Malt Muncher Grain Mill

[sp0rk]

The bearings on mine are finally starting to get to the point where they're not getting better after being cleaned so I'll replace them soon
5 years of service isn't too bad and the knurling is still nice and sharp
Keg King have emailed me with the size bearing I need, might see if I can either find some bronze bushings in the size I need, or buy some oil impregnated bronze round bar and I'll (finally) pick up my lathe from my parents and turn up a heap of bushings, would probably offer the spares for sale here if I do

On another note, someone please find me some oilite/oil impregnated bronze bar

 

[DU99]

http://www.pacificbronze.com.au/bronze/
http://www.australwright.com.au/products/copper-brass-bronze/
found two..also what diameter is it..will check around at the T&T markets

 

[sp0rk]

the bearings are 8mm ID, 19mm OD, 6mm thick
Those 2 links have bronze rod, but not oil impregnated sintered bronze
By looking at what's available in the US, you're looking at around $50 for a 6.5" length
This means they're not going to be cheap (compared to chinese made bearings), I reckon I might be able to turn out a set of 4 bushings for $10-$15 each depending on bronze prices and if I need to buy any tooling
Have to actually go pick the lathe up first, my mum is a bit of a hoarder, so it might take a bit of effort to find the damn thing :/

Will look into it a little further, but you can get 4 x bearings for about $5 so it depends on the demand

 

[blekk]

These guys have a large range of bronze sintered bushes as well as conventional bearings

http://www.hobbyparts.com.au/store/categories/bronze+bushes/

 

[Coldspace]

Just ordered my malt muncher on ebay via country store trading. Comes with hopper and bottom board.
Got ebay 10% coupon off last night.... The discount runs till tommorow.
$103 delivered, happy.....

 

[sp0rk]

These guys have a large range of bronze sintered bushes as well as conventional bearings

http://www.hobbyparts.com.au/store/categories/bronze+bushes/

Nothing in a 8mm ID 19mm OD, sadly
I've found these polymer bushings and have requested a sample
http://www.igus.com/iPro/iPro_02_1008_0000_USen.htm?c=US&l=en

 

[Samuel Adams]

Just ordered my malt muncher on ebay via country store trading. Comes with hopper and bottom board.
Got ebay 10% coupon off last night.... The discount runs till tommorow.
$103 delivered, happy.....

Hey Coldspace,

How's the mill been performing for you ?

I'm keen on getting into the bulk buy action as well (and I'm in the same suburb as you which may come in handy)

Cheers

 

[Coldspace]

Hey Coldspace,

How's the mill been performing for you ?

I'm keen on getting into the bulk buy action as well (and I'm in the same suburb as you which may come in handy)

Cheers

Well, so far I'm happy, but only run through about 25 kgs of grain with it. See how it goes, but another forum member I know seems happy with his and it's a few years old and been through 2 owners. I power mine with my work Milwaukee cordless drill. This is grunt and also can turn the mill at a fast hand crank. Which gives me agood crush. My sparges and efficiency have gone up better now I mill my own.
Cheers

 

[Coldspace]

Further to this mill, I just crushed 18 kgs of grain tonight as tomm I'm running 2 x double batches in my GF.

Used my Milwaukee heavy duty cordless, on slow speed running about fast hand crank speed. Perfect crush, took about 20 to 25 mins but that was stopping and emptying bucket and weighing and loading grain into supplied hopper, which takes approx 2 kgs.

Took my time, as I recon if you run mills too fast, they crush bad, as well as put too much stress on the bearings etc.

Fast hand crank speed.

My sparges and efficiency is way better now than when I got crushed grain elsewhere .

As all things in brewing, Patience grasshopper, lol

More than happy with it ATM.

The way I'm going several hundred kgs a year will go through it.

I'll report back in a couple of years. See how it goes

 

[scooterism]

These are the mills where an o-ring is used to turn the idle roller?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

the bearings are 8mm ID, 19mm OD, 6mm thick

Are they exact sizes?

I ask because that's very close to 5/16" ID x 3/4" OD x 1/4" and we all know what Seppoes are useless with metric.

BTW I've used Igus bearings in several applications and they're really good as long as you don't exceed their side load specs.

Does this mill have spring mounts for the roller gap setting like a real mill does? That will affect the bearing load too.