Yet Another Grain Mill Thread

[hairyson]

i'm waiting to get my tax refund before i buy a grain mill, is there anyone else looking for one, to maybe combine into an order?

my preference is a locally-made mill, so i think the only one for me is the MillMaster from MashMaster (by BrissyBrew).

Cheers,
Ben.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Little bit OT but IMO, after reading about the problems with the monster mills in some recent threads I can only strongly suggest this mill that you are thinking about purchasing.

Strongly affiliated because I'm a happy customer.

Farside.

 

[spog]

i'm waiting to get my tax refund before i buy a grain mill, is there anyone else looking for one, to maybe combine into an order?

my preference is a locally-made mill, so i think the only one for me is the MillMaster from MashMaster (by BrissyBrew).

Cheers,
Ben.

no help on the ordering side,but IF you are thinking about motorising your mill, do your homework.
the millmaster has a 12mm drive shaft that is a pita to motorise,where as the non metric versions are more non skilled hb,er friendly.
do a search here and decide for yourself.
or buy a hand crank to go with it..cheers..spog....

 

[hairyson]

no help on the ordering side,but IF you are thinking about motorising your mill, do your homework.
the millmaster has a 12mm drive shaft that is a pita to motorise,where as the non metric versions are more non skilled hb,er friendly.
do a search here and decide for yourself.
or buy a hand crank to go with it..cheers..spog....

thanks for the heads-up spog, i'll look into it.
actually our plan is to pedalise it. i'm going to get an old wind trainer hooked up, not the stationary bike kind, but one you can put any bike on, and power it like that. but until that becomes reality, i'll get a hand-crank.

no other takers out there?
ben

 

[Sammus]

benny, I wanted to do exactly that, but didn't end up because I couldn't figure out how to connect a bike to the mill.

At any rate, if you do end up motorizing it (as I have) give Luke at Aus Pulley Co. in windsor a call.

No affiliation etc etc, but I went through 4 power transmission specialists before I got onto that guy, and they all f*cked me around royally, and had no clue what they were talking about.

I eventually got the suggestion to call APC. I rang them up, and it turns out they make all their own pulleys. They only normally do imperial sizes, but they happened to be casting alu pulleys in the size I needed the next day, so he put one aside and bored/keyed it 12mm x 4mm for the millmaster.

Turns out he's actually made a bunch of pulleys in this weid size for some homebrew shop in the blue mountains, I can only assume theyre also for a millmaster

Anyway, I've just build my table (worst carpentry ever) and it goes like a weapon.

Another note while I'm talking about motorizing - I've read about people mounting the motor to a board on hinges connected to the mill table, and just using the weight of the motor to give the belt enough tension. I tried that, but my hinges flexed too much, so I just bolted it to the table in the right spot. I can get the belt on/off easily but there's still plenty enough tension in the belt - enough to start without slipping with a hopper full of wheat anyway, which I think is probably the worst case situation.

phew.. sorry bout the long post, but hopefully it helps anyone thinking about motorizing.

 

[spog]

benny, I wanted to do exactly that, but didn't end up because I couldn't figure out how to connect a bike to the mill.

At any rate, if you do end up motorizing it (as I have) give Luke at Aus Pulley Co. in windsor a call.

No affiliation etc etc, but I went through 4 power transmission specialists before I got onto that guy, and they all f*cked me around royally, and had no clue what they were talking about.

I eventually got the suggestion to call APC. I rang them up, and it turns out they make all their own pulleys. They only normally do imperial sizes, but they happened to be casting alu pulleys in the size I needed the next day, so he put one aside and bored/keyed it 12mm x 4mm for the millmaster.

Turns out he's actually made a bunch of pulleys in this weid size for some homebrew shop in the blue mountains, I can only assume theyre also for a millmaster

Anyway, I've just build my table (worst carpentry ever) and it goes like a weapon.

Another note while I'm talking about motorizing - I've read about people mounting the motor to a board on hinges connected to the mill table, and just using the weight of the motor to give the belt enough tension. I tried that, but my hinges flexed too much, so I just bolted it to the table in the right spot. I can get the belt on/off easily but there's still plenty enough tension in the belt - enough to start without slipping with a hopper full of wheat anyway, which I think is probably the worst case situation.

phew.. sorry bout the long post, but hopefully it helps anyone thinking about motorizing.

sammus what did the pulley end up costing you.cheers..spog....

