Mill Motors

[bigfridge]

Hey all,

Can anyone help me - I'm looking for a shaft to drive my setup. The Mashmaster minimill is 1/2" (12.7mm), and the MotionDynamics wormdrive motor opening thingo is 12.5mm.

So I have 2x 1/2" Lovejoy coupling halves.. one fits beautifully onto my minimill... but now I need a shaft to connect the motor to the other half of the coupling.

12.5mm rod would be perfect - it needs to have a hole through the centre of it at one end for a split-pin or something ( which the wormdrive motor has a notch to fit one through ), and the other end needs just a notch for the grub-screw in the Lovejoy coupling to grab onto.

any ideas?
cheers
kieran

The benefit of using the Lovejoy couplings is that you can get the 2 halves in different sizes to fit the 2 different shaft diameters.

I have a barley crusher so got a 3/8" coupling to suit but couldn't find a 17mm to suit the outside of the motor shaft. The closest that I could find was 16mm so I bought a 17mm reduced shank drill off ebay for a few bucks and drilled it out. The Lovejoy id made from Cast Iron so machines very easilly. All is now very sweet.

You would need to use a specially hardened shear pin if you wanted to use the hole in the shaft to drive the mill due to the torque involved.


HTH,
Dave

 

[Hogan]

Where did you get that case from? I'm looking for something similar for my setup.

Sorry for the delay Kieran - just saw your post.

The box is the same that is used to store the electronics of a standard home alarm system. I picked up a used one from a mate who does installs.


Cheers, Hoges.

 

[ledgenko]

I have been reading through this forum and I say "excellent" (insert Mr Burns voice) ... But probably a stupid question but has anyone tried this on a Marga Mill ??? Yes I am serious - Yes I got it at a good price - Yes it has not yet missed a beat...

I am curious to know if motorising a Marga mill is possible and practical - considering I paid half (for the mill) of what these motors are being sold for..

Cheers

Matt

 

[benno1973]

I have been reading through this forum and I say "excellent" (insert Mr Burns voice) ... But probably a stupid question but has anyone tried this on a Marga Mill ??? Yes I am serious - Yes I got it at a good price - Yes it has not yet missed a beat...

I am curious to know if motorising a Marga mill is possible and practical - considering I paid half (for the mill) of what these motors are being sold for..

Cheers

Matt

Hi Matt,

I have just been playing around with my Marga to see if I can motorise it. We have burnt out 2 drills grinding grain, and I can't be bothered sitting there during the grinding process, so I thought I'd tinker.

I have a wiper motor and window winder motor, both of which have a lot of torque and were picked up on the cheap from a wreckers. Additionally, they are 12V so I can play around with the wiring myself. I also got one of these off ebay for the connection between the two shafts. So far, I've put it together and graound a few handfulls of grain, but there's a few obstacles that I need to overcome...

• I need a 12V power supply that can deliver somewhere around 5-7A, as I understand that wiper motors can draw that much under load
• I need a way to anchor the wiper motor to the mill bench (they are ugly and unwieldy
• I need to somehow attach the spider coupling to the motor - it doesn't really have a shaft, just a protruding 8mm thread

So long story short, yes you can motorise these but, as you've pointed out, it's not practical to spend more than the mill itself, which is why I looked into using a wiper motor. I also have an electric meat grinder that has a lot of torque - might also look into adapting that somehow if the wiper motor doesn't work out.

 

[ledgenko]

hey cheers Kaiser ...

I have been using a electric drill too but its loud and you have to sit there whilst it is doing its thing ... not too much fun I am afraid ... I have a few options other than the drill that I am working on as we speak.. 1 is a electric roller door motor .. have yet to get it going as it was at a council pickup ... the other is a Kenwood mixer motor which goes like the clappers but attaching a rod to it is a bit of a challenge ... but I am perservering ... will keep u updated on what works and what doesn't ..

