts that should be changed to do this right. I have two Supermatic 500's I'd like to do this mod on to improve them.
[ page | comments (8) - Monday, 17-Dec-2007 | top ]
slight crank machine tweak??
Posted by mike c on Monday, 19-Nov-2007
is there a real simple way to tweak a machine to put just a tiny bit more baccy in the tube
I'm a ten-tap guy, and want my Rizla + tubes to end up flush afterward
only one of my machines does this currently
thanks
[ page | comments (5) - Friday, 23-Nov-2007 | top ]
SupermaticII Hopper photos
Posted by Freddie on Saturday, 03-Nov-2007
Comments.... anyone?
[ page | comments (56) - Sunday, 23-Dec-2007 | top ]
zig zag rolling machine
Posted by meridyth on Monday, 15-Oct-2007
I borrowed a neighbor's rolling machine and he didn't show me how to use it. I am getting frustrated because it is not working, how does this thing work?
[ page | comments (1) - Monday, 15-Oct-2007 | top ]
ROYALE AUTO ROLLER
Posted by mike c on Tuesday, 09-Oct-2007
Behold yet another "heads up"-- RYO/FAIRPRICE has just unveiled their own new Royale-AUTO ROLLER, and there are only 200 available initially, so if it's your cup of tea....there you go...it's introduced at $150.00, as opposed to a later $1.99
again, were I personally to go this route, I think they are who I go to more confidently......
NLA
[ page | comments (3) - Tuesday, 30-Nov-2010 | top ]
Lemco Easy Make
Posted by mike c on Thursday, 04-Oct-2007
Behold yet another electric, headed for.......? looks like this one's made from a Topomatic???
NLA
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Cigarette Stuffing Machines
Posted by Tom Suttie on Sunday, 16-Sep-2007
Reading some of the posts regarding crank and electric machines makes me wonder whether people want to smoke cigarettes, or just delve into the intricate, but fairly simple mechanics of the machines themselves. Weighing scales, blend mixtures. moisture content etc add to this confusion. Is there anyone else out there that just wants to smoke cigarettes cheaper than pre-made? I apologise in advance for any ruffling of feathers!
[ page | comments (10) - Wednesday, 26-Dec-2007 | top ]
Newbie on El Rey Machines
Posted by Tom Suttie on Friday, 10-Aug-2007
Hi Mike, and many thanks for your welcome. There is a U.K. site called Roll-Ups.co.uk who have a wide range of injectors. If and when my El-Rey hand injector gives up the ghost I think I may invest in an EXCEL, which seem to be more reliable than the more complex and expensive models. Come to think of it I may get an EXCEL, while keeping my El-Rey as back up!
[ page | comments (4) - Thursday, 20-Sep-2007 | top ]
Dead Machines!
Posted by Rosa on Tuesday, 17-Jul-2007
I'm stuck. In a fix! I have 2 dead Privileg machines and 1 dead Excel machine and have tried without success to get replacements here in the UK and in Amsterdam. I have just paid £48+ (UK) for a Roll-o-Mat (www.rollomat.com) which is a rip off. Standard tubes don't fit and it throws half a cigarette out every time. Very heavy die-cast machine which doesn't even pretend to do the job.
Can anyone help with a web address where I can buy either a Privileg or Excel machine. In Europe if possible.
[ page | comments (5) - Friday, 05-Oct-2012 | top ]
Excel vs. Super
Posted by Ebenezer on Wednesday, 06-Jun-2007
I have used the Excel with no problems for 2+ years. I am considering buying a new machine. The Excel is working fine, would buy another, but I want to try anohter machine to test ease of use. Should I? I enjoy your knowledge on SYO. (I stuff D&R Cockstrong, Vengeur light, Windsail Platinum, Two Timer, and Penhooker Light-in order of use) With Rizla FF, El Ray L, Ramback Prestige Tubes. With my Excel there is skill needed making a 'full' Rizla(old machine?), makes perfect El Ray and Ramback tubes. Excel is awkward to hold and use of tobacco needs a tray(haha). Is a Super better?
[ page | comments (9) - Friday, 29-Jun-2007 | top ]
New Machine...Makes 3 at once
Posted by Danny Edwards on Friday, 22-Jun-2007
Was traveling through Ohio and stopped at a store called "Cheap Tobacco" and the lady showed me a new machine that makes 3 cigarettes at a time. She said they were going to get them delivered in about 3 weeks. She was whipping them out. I noticed she loaded the tobacco differently than the supermatic though
[ page | comments (3) - Sunday, 30-Sep-2007 | top ]
Old Forum
Machine related discussions, Jan - Sept '07.
[ page | comments (314) - Sunday, 27-Nov-2011 | top ]