Knurling on a Mashmaster Mini Mill

[Batz]

Sounds like the past problems are just that, customer service is second to none. Looking forward to the reviews on the new mills.
Just send me a mill for valuation and I give both Frank and Ross a cuddle.....well Frank maybe and Ross a friendly wave from a distance. :lol: :beerbang:

 

[user 35653]

Anyone got the replacement rollers or a new mill yet?

 

[Rocker1986]

Just emailed and as per Mr B's post, reply within minutes and he's going to send me out a single fluted roller to replace one of the knurled rollers with. That's brilliant! If it gets here before Tuesday I'll test it out as I'm doing a brew day then.

 

[nosco]

Is he only offering one as a replacement or is that all he has in stock?

 

[bradsbrew]

Is he only offering one as a replacement or is that all he has in stock?

Francis has trialled a new fluted short roller with a worn knurled roller and apparently it works fine. Considering the effort and replacements he has already done I think that is fair. I dont really care what the rollers look like as long as the unit works as it should.
When I get my replacement roller I will run some grain through it and report back

Cheers

 

[Parks]

I should have my new rollers by Friday so I will attempt to do a side-by-side with 2 different gaps measuring the time taken and with a photo of the crush.

I'll do something like this, all with 1kg of the same base malt:

Old rollers, 1.25mm
Old rollers, 0.9mm
New rollers, 1.25mm
New rollers, 0.9mm

My current rollers are possibly a bit more problematic than other people here - they are not perfectly cylindrical (i.e., the ends are smaller than the middle) so this may or may not be of use.

 

[nosco]

Yeah my rollers are smaller diameter at the ends too

 

[huez]

My mill turned up today, its impressive. Haven't had a chance to run grain through it yet as everything is at my work and due to some idiot driver before christmas i'm on the pushy until i get a new car. Hopefully get everything home by the weekend to brew and will take some action shots including some photos of the milled grain.

I can't see there being any issue with the grain getting pulled through anymore, will be interesting to see the quality of the crush though.

 

[Smokomark]

My new rollers arrived today.

I've got 20kg of mixed grain ready to be milled for a quad batch of Aussie Old.
If it goes alright I might just double up and throw a sack of BB ale thru it as well.
If it doesn't go so well I have a MM2 ready for action.

It's been a while since there's been 8 or 10 cubes in the pool.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Hoping mine arrive soon, getting desperate to brew but don't want to spend 2 hours milling.

 

[huez]

I should have my new rollers by Friday so I will attempt to do a side-by-side with 2 different gaps measuring the time taken and with a photo of the crush.

I'll do something like this, all with 1kg of the same base malt:

Old rollers, 1.25mm
Old rollers, 0.9mm
New rollers, 1.25mm
New rollers, 0.9mm

My current rollers are possibly a bit more problematic than other people here - they are not perfectly cylindrical (i.e., the ends are smaller than the middle) so this may or may not be of use.

I ran a few kg through mine last night at different gap settings. It behaves a lot differently to a normal knurled milled,obviously due to the flutes. I got decent results at 0.7mm and after talking to frank he suggested starting at 0.6mm.

I'm gonna go with 0.6 for a brew on the weekend and see how it goes.

 

[Smokomark]

Hoping mine arrive soon, getting desperate to brew but don't want to spend 2 hours milling.

That's the main reason I've brewed **** all for the last few months.

I've got 22 cubes full of sodium perc in the shed. I'd rather have them filled with something else

 

[Parks]

I ran a few kg through mine last night at different gap settings. It behaves a lot differently to a normal knurled milled,obviously due to the flutes. I got decent results at 0.7mm and after talking to frank he suggested starting at 0.6mm.

I'm gonna go with 0.6 for a brew on the weekend and see how it goes.

Yeah, my replacements turned up yesterday and the flutes are way more aggressive than I expected. At a guess they're over 1mm deep so there will definitely be some adjustments needed.

 

[bradsbrew]

Hoping mine arrive soon, getting desperate to brew but don't want to spend 2 hours milling.

Hoping mine turn up today too.

In the mean time just mix 100ml of water through the grain before milling, works a treat.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Good news: mine arrived today!
Bad news: the passive roller is a bit too snug in each of the copper bearings. I can just get them in but it's so tight it's seized and a real bitch to get back off.
I've thrown them in the freezer and will have another go tomorrow but realistically, I think I'll have to dremel them out.

 

[Camo6]

Dunno if I'd take a Dremel to brass bearings Liam. I'd be more inclined to wrap a bit of wet and dry around a suitably sized shaft and apply an action akin to a pre-pubescent boy in front of the computer.
I'm getting really nervous now about having my mill out of action for so long. Would hate to find out I have faulty knurling down the track and have to pay to replace them. Will use the mill this weekend and give it a good inspection.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Valve lapping compound on the shaft. Mount brass bearing in vice and spin the shaft into it with your hands.

If you have ever lapped valves you will know what I am talking about

 

[huez]

Why don't you email mashmaster and ask advice. You might end up in a worse situation then you already are!

