Pepper Mills

[emtmike]

I want to statr turning pepper mills. I have a lathe, tools and a pen mandrel. What do I need to get to start turning pepper mills?

 

[gerryr]

You'll need a 4 jaw scroll chuck with the correct jaws to fit whatever size wood you plan to use and a pot full of Forstner bits. I think both CSUSA and PSI offer a slightly reduced price if you buy all the bits as a package.

 

[emtmike]

OMG did you see the price of a 4 jaw chuck? That cant be the one I need I hope. If someone could give me a link to the chuck I need it would be great.

 

[vick]

yeah 4 jaw chucks are a little rough. Take this with a grain of salt since I have only tried them once and it did not turn out. You can make a jig to drill on the lathe without a chuck.
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then I used a cheap face plate ( i got a couple small ones from PSI to make jigs)and turned a tapered plug to turn the body between centers so to speak.
the tapered plug fits into the drilled hole in the bottom of the mill and the live center goes into the top of the mill.

Note: I am not drilling a peppermill but a tool handle in the picture but the same idea should work but I would suggest secureing the wood better to use a large fostner bit.

 

[gerryr]

Is that a custom paint job on your Jet, Mike?[]

In the instructions on their website, CSUSA talks about using a drive tenon to turn them. Here's the link to their instructions
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/pdf/crush_grinder.pdf

 

[vick]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />Is that a custom paint job on your Jet, Mike?[]

In the instructions on their website, CSUSA talks about using a drive tenon to turn them. Here's the link to their instructions
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/pdf/crush_grinder.pdf

Yeah I call it walnut fleck [][]
Mine were not the crush mills but the tapered plug I made looks very much like the ones pictured in the link Gerry posted.

 

[ed4copies]

Originally posted by emtmike
<br />I want to statr turning pepper mills. I have a lathe, tools and a pen mandrel. What do I need to get to start turning pepper mills?

You don't NEED anything!

You can drill the hole on your drill press, then turn a piece of wood that fits the hole (1 & 1/16), with a morse taper on the other end, that then becomes your drive end. The "standard" live center in the tailstock MAY fill the hole perfectly, if not, another adapter can be turned to make it fit From this you can turn the body.

The top of the mill can be turned between centers, leaving a 1 & 1/16 shy, tenon. .

Then insert the tenon into the body and finish design.

THIS METHOD DOES WORK!! IT IS PAINSTAKING! If you plan on making lots of peppermills, a scroll chuck makes all of this much easier.

[][][]

 

[vick]

Originally posted by ed4copies
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You can drill the hole on your drill press,

Your drill press much be much bigger than mine![]

 

[alamocdc]

The $49 PSI Utility chuck does a decent job and Woodturningz sells it for less (at least they used to).

 

[ed4copies]

Originally posted by alamocdc
<br />The $49 PSI Utility chuck does a decent job and Woodturningz sells it for less (at least they used to).

Billy,

I have two of these, and they both run slightly off center. Great for spray finishing (why I bought them), but not my first choice for turning "mating" parts, like a pepper mill.