Cheers

Matt

 

[Amber Fluid]

Just put my order in today for the MD motor which isn't too bad for $149 + delivery. Only thing I debated was if it was worth getting the speed controller as well. I have read others say there is no need for it but I am looking beyond just powering my mill, ie. they would churn out a nice spit roast etc too. So I bit the bullet and took it as well.

Now the waiting game for Mr Aust Post begins.

 

[Florian]

Seriously, Amber Fluid, there was absolutely no need to bring this thread up again! Now I have yet another purchase to consider which I had almost forgotten about...

What mill are you using?

Will wade through this thread again to check how to connect it to the original MillMaster MKII.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Seriously, Amber Fluid, there was absolutely no need to bring this thread up again! Now I have yet another purchase to consider which I had almost forgotten about...

What mill are you using?

Will wade through this thread again to check how to connect it to the original MillMaster MKII.

lol

I am using the Millmaster Minimill and am tired of holding the drill for it. lazy I know but i might as well get this. I haven't told SWMBO yet as it is easier to seek forgiveness than to seek permission and besides... if I end up spending tonight on the couch then it was worth it

For the Minimill it is just a case of a 12mm x 12.7mm coupling and a 12mm rod. Mill shaft is 1/2" and the motor is 12mm.

 

[stl]

What mill are you using?

Will wade through this thread again to check how to connect it to the original MillMaster MKII.

We connected my MillMaster (pretty sure it was a MkII) with a Lovejoy coupling (L075) purchased via eBay for about $20 delivered IIRC. Other parts needed were some grub screws (found random screws that did the job) and a shaft between the motor and the coupling (which was fashioned out of an old bolt ground down a bit). I'll see if I can get someone to take some photos of it...

The coupling was definitely a good idea because we didn't really get it lined up too well when we mounted it, so it takes up a bit of slack and wobbles around a bit.

 

[tavas]

RS Components has a heap of different couplings which may suit your application.

No affliation etc etc. Just found it after researching to fit my mill and motor.

 

[kieran]

Here is a video of my rig in action..
Sorry about the link, it points to my google+ thingo. I wasn't sure how to move it over to youtube.

The hopper is a modified 9L enamel coated galvo bin from K-mart with a cone cemented into the base (so it's kinda like a grain silo). The bin is removable, but fits snuggly in place on top of the top with the aid of 4x N52 rare earth 2cm diameter x 5mm thick coin-sized magnets. The bin can fit 8kg of grain in it. The power supply for the motor, and PWM controller are in the grey jiffy box mounted underneath. I put a vent on the back to let it breathe as the massive heatsink on the PWM controller made me a little concerned about heat dissipation in a closed box. I made up a faceplate from a 19" Rack face, and mounted a 240VAC IEC socket, two switches (one for mains, one for the PWM/motor), and the pot. I did a dodgy dremel job with the engraving, but you get the idea.
It's all very neat, just the way I intended.

The bench is a modified Ikea Bekvam kitchen trolley - but I cut two legs short, and put four braked castors on it.. so it glides around the brewhouse now. I left out the second shelf, and I can put my grain bucket on the bottom one, to catch grain.

Mashmaster minimill - the gears and gap width is still easily adjustable.. and (as you can see in the vid) it uses a lovejoy coupling.

oh... i got the Bekvam second hand because at the time all Ikea's in the country were out of them.. so mine came with a spice rack. Which I left in place.

 

[Ross]

Kieran, that's awesome :super:

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Video no worky for me

 

[razz]

Very noticeable is the lack of flour due to low rpm, great job!

 

[QldKev]

Listening to it nearly put me asleep

very calming sound

 

[kieran]

Thanks Ross. It was a fun build, a fair bit of planning went into it.

Stu - perhaps try again? I'm not sure how google serves up their videos these days - whether it's Flash or HTML5 -- it works in Chrome for me. Maybe I'll try to deposit it to youtube again.

QldKev - yes it is.. I'm a sunday morning brewer, and having that going at 5:30am could almost put me back to sleep. The droning noise is from the PWM controller.. the rhythmical beating is the mill. It sounds way worse than it really is though.. my phone's microphone picks up the sound really badly.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

Thanks Ross. It was a fun build, a fair bit of planning went into it.

