Motor For Millmaster Input

[Sully]

Hi All,

I lashed out and bought a Millmaster from CB and looking at options for a cheap motor setup. After a bit of research I have come up with these options:

200W Drill Press comes with Pulleys and switch $62.00 - easy modifications to suit

200W Bench Grinder - needs a few minor modifications $42.00

My main question is would 200W be sufficient grunt for say a 5kg plus grain bill and does anyone have any other suggestions? I have looked thru other members mills, but I dont want to go windscreen wiper motor or washing machine motor option and prefer to buy new bits (I am a bit anal that way ). Budget is set under $100.00.

Cheers

Sully

 

[browndog]

Sully,
There is a guy who advertises in the Weekend Shopper in Saturdays Courier Mail in the tools section selling electric motors pretty cheap up your way. After rigging up a millmaster with pulleys for Ross, I can tell you that the biggest problem you will have is finding a pulley to fit the shaft. Pulleys are made to fir a 1/2" shaft, the millmaster is 12mm. I ended up building the shaft up with aluminium tape then banging the pulley on with a mallet. You could always go the direct drive way with a spider coupling but the downside is your mill will spin at the same speed as the motor. It needs to be about 100rpm.


cheers

Browndog

 

[recharge]

I have a small drill press motor (250W)1450rpm on mine and it just doesn't have the power to load up the hopper. i have to sprinkle my grain through, not a big deal for me at the moment as i only crush 2 to 3kg. Also its on a 3 roller crankenstein so don't know if that will affect much.

Hope that helps.

Rich

 

[mika]

I've got ~500W on my mill, I wouldn't go any less. Grain bills with high percentages of Rye and Wheat can still stall the motor without slipping the belt.

 

[Sully]

OK, thanks for the input fellas.

I have sourced a 1HP motor 2830RPM, that should cover it?

I have looked at the online pulley calculators and a bit unsure in trying to work out what size pulleys to get down to 100RPM as Browndog suggested. So far it works out at 2" drive and 50" driven, am I missing something cause 50" is frickin huge?

Cheers

Sully

PS Brownie: Checked Sat W/E Shopper and its probably the only weekend that guy you mentioned has not advertised.

 

[porky]

that will give you 113 RPM.
pulley is not too big then, but you could go a bit faster and reduce the pulley.
still will be huge though, and expensive I would think.
to get 180 RPM you will still need a pulley at around 33 inches.
slower motor is the go. 1400 RPM, maybe hang out for one of those.

Cheers,
Bud

 

[samhighley]

I'm looking to motorise my Millmaster and i'm pretty handy with tools, but I know nothing about gear drive motors etc.

So what would people recommend as the best option for motorising?

What are the possible options for motorising via a belt and pulley setup?

 

[samhighley]

Is anyone using one of these motors with a MillMaster?

 

[warra48]

I'm toying with the idea of rigging up the motor from a motorized golf buggy, ie the walk behind job, not the sit down job. I'm sure I can pick one up cheap at my golf club, and it will turn the mill nice and slow with plenty of torque. I've got the battery and charger for my own buggy, and if it can move my buggy for 36 holes of golf, it can grind 5 kg of grain.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

You can use a three wheel system,IE intermediate wheel on a lazy shaft. The middle shaft gets rid of those massive reductions.Not really expensive just involves more planning.Or do what I have done and get a reduction gear box to suit your RPM coupled by a spider coupler..Got motor and gearbox off Ebay for $175 new.
GB

 

[Sully]

You can use a three wheel system,IE intermediate wheel on a lazy shaft. The middle shaft gets rid of those massive reductions.Not really expensive just involves more planning.Or do what I have done and get a reduction gear box to suit your RPM coupled by a spider coupler..Got motor and gearbox off Ebay for $175 new.
GB

The penny finally dropped and now I understand (sort of) how to work out what pulleys I will need.


How I am going to attack this is:

2" pulley on the motor to a 10" pulley on a lazy shaft - 2830rpm to 566rpm

2" pulley on the lazy shaft to 10" pulley on the Mill - 566rpm to 113.2rpm

Does that sound right?

Cheers

Sully

 

[porky]

yup it does.
that is now 4 pulleys, one extra shaft, two bearings for the "lazy" shaft, something to mount the lazy shaft on, and two belts to drive it all.

no problem

or hang out for a slower motor

 

[Sully]

yup it does.
that is now 4 pulleys, one extra shaft, two bearings for the "lazy" shaft, something to mount the lazy shaft on, and two belts to drive it all.

no problem

or hang out for a slower motor

Yeah, I should do that. I cannot get hold of anyone to get prices atm, all closed til the 12th. Besides, I'm an impatient sod .