Hard to tell with photos really but this is the new rollers set at 0.6mm for those that are interested. Tomorrow i might put some through at 0mm and see the result.

I also made an mdf plate on the cnc today to try and get a monster mill hopper to fit, actually worked out near perfectly and to be honest probably suits the length of the millmaster better than the monster mill

 

[Camo6]

Valve lapping compound on the shaft. Mount brass bearing in vice and spin the shaft into it with your hands.

If you have ever lapped valves you will know what I am talking about

But if you saw a pre-pubescent boy in front of the computer using a valve lapping motion you'd tell him he was doing it wrong.
Jokes aside I wouldn't hold a brass bearing in a vice and expect it to remain concentric to the shaft.

 

[Zorco]

Hey Huez

My mill turned up today, its impressive.

For my like-for-like comparisons of the results we're all starting to post: Did you buy the new mill with both driven fluted rollers? If not, what is your roller operation / configuration?

Thanks for posting your results so far!

Cosdog

 

[huez]

I had actually sent my mill back to craftbrewer for a refund. So, it's a brand new mill direct from mashmaster. There's obviously a few design changes overall, including new adjuster knobs which i think are a lot better as they have markings. Also the dual drive, one end of the roller for a motor driven set up and the other end that will fit a standard drill, not that i will use it but its a pretty good idea. Could also be the reason some people are only getting single rollers as the new driven roller wouldn't fit the old mill.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

But if you saw a pre-pubescent boy in front of the computer using a valve lapping motion you'd tell him he was doing it wrong.
Jokes aside I wouldn't hold a brass bearing in a vice and expect it to remain concentric to the shaft.

Well I would try and mount the housing in the vice, if not then just use 2 pieces of notched wood

 

[TidalPete]

Liam_snorkel, on 22 Jan 2016 - 3:29 PM, said:

Good news: mine arrived today!
Bad news: the passive roller is a bit too snug in each of the copper bearings. I can just get them in but it's so tight it's seized and a real bitch to get back off.
I've thrown them in the freezer and will have another go tomorrow but realistically, I think I'll have to dremel them out.

Fine grit emery!
Too easy snorkel. B)

 

[bradsbrew]

Fine grit emery!
Too easy snorkel. B)

Where the bloody hell have you been hiding Pete.

 

[Parks]

Where the bloody hell have you been hiding Pete.

Making sure no AHB bastard is fiddling with his regulator I expect h34r: :lol:

 

[Batz]

Making sure no AHB bastard is fiddling with his regulator I expect h34r: :lol:

So that B.S. was spread around as well, just goes to show.

 

[TidalPete]

Batz, on 22 Jan 2016 - 9:46 PM, said:Batz, on 22 Jan 2016 - 9:46 PM, said:Batz, on 22 Jan 2016 - 9:46 PM, said:Batz, on 22 Jan 2016 - 9:46 PM, said:
So that B.S. was spread around as well, just goes to show.

QuoteQuoteQuoteQuote Making sure no AHB bastard is fiddling with his regulator I expect

Well now, that does just go to show, doesn't it Batz.

Quote 2 was our private & personal one-on-one conversation by PM & that conversation has been spread far & wide & so I must publicly object to the gossip you spread.


Over & Out.

PS ----- Way off topic I know & my humble apologies brewers.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Cheers for the advice fellas, this is why I asked the AHB Brains Trust prior to doing anything drastic. I've had s go using wet & dry but didn't seem to be getting anywhere with it. Cheers Pete, I'll try to get my hands on some emery cloth.
Also Huez - the driven roller fits fine in the old housing, the issue is only getting the passive roller to fit in the adjusting knobs.

 

[winkle]

My new rollers arrived today.

I've got 20kg of mixed grain ready to be milled for a quad batch of Aussie Old.
If it goes alright I might just double up and throw a sack of BB ale thru it as well.
If it doesn't go so well I have a MM2 ready for action.

It's been a while since there's been 8 or 10 cubes in the pool.

Happiness is a pool full of cubes.

 

[Smokomark]

Good news: mine arrived today!
Bad news: the passive roller is a bit too snug in each of the copper bearings. I can just get them in but it's so tight it's seized and a real bitch to get back off.
I've thrown them in the freezer and will have another go tomorrow but realistically, I think I'll have to dremel them out.

Same here. I used some fine valve grinding paste and worked them on and off by hand for about 10 mins each end. They still take a little bit of effort to spin them on the shaft.

- the driven roller fits fine in the old housing,

Mine would've gone in with the help of a sledgehammer or a press. Well over an hours work needed on this roller - probably closer to 2

All assembled now ( with lead based anti seize compound ) but still just a touch too tight to turn over by hand. - it will lap itself in ok.
Put the old drill back on at normal slow speed, approx 100rpm and threw a handful of grain in. Must of blinked coz i didn't even see it go thru.
1kg of grain in the hopper and a few seconds later I had the best looking crush ever - **** all flour and every grain cracked - far better looking than anything I had ever milled or anything that I had bought milled from a supplier.
1kg used to take around 2 to 3 minutes.