Stu - perhaps try again? I'm not sure how google serves up their videos these days - whether it's Flash or HTML5 -- it works in Chrome for me. Maybe I'll try to deposit it to youtube again.

QldKev - yes it is.. I'm a sunday morning brewer, and having that going at 5:30am could almost put me back to sleep. The droning noise is from the PWM controller.. the rhythmical beating is the mill. It sounds way worse than it really is though.. my phone's microphone picks up the sound really badly.

I couldn't play the vid from my iPad but the description sounds aweson kieran. If you load it onto YouTube post the link and I'll have a sticky beak.

Cheers

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Prob some wierd settimg on the site that that Noscript and AddBlack use. I have FF on my lappy pretty tight when it comes to embedded content

 

[luke_j]

What a great thread. Props to Motion Dynamics for going above and beyond the normal level of customer service. Sounds like he might have made a couple of bucks out of it as well, which is excellent.

 

[philski]

Also, the mill master shafts are keyed. 12mm with a 4mm key, and the new 1/2" shaft is whatever is stander on 1/2" I guess

Agreed!! Now I am keen to get a mill and motorise it! There are way too many things to spend money on these days...

 

[Amber Fluid]

Here is a video of my rig in action..
Sorry about the link, it points to my google+ thingo. I wasn't sure how to move it over to youtube.

The hopper is a modified 9L enamel coated galvo bin from K-mart with a cone cemented into the base (so it's kinda like a grain silo). The bin is removable, but fits snuggly in place on top of the top with the aid of 4x N52 rare earth 2cm diameter x 5mm thick coin-sized magnets. The bin can fit 8kg of grain in it. The power supply for the motor, and PWM controller are in the grey jiffy box mounted underneath. I put a vent on the back to let it breathe as the massive heatsink on the PWM controller made me a little concerned about heat dissipation in a closed box. I made up a faceplate from a 19" Rack face, and mounted a 240VAC IEC socket, two switches (one for mains, one for the PWM/motor), and the pot. I did a dodgy dremel job with the engraving, but you get the idea.
It's all very neat, just the way I intended.

The bench is a modified Ikea Bekvam kitchen trolley - but I cut two legs short, and put four braked castors on it.. so it glides around the brewhouse now. I left out the second shelf, and I can put my grain bucket on the bottom one, to catch grain.

Mashmaster minimill - the gears and gap width is still easily adjustable.. and (as you can see in the vid) it uses a lovejoy coupling.

oh... i got the Bekvam second hand because at the time all Ikea's in the country were out of them.. so mine came with a spice rack. Which I left in place.

That's a pretty good build Kieran. Thanks for sharing your design.
I almost have everything now. Just waiting for a sparky to return my power supply that he is modifying.

The only thing that I find a bit of a PITA with the speed controller is, the switch and the speed adjuster knob are located on the actual board. This makes it virtually impossible to neatly mount the board successfully in a cabinet due to the heat sink being a lot higher than the controls and impossible to access when the board is mounted inside a cabinet. However, I am overcoming this problem by removing both from the board and running cable from the board to where they will be fixed to the cabinet so I can adjust speed and use the switch when the cabinet is closed.

Maybe this is something for MD to think about with regards to design?

Nevertheless, I am happy so far even though I am yet to test it.

 

[white.grant]

Nice work there Kieran, very neat, and the spice rack will come in handy

 

[motiondynamics]

That's pretty awesome Kieran!

I have to admit, I really enjoy seeing the builds people come up with. Its incredible how creative people are! Seriously... a bin! hahaha! Backyard engineering at its best!

You can encase the entire controller in solid epoxy if you choose to! the big heat-sink is a massive overkill, and you'll find it wont even get hot.

I'm not sure which model you have, because there's been a few, but there's been a lot of changes to both the worm drive motor itself and the controller since I first started selling them. The only thing that's stayed the same since the beginning is the gearbox, the rest has all been overhauled and revamped.

