Help Fab/Repair Fish Feeder Impeller

[vmusch]

I can purchase a new motor and assembly for 50 dollars. I am curious if anyone has any ideas on a better alternative.

Like fabricating a new impeller or repair of the plastic one.

Food is gravity feed down on to the impeller, the impeller is activated by a timer for a designated spin time (I have it set for 6 seconds twice a day)

The impeller is plastic, where it attaches to the motor shaft is split/broken, therefore the shaft of the motor spins inside the impeller.

I thought about just cutting a new impeller from sheet metal, attaching fins but where would I come up with a small motor shaft hub or coupling (not really sure what I am looking for?) Or a coupling that I could attach to the existing impeller?

I made a feeble attempt at measuring the motor shaft.

Ideas?

 

[Dave in Ozark]

Any chance of slapping a hose clamp on the plastic hub? This would keep the shaft from spinning in it.

 

[racingtadpole]

Epoxy adhesive possibly, glue the crack and use a hose clamp (or possibly a cable tie) to pull it together while the glue dries.

 

[MoonRise]

JB Weld and/or a metal (brass or steel probably) 'collar' (hub reinforcement) on the broken plastic impeller. Done.

 

[BD1]

Get a regular silverware fork , cutoff one or two of the fork teeth or whatever you call them, grind or sand down and drive them between the shaft and plastic impeller housing. I did this with a cheap HF 1'' belt sander and it's still working.
Hope it works for you.

 

[vmusch]

Hose clamp will not work not enough clearance, the motor is mounted with two screws and the heads stick up. The plastic shaft depth is not enough to fit a hose clamp around.

Wedging something in it will only break the plastic housing.

Finding a small collar of some type may work, will start looking around.....

Thanks so far

 

[vmusch]

So I took a 7/16 14 nut ground it down to the correct thickness while it was hot spun the impeller on it as a collar and allowed to cool. Dropped a little JB weld in and pushed it all on. We shall see if it will hold up.

May still need to fabricate a new one. IDK.