I wanna see the darth vader mill.....
Aug/Sept Woodturning Challenge - Peppermill
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It's coming!
@Spinartist you should put one of your "special" ones in here!
Just got back home from BEAUTIFUL North Carolina.
Will probly post photo Tuesday Or Wed.
Entry first, Darth Vader after...
Great to meet you Henry !! WB folk be waiting to see the pieces you make with the Norfolk Island Pine I gave you !
NIP!!!!!! Might be jealous!
Might????????????????
Looks like a chesspiece/pawn... and pepper comes out of it. How awesome! Love the White Oak too.
I am looking at having to retract my try at this for now. I have the components but not yet the time. I am working longer hours at work and trying to get a timber frame cut for work. I have had to source all the tools and draw all the joints as well as laying the truss out. Both on paper and lining it out on the concrete floor. Then making a direct transcribe to the wooden components. I have 2 helpers. 1 is 19 and energetic yet not trained, the other is older than I and doesn't care to learn the skill set.
Welcome to the current workforce, Frank. Speaking as a former employer, things haven't changed much in the last 23 years. ......... Jerry (in Tucson)
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I get it, my work life balance sucks too. That's why I haven't participated in any of the turning challenges. It's very hard for me to find time to get in the shop. Keep us posted on the timber framing job, looks interesting.
Convince me I need to move to the Plateau and ........
I'll try to enter this contest as just about 10 minutes ago I think I just thought of a ?brilliant? idea on how to ID the pepper from the salt mills if using the same wood for each. If I can't get them made by midnight tomorrow, I'll post them about a week from now. ....... Jerry (in Tucson)
Big failure. My idea was sound, but instead of simply drilling 4 3/8" holes at 90 degrees apart from each other, or just 2 drill through the piece and exposing 4 holes, 90 degrees apart. I decided to drill 6 holes at an angle down through the top.
My table was angled and from what I could see, it was to be PURRFECk holes, considering I made sure each hole was aligned properly to come out at the bottom of the top piece.
Well, it didn't work out that way as the top placement of the holes started OK, but instead of going straight down, the first one came out the side very close to the bottom, about 2 3/4" down.
No big deal as all will do the same. They were close, but not purrfeck. Well, they all came out close to the first one, but a couple were deeper and a couple shorter. Since this was my first attempt at that, I figured I could try to salvage it.
Continued on doing what I could remember from back in 2012 when I made a couple dozen with a mandrel I made.
Somewhere I missed a step in the process as all the steps to making a mill failed me. Not one section of this mill was aligned. I have a video of what it looks like, but this iMac won't let me post it. Anyway, the mandrel has a 1/4" pin. The next diameter is 1 1/16 for the grinding mechanism. That allows me to true up both ends of the body. The last diameter fits the base for attaching the grinder.
This next picture shows the top and body fitted and ready to turn the shape. It's loose in the picture as the Tailstock isn't fully tight yet.
It worked out great until I was done and rotated the top and body. Yeehaw!! There was more than 1/8" difference from 180 degrees apart when it was rotated. I left it at 180 and turned that smooth. It reduced to less than 1/16". I left it that way and sanded and sprayed it, even though it isn't finished yet. This picture is what it should have looked like, but the last picture is what it does when I
rotate it.
This is the difference when rotated now.
In my opinion, it's a piece of crap for several reasons. The angled dowels didn't work out as I'd hoped. The shape is not what I prefer in Mills. The off center body and top aggravate the hell out me. I think after 2 more attempts at this, I could get it within 10 thousandths.
The dowels are 3/8 Olive that I made. After drilling the holes at 3/8, I tried to insert one and it was too large by .006". I spent about 30 minutes going through all my larger bits looking for one that was .381" or larger. most I had that were close were .390 which is 29/64. Re-drilled the holes and the dowels were still tight. Last year when I made them, they were exactly .375" (3/8). They have swelled and we are running about 8-9% humidity. Anyway, it's done, and if anyone thinks this should be moved or deleted from this thread, please do it.
.............. Jerry (in Tucson)
My table was angled and from what I could see, it was to be PURRFECk holes, considering I made sure each hole was aligned properly to come out at the bottom of the top piece.Well, it didn't work out that way as the top placement of the holes started OK, but instead of going straight down, the first one came out the side very close to the bottom, about 2 3/4" down.
No big deal as all will do the same. They were close, but not purrfeck. Well, they all came out close to the first one, but a couple were deeper and a couple shorter. Since this was my first attempt at that, I figured I could try to salvage it.Continued on doing what I could remember from back in 2012 when I made a couple dozen with a mandrel I made.
Somewhere I missed a step in the process as all the steps to making a mill failed me. Not one section of this mill was aligned. I have a video of what it looks like, but this iMac won't let me post it. Anyway, the mandrel has a 1/4" pin. The next diameter is 1 1/16 for the grinding mechanism. That allows me to true up both ends of the body. The last diameter fits the base for attaching the grinder.This next picture shows the top and body fitted and ready to turn the shape. It's loose in the picture as the Tailstock isn't fully tight yet.
It worked out great until I was done and rotated the top and body. Yeehaw!! There was more than 1/8" difference from 180 degrees apart when it was rotated. I left it at 180 and turned that smooth. It reduced to less than 1/16". I left it that way and sanded and sprayed it, even though it isn't finished yet. This picture is what it should have looked like, but the last picture is what it does when Irotate it.
This is the difference when rotated now.
In my opinion, it's a piece of crap for several reasons. The angled dowels didn't work out as I'd hoped. The shape is not what I prefer in Mills. The off center body and top aggravate the hell out me. I think after 2 more attempts at this, I could get it within 10 thousandths.The dowels are 3/8 Olive that I made. After drilling the holes at 3/8, I tried to insert one and it was too large by .006". I spent about 30 minutes going through all my larger bits looking for one that was .381" or larger. most I had that were close were .390 which is 29/64. Re-drilled the holes and the dowels were still tight. Last year when I made them, they were exactly .375" (3/8). They have swelled and we are running about 8-9% humidity. Anyway, it's done, and if anyone thinks this should be moved or deleted from this thread, please do it.
.............. Jerry (in Tucson)
I'd give that attempt a A for effort Jerry.
Either way it goes you are ahead of me. 2 months to make an offering and I still don't have a completed piece. Life has been too busy lately.
Either way it goes you are ahead of me. 2 months to make an offering and I still don't have a completed piece. Life has been too busy lately.
Looks better than the none that the most of us members made...
A good proof of concept even if final product is off. Really like the contrast of the olive dowels. I've kept the idea of using dowels in the back of my mind since you first mentioned/showed it, but just haven't found the right piece/situation yet.
Sorry about re-posting this picture. What I'd like to point out is the 2 pictures at the line between the top and body of this mill. The picture closest to the mill is what the house looked like in 1992 when I bought. The picture to the left is what my house looks like after the roof took flight. That's it. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)
You haven't really been looking, Buddy. I'd say 90 % of the wood I find needs something to keep it together and I'm sure there's plenty in your area if you kook. When you do find one, let me know and I'll send you some dowels. Might not be Olive, but different from what is available. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)
About a week ago I received a couple of pieces of spalted Maple Burl Peppermill blanks from @Mike1950. Made a PM -10”. Turned then dyed black. Sanded back the black. Then dyed red over the black and sanded it back again. Several coats of satin poly for finish. Including a pic of the second blank I have. Thanks