The old version of the worm drive had a 180w motor that was decent and had power, but was not super efficient. The new one has a 200w motor with a much higher efficiency (83% vs 70%) and its a much better motor too, its a full bearing unit which runs quieter and smoother.


"The only thing that I find a bit of a PITA with the speed controller is, the switch and the speed adjuster knob are located on the actual board"

You must have an early one, the new ones have edge connectors on the pot connection so you can make up a lead and just simply screw the wires into the pcb terminal block. After reading this though, I think I'll make all the homebrewer units with connectors for both the switch AND the pot!

With the next version of the controller I'll probably add the option for an adjustable current limit (optional because it will add to the overall cost!), but, if you hit that elusive rock, the unit will simply shut down until you reset it, instead of destroying the gearbox, mill or your house as the motor goes on a rampage mashing all it see's. And as a bonus, you wouldn't need any expensive clutched couplings either!


You live and learn, not being a brewer myself, it's not always easy to understand all the different ways that people can use these but without these constructive comments things would never improve!
I hope in the near future I can find some more cost savings and drop the price even further!

But if you want just the motor for $99, all you have to do is use the AHB code in the coupon code at the checkout

 

[mattieharding]

Hey guys,

Recently having bought a MD worm drive motor and controller for my minimill i have to say i love it.
Should have done it sooner. Slides straight onto the shaft, just put a roll pin into secure.

Highly recommended!

 

[Amber Fluid]

"The only thing that I find a bit of a PITA with the speed controller is, the switch and the speed adjuster knob are located on the actual board"

You must have an early one, the new ones have edge connectors on the pot connection so you can make up a lead and just simply screw the wires into the pcb terminal block. After reading this though, I think I'll make all the homebrewer units with connectors for both the switch AND the pot!

With the next version of the controller I'll probably add the option for an adjustable current limit (optional because it will add to the overall cost!), but, if you hit that elusive rock, the unit will simply shut down until you reset it, instead of destroying the gearbox, mill or your house as the motor goes on a rampage mashing all it see's. And as a bonus, you wouldn't need any expensive clutched couplings either!


You live and learn, not being a brewer myself, it's not always easy to understand all the different ways that people can use these but without these constructive comments things would never improve!
I hope in the near future I can find some more cost savings and drop the price even further!

But if you want just the motor for $99, all you have to do is use the AHB code in the coupon code at the checkout

It couldn't be that old surely???.... if it is then I'm really not that impressed receiving old stock when I only purchased this a matter of 2-3 weeks ago.....

I wish I knew about the AHB code I think I paid $149 for both motor and controller yet I now see it on the site for $139 :unsure:

 

[Amber Fluid]

Hey guys,

Recently having bought a MD worm drive motor and controller for my minimill i have to say i love it.
Should have done it sooner. Slides straight onto the shaft, just put a roll pin into secure.

Highly recommended!

I dont know how you "just slide it straight onto the shaft". The mill shaft is 1/2" and the mill takes 12mm. 1/2" is 12.7mm. I would have though you'd need a coupler.

 

[Florian]

With the next version of the controller I'll probably add the option for an adjustable current limit (optional because it will add to the overall cost!), but, if you hit that elusive rock, the unit will simply shut down until you reset it, instead of destroying the gearbox, mill or your house as the motor goes on a rampage mashing all it see's. And as a bonus, you wouldn't need any expensive clutched couplings either!

Please let us know when you have this option up and running, will probably hang on with my purchase until then.

 

[mattieharding]

Well it does slide on, ill post pics once i get home.

 

[kieran]

Hey MotionDynamics
- you might have a few sales of a scaled-down version of your PWM controller if you could push it out for ~$25 for people to make 'stir plates' with..

I'm looking at making one now on breadboard and the parts will cost me about $10 using a 555 timer. It only needs to handle <0.5A @ 12V.

 

[mattieharding]

new hopper for my MD motor driving minimill