Menu
What's new

Pepper and Salt and Pepper Mills

Vaughn McMillan

Vaughn McMillan

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
37,085
Location
ABQ NM
These are the first pepper and salt mills I've turned. The mesquite pepper mill is a gift for my dad, and the ambrosia maple salt and pepper set are for my sister and her husband. (The salt mill has a ceramic grinding mechanism.)

There are a few flaws in each of these, but it was a good learning experience and a chance to work out the process for future ones for sale.

Mesquite:

Benny's Mill 800.jpg

Ambrosia Maple:

J and L Mills 800.jpg

Comments and critiques are welcome -
 
John, I finished the insides with shellac and the outsides with about 7 or 8 coats of spray lacquer, smoothed out between coats with a green Scotch Brite pad. After a few days of curing, I three-wheel buffed them.
 
Very nice Vaughn! Even though my wife has a salt and pepper shaker collection totaling in the hundreds, I have yet to turn her a set. :huh:
All in all, how did you find the directions and project to complete?
 
Jonathan Shively said:
...All in all, how did you find the directions and project to complete?
Click to expand...
The instructions weren't bad, but a little sparse. The biggest problem I had was drilling the 1 1/16" hole through the bottom part and keeping it centered and square with the world. I suspect it had something to do with the cheap Forstner bit not running true and/or slop in my bit extension and tailstock. I drilled the last one on the drill press and it came out better. I also used a pen mandrel with some wooden cone bushings on the last one, and that seemed to help keep things lined up between the top and bottom halves. It also made finishing the top easier than if it was in a chuck with a tenon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top