Peppermill Demo Bayou Woodturners Demonstrator Jim Shackelford November 2009

Types of Mechanisms Peppermill Mechanism (Stainless Steel) Salt Mill Mechanism (Ceramic & Stainless Steel) Mechanism specifics for product and length of finished mill

3X3X12” Blank Finished blank should be ½” longer than the shaft of the mechanism. 10” Peppermill Drill bit extension 1” Drill bit 1-1/16” Drill bit 1-5/8” Drill bit

Be Creative

Making a peppermill Making a peppermill can be done on all size lathes.

Making a Peppermill on a Mini Can you use a min to make a10” peppermill? –Yes What needs to be taken into consideration? –The length of the most common peppermill is 10”, this is the length of the mill shaft.

Making a Peppermill on a Mini What needs to be taken into consideration? (continued) –The distance on a mini from the headstock and the tailstock is 14”. –You need to measure the blank and separate the cap from the body of the mill, so you can fit it between centers. –Mark the centers and put each piece between center and turn to approx. 2-3/4” and 3” in diameter with a tenon on one end. (So allow for the tenon when measuring the body and cap) –Mount on the body on the drill press and drill as per diagram for your mill body and cap.

Making a Peppermill on a Mini BODY Our mill body has a 1-5/8” hole on the bottom ½” beyond the point where the Tenon meets the body. The we drilled a 1-1/16” diameter hole 1” past the point where the larger diameter Hole ended. Drill a 1” hole the remaining length of the body to create the mill reservoir.

Making a Peppermill on a Mini Cap Mount the cap in the chuck. Turn a tenon on the end to fit into the hole near the top of the body. (1”) Drill a 7/8” hole with a forstner bit 1/8” deep for the drive plate. Drill a ¼” hole thru the cap for the drive shaft. Mount the body and cap between centers using jam chucks to shorten the space required by the conventional revolving center and chuck.

Making a Peppermill on a Mini Shaping With the parts between centers now shape the mill to your preference. Sand all grits from a really rough Brick to 600 grit. Put a finish of your choice on the mill. Use a bottle brush to clean to inside. There are differences in opinions on finish or not finish the inside. Put together as per mill instructions.

Precautions / Ideas After ensure the drive plate fits snuggly in the recessed area in the tenon. Then remove the plate and join the lower part of the mill and the cap end together to turn the final shape of the mill After turning the shape sand through the grits up to 600 grit. Finish the mill to your liking. Assemble the mill as per the diagram and the written instructions supplied with the mill. When preparing the mill pre-drill screw holes using a 1/64” drill bit. I use a bottle brush to clean the inside of the mill, if you finish the inside it is a personal preference. People support either process. If the shaft is slightly too long you may cut the mushroomed end off then ping the end to mushroom to look like the part you removed.

Instructions for Assembly Pepper Mill 1.For easier assembly, bore holes as close as possible to the recommended sizes in diagram #1. 2.Assemble (part #2) with two screws (part #3) onto the tenon located on the underside of the pepper mill top, making sure it centered over hole. 3.Turn the pepper mill base upside down, and secure it firmly into a stationary holder so it cannot move. If using a vice, put padding on the vise grips so the mill body is not scratched or gouged. 4.Insert (part#5) spring bar into the inner bore. Push down inside the body until ends of spring bar with holes are firmly against the body. Use a hole punch and punch two pilot holes (for screws) in the wood body through the two smaller holes on either end of the spring bar. 5.Insert (part#7) female gear into the spring bar (part#5), making sure the angle-cut on the inner circle of the gear is facing out. The two slots in the side of the female grinder will fit into the spring bar, lining up with the screw pilot holes. 6.Slide the male grinder (part #8) onto the threaded end of the shaft (part #4), making sure the smaller end of the male grinder with four flutes is up. 7.Slide the spring (part #6) onto the threaded end of the shaft (part #4), making sure the smaller diameter end of the spring goes first. Spring should slide down shaft until it is against male gear (part #8). 8.Insert the threaded end of shaft (with spring & male grinder attached) down through the female gear and through the larger center hole of the spring bar. Large diameter end of the spring fits over the lip of the large center hole in the spring bar. The spring will prevent the male gear (part #8) from meshing with the female gear (part #7). 9.Assemble retainer bar (part #9) to spring bar-female gear assembly. Place retainer bar on male gear, push and hold down with finger while lining up screw holes in retainer bar with pilot holes made in step 4. Continue holding down gear assembly with one finger while inserting screws in pilot holes and driving them in. Tighten both screws, being careful not to over tighten and strip out holes. 10.Remove pepper mill from vise or holder. Place wood pepper mill top (assembled with part #2, step #2 of instructions) on top of threaded shaft. Line up square hole with square shaft and push down. Place finial nut (part #1) on threaded shaft and turn a few turns until finial nut make contact with wood top. Pepper mill is now completely assembled, and at its most coarse adjustment setting for pepper. To fill with pepper: Unscrew to top finial and remove the top. Fill the lower base of the mill with pepper. Replace the top and finial nut. To adjust grind: The top finial nut has a convenient grind indicator that shows which way to turn for adjustment. Use thumb and forefinger, turn clockwise for a finer grind, and counter clockwise for a coarser grind.

