Peppermill question

[MobilMan]

I'am planning to make a/some 8"" mills and wonder what an average diameter of the base would be. I know about how much wood to leave minimum near the drilled hold, but being they call for a 3"" blank--that or near 3"" seems like to would be bulky looking.

 

[philipff]

Seems like a large piece of wood but remember that the mill needs to be stable on the table so weight at the bottom is important. Keep the 3in at the bottom and taper towards the top and keep the cap light weight so it does not fall over and damage the dinning table.

 

[mhbeauford]

I usually end up with 2-5/8 to 2-3/4 at the base finished. For tall mills you need that for stability, i'm making mills that are about 11" tall mostly. Short mills could ba a little smaller as long as you retain enough wood around the bore for strength.

 

[ed4copies]

The "through hole" is 1.0625", then you need a minimum of .25 radius to accommodate the holding bar on the bottom. So, you have an "indent" of 1.5625"

If you make a 2" diameter, that means you have less than a quarter inch of material around the diameter. So, to get a half inch, you need 2.5" diameter--that is about the minimum that will "look right" from the bottom. (And nearly every customer will turn the top once or twice and then turn it over and look at the bottom---I have NO IDEA why!!)

FWIW,
Ed

 

[MobilMan]

Appreciate the info. Thanks a lot

 

[David Keller]

I like narrower mill styles, so I often end up with between 2 and 2.25" finished width at the base of a shorter mill. For the styles I turn, 3" blanks are often excessively large.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I only do the crush/grind mills and have done them as tall as 12 inches... I like to start with a 3x3 or slightly larger... usually no more than 3 1/2 x 3 1/2.... as soon as I get the base round, I'll usually stop going downward on the blank at the base (creates a slight flare)... I also concave the base just slightly so it sits on the outer edge/rim of the base... the through hold is a 1 9/16 (I don't use the smaller bit that the directions call for... I like to have more capacity in my mills than the 1 1/16 hole allows)... I then shape from there... usually more of a straight and tapered column that leaves the walls between 1/4 and 1/2 thick... the top is solid and could be considered top heavy, but with the concave base the mills all sit pretty solid.

 

[CoryO]

I personally find a 3" diamater a bit too bulky visually, for mills that are shorter than 12".

I often start with 2.5"-2.75" blanks for my 8" and 10" peppermills.

The 8" walnut peppermil has a 2" base. The 10" birch peppermill has a 2.5" base.

Like TellicoTurning, I also concave the base slightly leaving only the outer edge in contact with the table or counter.

-Cory