Turning and assembling a salt or pepper mill using a Crush Grind "Wood" mechanism.

now for the real test, are you going to turn threads on the stopper?

Dan Noren said:

now for the real test, are you going to turn threads on the stopper?

Click to expand...

If I do it as above, I don't need a stopper.

i think i asked the wrong question. i'm ok with how the business end of the grinder is installed, but i think my question should have been, is it possible to remove the mechanism to fill it from the bottom?

dan

OK, Dan I understand. The bottom of the Crush Grind mechanism has a small plastic 'nut' used to adjust the grind. If you continue to unscrew it past the adjustment range it comes off and the ceramic grinder can be lifted off for refilling. (Their Web site says this is the way to refill.) (The mechanism stays in the mill, just the grinder is removed.)

My plan is to allow the mill to separate at the joint between the top and bottom sections (remember magnets keep them together) for an easier way to refill.

The Crush Grind company says this mechanism is ideally designed for "upside down" mills to help keep your table clean. I think my first project will be an "upside down" mill.

ok, that clarifies it.

Hey Frank!
This is something that needs a Youtube video. Maybe you could colaborate with someone like Stu who does a lot of those and get it out there for all to see. I know I want to go to the "CG" mill in the future, but I'm also horribly visual. This is exactly the kind of thing that needs to be on YouTube...and your the man for the job!!

I otta be in pictures....
Good idea Jim, maybe my wife will allow me to buy a camera:

Man oh man what a bear!

I'm making a 7 1/2" Crush Grind mill and bored 5 1/2" in from one end. My mill will be an "upside down" mill so what will be the bottom is flat and free of cuts.

I will say one big advantage to boring on the lathe is I could step through a series of increasingly sized bits without any issues about lining them up.

I'll round out a scrap cylinder with the length and outside diameter the same as the inside of the mill. I'll turn a 1/2" tenon so I can mount it inside my live center. I plan on parting this on on the lathe with an extra thin parting tool. Because I am using inserts for the grinder mechanism I should have nice grain match.


This are just sanded, I'll finish them before parting.

Keep those pic's commin' Frank!! Once I get my extension I can give a shot at one of those.

Thank you Jim.

So far so good. I turned down a 'large' maple dowel to use for parting my mill. I turned it so it just fit inside the mill, slipped it into the mill, and using Robert Sorby's 1/16" parting tool parted the two halves.
Then I bored part of the dowel for the bottom part of the grinder mechanism, and part for the top half of the mechanism. After boring each piece, I parted them from the dowel.
I glued the larger diameter part of the grinder mechanism into its insert.
I'll pick up a brass rod for the top insert tomorrow.
I finished each half with the Beall buffing system.



To be continued...

Frank,
I've been gone a while with my wife's surgery this past week, but I'm looking forward to see the final product... I think I see where you're going with this.

Thank you Chuck. Well wishes to your wife for a quick mend.