I hope someone likes this!!

Jim Burr

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Reno, Nv
Had this on WTU and no one had a darn thing to say...oh well.
11" or there about Ambrosia Maple. 8 coats of WOP knocked down with 0000 steel wool. Crush grind ceramic from CSUSA. Wish I'd know there is a "special tool" for these :doh: so I made my own after the fact. Had a mutha of a time with the cap so...uhhh...well...it ain't the best. Loaded with Pink Himalayan mineral salt that ground up well. Out the door Monday for the new owner!
 

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Hey Jim,
As best I could see the mill, it looks good... the crush grind is pretty much the only mills I make... I do make a few of the little crank styles that PSI offers, but my favorite is the crush grind.

You don't need the special tool.. I'm assuming you're talking about the drill gizmo that cuts the bottom two holes.... I just use the 1 3/4 forstner and the 1 9/16 forstner... I don't use the 1 1/16 myself... I just drill through with the 1 9/16. For the top I cut a short tenon on the bottom that fits inside the 1 9/16 hole, then drill that with the 15/16 drill bit for the white gizmo that grips the shaft and turns the grinder. I like them because you're not restricted to an specific size... make your body and top and cut the shaft to fit. My mills range from 13" to about 6". I can do taller ones with the 18" shaft, but they don't sell well, so I rarely bother. BTW best place to buy the inserts is from Cam Laver out of Canada... he's about $3 to $5 cheaper than the big boys selling them on line in the states. He ships quickly - usually in two to three days from order and I've received my mills in a week or so.
 
Could you guys give advice on what to buy and where?

Paul I buy mine from craft supply usa. I use Turners Select Deluxe mills and their crush grind. I have never had a failure in the 50 or more I have made. I had two come in that didn't work right. I called them and they shipped two new ones which I had in 3 days. Told me to keep the bad ones for parts.
 
I have this pic...let's see if it works better

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 

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Chuck, have you had any of the crush grind mechanisms fail? I have had three failures in three years from them

I have had only two fail... the cap(top) insert came out of one and the grinder popped out of another... I surmised that I had a glue failure on both and since I was using CA at the time, switched to an epoxy... have not had any fail since... I also now cut a groove inside the bodies and the top for the little nipples on the cap piece and the grinder body to fit in... it's a little bothersome to cut the groove and you have to watch carefully for the fit, but once the wings click into place, the parts can't come out.
 
Paul I buy mine from craft supply usa. I use Turners Select Deluxe mills and their crush grind. I have never had a failure in the 50 or more I have made. I had two come in that didn't work right. I called them and they shipped two new ones which I had in 3 days. Told me to keep the bad ones for parts.

Could you guys give advice on what to buy and where?

I buy mine from Cam Lavers out of Canada... he is a direct distributor for the manufacturer, same grinders that CSUSA, PSI, Packardwoods, etc all sell but a little cheaper... with shipping the cost is about the same or less than most of the others without shipping. He usually ships within 3 days and I've always received my mills in about 6-8 days from order date. Keep in mind I buy them 10-15 per order.

http://www.crushgrind.us/buy.htm

If I'm buying other things that can help absorb shipping, I'll buy from the big three vendors... CSUSA, PSI, Packardwoods.
 
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I also now cut a groove inside the bodies and the top for the little nipples on the cap piece and the grinder body to fit in... it's a little bothersome to cut the groove and you have to watch carefully for the fit, but once the wings click into place, the parts can't come out.

That's the "Special" tool I was talking about Chuck...$45 from CSUSA!!! I made one from a skew that was neglected for years...it rocks!! I'd guess there are a million options to cut that groove, but I was sick and tired of trying this and that.
 
That's the "Special" tool I was talking about Chuck...$45 from CSUSA!!! I made one from a skew that was neglected for years...it rocks!! I'd guess there are a million options to cut that groove, but I was sick and tired of trying this and that.

My local turning buddy has the tool... he has a better retirement than me, so he can afford the fancy stuff... I bought a set of thread chasing tools a few years back... one part of the set was a relief tool that you cut a groove at the end of the inside threads.... I've marked the cuts on the tool and use that... works great. I am going to take it over to David's (my turning buddy) and check my measurements against his tool, then maybe take a file or something and make permanent marks for the cuts.

I like the crush grind... they let you be a little more creative than the standard mills with the knurl on top.
 
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