How To: Modify A Marga Mill.

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Bump!

After doing some reading on various threads I thought a 10mm spade head bit would just slot in no probs. Seems its a bit too big though. A 9mm standard drill bit is a tight fit and I guess once its in its in for good.

Whats the easiest and best way to connect the drill to the mill? With a dyno bolt I take it I just screw one in till it turns the rollers and use a hex head on the drill?

I'd rather learn from the mistakes of others than make my own LOL
 
Bump!

After doing some reading on various threads I thought a 10mm spade head bit would just slot in no probs. Seems its a bit too big though. A 9mm standard drill bit is a tight fit and I guess once its in its in for good.

Whats the easiest and best way to connect the drill to the mill? With a dyno bolt I take it I just screw one in till it turns the rollers and use a hex head on the drill?

I'd rather learn from the mistakes of others than make my own LOL

Yes, although I found I had to hold the drill dead straight or it would sometimes jump off the nut. The nut was starting to get a bit rounded from this till I found another similar nut and screwed it on.
Double nuts, Yay!!!!
 
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NORPRO-1056-Grain-W...f#ht_1748wt_905

Looks like a marga clone... procastrinating.... any thoughts?


$ 90.08, shipped
image1.jpg
 
Save for something bigger! I just scaled to 50L brews and it takes me 1.5 hours to mill 10Kg of grain by hand :icon_cheers:
Looks identicle to a Marga thoe, not bad for the price.

Drew

Takes me 20 min for 9KG, by hand
Have you done all the recommended mods?

Extend the slot in the hopper to the edges
Replace the receiving bin with a chute, straight into a bucket
Adjust the roller gap
 
Hahaha. Somebody bought one. Fess up :)

Ummm.... I'll have to evaluate both options. See, I have a very reliable 36v cordless that I can adjust speed and torque on so it might not be such a PITA cranking the machine by hand. On the other hand, those custom made mills look so sexy and everlasting but would need more to be bought, motors, electrics, hoppers, cranks n all. So that is what I have to decide between. Btw, anyone know how much the shipping on the basic crankestein is? If it's not obscene I might even make a trip to the recycling centre and see what I can source to rig it up el cheapo.
 
Hahaha. Somebody bought one. Fess up :)

Ummm.... I'll have to evaluate both options. See, I have a very reliable 36v cordless that I can adjust speed and torque on so it might not be such a PITA cranking the machine by hand. On the other hand, those custom made mills look so sexy and everlasting but would need more to be bought, motors, electrics, hoppers, cranks n all. So that is what I have to decide between. Btw, anyone know how much the shipping on the basic crankestein is? If it's not obscene I might even make a trip to the recycling centre and see what I can source to rig it up el cheapo.

About US$45.00 which as of today appears to be about AUD$45.00 !!



Duck
 
Takes me 20 min for 9KG, by hand
Have you done all the recommended mods?

Extend the slot in the hopper to the edges
Replace the receiving bin with a chute, straight into a bucket
Adjust the roller gap


You must arms of steel if not using a drill of some kind. Yes I have done the mods to my marga but still takes some time. Funny Pils malt goes through better than Ale. The Ale feels softer and doesn't feed into the rollers so well.

Drew
 
Necro alert.

If your Marga dies (mine did, the drive shaft is fcucked, could be fixed if I had some welding experience, vice, mechanical knowledge, but heck.... so I just bought another one and will use the handle for a while)

Now I'm about to state the bleeding obvious here. Don't do what I did and load up this thread, get drill out and select suitable drill bit......... then have a "Duhhhhhhhh " moment as the penny drops ... :p

All you do is whack the cap off the new mill and just put in the custom-drilled "bowl" from the old, already modded mill. Of course they are identical.

Instant mod :)

20120701_150438.jpg
 
Spot the second "Duuhhhhh" moment of the day :lol: :lol:

20120701_153928.jpg



OK she's all set up and cranking away

20120701_160516.jpg



OK this is going to get very old very quickly <_<

So what is involved in fitting a dynabolt to use the drill with? Do you just buy the right sized one from any hardware store, push it into the handle hole and tighten till it squeals?
 
Bribie I use the shaft of a philips head scewdriver Smash the handle off, a touch with a file and its snug as. Ive got a pic here somewhere Ill search. Beats the dynabolt because nothing gets chewed out, a problem I found using the bolt method.
daz
Found it
100_4449.JPG
100_4450.JPG
 
Sorry I missed that post, Daz. How do you stop it slipping, super glue it in or something?
 
With my old Marga I just got a dynabolt and put it in the hole where the handle goes. Turning the drill will tighten it naturally.

I can't remember exactly now but I think it was a 8mm bolt. People also use a 10mm (I think is the size) spade bit successfully.
 
With my old Marga I just got a dynabolt and put it in the hole where the handle goes. Turning the drill will tighten it naturally.

I can't remember exactly now but I think it was a 8mm bolt. People also use a 10mm (I think is the size) spade bit successfully.

10 mm spade bit FTW. Although mine is starting to get a bit chewed out now. I will have to replace that setup soon and motorise it. ;)
 
After a month of total friggn around with a dynabolt that fell to bits and the old drill, I bought a new high torque low speed drill and took the Marga handle to a local engineering shop.

They straightened the handle then cut it off. The new drill is a keyed chuck so the new "bit" just stays in there, tightened up as far as it will go.

The job cost me $14.45 - :mellow: - I guess they applied some sort of shop formula to arrive at that - probably the 5 cents is carbon tax.

Anyway, works great. I can mill grain at the BIAB hole setting I drilled, about a kilo a minute. Mill whirrs along nicely, maybe thinking "wow this fat Italian Mamma is sure crankin' it today" :p

20120810_120746.jpg
 
I was cleaning out the shed the other day and came across the shaft I made to drive the marga mill.

I almost chucked it, but then it took me a bit of time to machine it so I decided to give it to someone here as it is too good to waste.

It has four close fitting cogs, or splines, 20mm long. It will not damage a new mill, but it won't fit a mill that has been buggered already.
As in from using a cement drill bit or something.

So please only take it if you have a new, or almost new mill.

I will pay the postage, first response gets it. Such a deal huh?

Cheers, Bud

Pic attached

marga_shaft.jpg


marga_shaft.jpg
 

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