 

[dicko]

no help on the ordering side,but IF you are thinking about motorising your mill, do your homework.
the millmaster has a 12mm drive shaft that is a pita to motorise,where as the non metric versions are more non skilled hb,er friendly.
do a search here and decide for yourself.
or buy a hand crank to go with it..cheers..spog....

Hi spog,

Some engineering suppliers have pulleys without a hole bored in them so that you can have them machined to suit your application.
You might try places like Eyre traders, Blackwoods, Eyre welding and gas, etc.
They probably wont have anything in stock but may have them listed in a catalogue.
This may help!

Cheers

 

[spog]

Hi spog,

Some engineering suppliers have pulleys without a hole bored in them so that you can have them machined to suit your application.
You might try places like Eyre traders, Blackwoods, Eyre welding and gas, etc.
They probably wont have anything in stock but may have them listed in a catalogue.
This may help!

Cheers

g,day dicko,tried them all no luck,being port lincoln we pay high prices due to "transport costs".
i can get one from blackwoods but is cast and wieghs a ton.
now looking at the wiper motor as an option but i am not rushing into it as i am too busy to spend too much time on it at the moment.
just considering all the options....cheers.....spog.....

 

[bconnery]

For those thinking about a millmaster obviously automating is all very nice but let me say that using the hand crank these babies chew through the grain...
I thought I'd start with a hand crank and worry about motorising if I felt the need and I have no intention of bothering.
Nothing wrong with motorising of course but for me not necessary with that particular mill...

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Regardless of how you power it, if you buy a MillMaster your great grandkids will be dead before it wears out.

 

[Sammus]

ditto to bconnery, the hand crank is much easier than it sounds, I just did it well... i dunno, because I do stuff like this for the sake of it.

spog: the pulley was $40 for the blank and $15 for the machining. That was a 10" 1A aluminium pulley. He said if he wasn't casting it would've probably been an extra $40 or so because he'd have to plug and rebore one of the ones on the shelf.

I tried blackwoods and they only have pre bored alu pulleys in stock. You can go metric, but your sizes are very limited, and you have to use taperloc pulleys, which cost like a billion times more. I think theyre more for higher power application, 550W is pretty low in comparison to the industrial types they normally deal with, and I very much down my motor is running at full power.

Some photos:






Sorry about the hijack... I wont take it any further (unless someone makes me )

 

[QldKev]

Little bit OT but IMO, after reading about the problems with the monster mills in some recent threads I can only strongly suggest this mill that you are thinking about purchasing.

Strongly affiliated because I'm a happy customer.

Farside.

The only issue I have seen with monster mills is if you do not read the instructions and ensure they are mounted square then the free roller does not spin. But that is an installation issue. Are there other issues?

QldKev

 

[porky]

Yes, time and a free wheeling roller.

Refer to both Screwtop and Zwickel posts to see what I am referring to.
I found Screwtops' method of making his mill work just way over the top.....
he said overall he is happy with it....I just don't understand that.
Like buying a four wheel drive that gets stuck in a little mud...pointless I reckon.

 

[hairyson]

benny, I wanted to do exactly that, but didn't end up because I couldn't figure out how to connect a bike to the mill.

At any rate, if you do end up motorizing it (as I have) give Luke at Aus Pulley Co. in windsor a call.

No affiliation etc etc, but I went through 4 power transmission specialists before I got onto that guy, and they all f*cked me around royally, and had no clue what they were talking about.

thanks sammus! good to know some options.

For those thinking about a millmaster obviously automating is all very nice but let me say that using the hand crank these babies chew through the grain...
I thought I'd start with a hand crank and worry about motorising if I felt the need and I have no intention of bothering.
Nothing wrong with motorising of course but for me not necessary with that particular mill...

i'm of the exact opposite opinion, there are things wrong with motorising for me -- my homebrew habit is partly about reducing (water, glass, energy, cost), so if it can be done by hand, that's how I want to do it (cue forest sounds recording)... though I'm sure you could pick me to pieces about a host of other things that i'm conveniently ignoring

Regardless of how you power it, if you buy a MillMaster your great grandkids will be dead before it wears out.

(shhhh.... don't tell BrissyBrew!)