I can get this particular motor for $80.00 (cheap chinese unit) thru ebay if it goes for that, which previous ones have. The only other prices I have found so far were the $180 and upwards bracket. I could justify that amount if I was using it say more than once a week, but still yet to get prices on pulleys & bits so that will also decide which way to go anyways.

Thanks for the input though - definately food for thought. Will sleep on it and get prices on the other bits tomorrow..

Cheers

Sully

 

[browndog]

Sully, how ever you end up motorising it, all I can say after seeing Ross's mill in operation is look out it kicks massive butt, if you got your fingers in there it will tear your arm off.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Sully]

Sully, how ever you end up motorising it, all I can say after seeing Ross's mill in operation is look out it kicks massive butt, if you got your fingers in there it will tear your arm off.

cheers

Browndog

Care to share some pics and specs Bd? PLEEEAAASE?

 

[samhighley]

Is anyone using one of these motors with a MillMaster?

I'll try and get AndrewQLD in here to comment on this motor setup.

 

[jlm]

I use a 750W Makita on low. Sits in a little stand which sits over a bucket. If you've got a decent drill (and it would want to be a good one) will get you going in the meantime.

 

[durgarth]

Hi All,

I lashed out and bought a Millmaster from CB and looking at options for a cheap motor setup. After a bit of research I have come up with these options:

200W Drill Press comes with Pulleys and switch $62.00 - easy modifications to suit

200W Bench Grinder - needs a few minor modifications $42.00

My main question is would 200W be sufficient grunt for say a 5kg plus grain bill and does anyone have any other suggestions? I have looked thru other members mills, but I dont want to go windscreen wiper motor or washing machine motor option and prefer to buy new bits (I am a bit anal that way ). Budget is set under $100.00.

Cheers

Sully

Sully,

I also recently purchased a grain mill and very quickly got sick of grinding the grains by hand....maybe I'm just lazy (LOL). So I purchased a GMC (cheap as possible) drill press, making sure that the pulley's from the drill press could be used on the the arm from the mill (hope that makes sense). The motor was a small (fairly sure it was bigger than 200 watts though, possibly 250 or 300???). The drill press i bought had two sets of pullies. That way you can mount one on the motor side and another to the grain mill arm. That way you can slow the grain mill down.

I mounted the motor and drill press on a nice peice of maple that is able to "sit" over my mash vessel. Place the grains in bin, plug it in and away you go.

I have done 10 AG brews using this method and my efficiency is great. Cost of the drill press was about $70. I'm sure you can pick one up at Bunnings.

My only tip is to make sure the pullies fit onto your grain mill arm.

Cheers

Steve

 

[browndog]

Care to share some pics and specs Bd? PLEEEAAASE?

Sorry Sully, I neglected to take any photos at all during construction, I can tell you the motor is a bloody big 3 phase, don't know if it is 2800 or 1400 rpm. The pulley on the motor is about 3" dia. and the one on the mill is 17" that Ross sourced from somewhere. I reckon you would need at least a 1/3 to 1/2 HP to run a millmaster via pulleys.
It is basically a flat table with the motor bolted on one end at the other end the mill unit sits on top of the hopper accessory go get it high enough above the table to give clearance to the 17" pulley on the millshaft. There is a square hole cut through the table so the crushed grain drops though to a bucket below. The height of the table suits one of those white 15L buckets you can buy at supercheap, if you want I can post a few pics of my mill, which while being a home made job, is set up the same way.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Sully]

Sorry Sully, I neglected to take any photos at all during construction, I can tell you the motor is a bloody big 3 phase, don't know if it is 2800 or 1400 rpm. The pulley on the motor is about 3" dia. and the one on the mill is 17" that Ross sourced from somewhere. I reckon you would need at least a 1/3 to 1/2 HP to run a millmaster via pulleys.
It is basically a flat table with the motor bolted on one end at the other end the mill unit sits on top of the hopper accessory go get it high enough above the table to give clearance to the 17" pulley on the millshaft. There is a square hole cut through the table so the crushed grain drops though to a bucket below. The height of the table suits one of those white 15L buckets you can buy at supercheap, if you want I can post a few pics of my mill, which while being a home made job, is set up the same way.

cheers

Browndog

That's cools Bd, I just wanted to know what specs were on Ross' unit to make it so powerful. 3 phase I imagine would make the mother of motorised mills.

Only if you got time to post pics that would be great, although it would prolly be good for other members to have a peek at too. I pretty well much got the stand etc sussed out, just have to get the motor sorted.

Cheers

Sully