Steps for Making the Peppermill or Salt mills on larger lathes Step #1 Put the mill blank between centers and turn round. The finished diameter should be approx. 2.5’ to 3.0” Step #2 Turn dovetails on both ends of the mill blank to fit you chuck. Step #3 Measure blank and mark location where the cap will be parted from the body. Step #4 Remove the blank from center and mount in the chuck with the Cap end at the headstock end of the lathe.

Steps for Making the Peppermill or Salt mills Continued’ Step #5 At this point we must drill the blank. This can be done on the lathe or on using a drill press. (A Steady rest is preferred but not necessary.) Step #6 Drill a 1-5/8” hole in the bottom of the blank ½” deep beyond the point where the dovetail meets the mill body. (A forstner bit is used.) Step #7 Using a 1-1/16” Forstner bit drill a 1-1/16” hole 1” deep beyond the stopping point of the 1-5/8” hole.

Steps for Making the Peppermill or Salt mills Continued’ Step # 8 Using a 1” Forstner bit drill a hole to a point where the tenon of the cap begins. Be careful not to drill past the end of the tenon for the cap. This can be done all from the bottom of ½ the way from the bottom and the from the top. If you drill from each end the hole needs to meet it does not have to be perfectly aligned the hole is only the reservoir for the product. Step # 9 At this point you will need to part the cap from the body of the mill. Step # 10 Remove the body of the mill. Turn a tenon on the end of the cap to approx. 1” in Diameter and approx. 1/2” long. This tenon must fit in the 1” hole in the body snuggly but not too tight where it will not rotate smoothly. After turning the 1” tenon drill a 7/8” recess on the end of the tenon 1/8” deep for the drive plate. Then drill a ¼‘’ hole thru the cap for the shaft.

Steps for Making the Peppermill or Salt mills Continued’ Step # 11 Now you have the tenon that fits into the reservoir of the mill put the body on the tenon and use it as a jam chuck. Bring up the tailstock and shape the mill to your preference. Remember to mark the spot on the mill where the diameter transitions or where there is a cove of bead, then with a parting took set the depths of the cut this will give you a good reference until you can eyeball the shape as some of the more experienced turners. After the shape of the body is done jam separate the mill and the cap, use a chuck or jam chuck to remove the tenons and finish shaping the cap and body. Finish to your preference. The internet s a great place to get ideas. I print the shape of a specific mill on my printer from one of the computer programs that has a rule on the edge so I can stretch it out to the 10” length I like and the diameter that looks right. Then I print it and write the measurements on the picture and keep it handy at the lathe.

Precautions / Ideas After ensure the drive plate fits snuggly in the recessed area in the tenon. Then remove the plate and join the lower part of the mill and the cap end together to turn the final shape of the mill After turning the shape sand through the grits up to 600 grit. Finish the mill to your liking. Assemble the mill as per the diagram and the written instructions supplied with the mill. When preparing the mill pre-drill screw holes using a 1/64” drill bit. I use a bottle brush to clean the inside of the mill, if you finish the inside it is a personal preference. People support either process. If the shaft is slightly too long you may cut the mushroomed end off then ping the end to mushroom to look like the part you removed.

Instructions for Assembly Pepper Mill 1.For easier assembly, bore holes as close as possible to the recommended sizes in diagram #1. 2.Assemble (part #2) with two screws (part #3) onto the tenon located on the underside of the pepper mill top, making sure it centered over hole. 3.Turn the pepper mill base upside down, and secure it firmly into a stationary holder so it cannot move. If using a vice, put padding on the vise grips so the mill body is not scratched or gouged. 4.Insert (part#5) spring bar into the inner bore. Push down inside the body until ends of spring bar with holes are firmly against the body. Use a hole punch and punch two pilot holes (for screws) in the wood body through the two smaller holes on either end of the spring bar. 5.Insert (part#7) female gear into the spring bar (part#5), making sure the angle-cut on the inner circle of the gear is facing out. The two slots in the side of the female grinder will fit into the spring bar, lining up with the screw pilot holes. 6.Slide the male grinder (part #8) onto the threaded end of the shaft (part #4), making sure the smaller end of the male grinder with four flutes is up. 7.Slide the spring (part #6) onto the threaded end of the shaft (part #4), making sure the smaller diameter end of the spring goes first. Spring should slide down shaft until it is against male gear (part #8). 8.Insert the threaded end of shaft (with spring & male grinder attached) down through the female gear and through the larger center hole of the spring bar. Large diameter end of the spring fits over the lip of the large center hole in the spring bar. The spring will prevent the male gear (part #8) from meshing with the female gear (part #7). 9.Assemble retainer bar (part #9) to spring bar-female gear assembly. Place retainer bar on male gear, push and hold down with finger while lining up screw holes in retainer bar with pilot holes made in step 4. Continue holding down gear assembly with one finger while inserting screws in pilot holes and driving them in. Tighten both screws, being careful not to over tighten and strip out holes. 10.Remove pepper mill from vise or holder. Place wood pepper mill top (assembled with part #2, step #2 of instructions) on top of threaded shaft. Line up square hole with square shaft and push down. Place finial nut (part #1) on threaded shaft and turn a few turns until finial nut make contact with wood top. Pepper mill is now completely assembled, and at its most coarse adjustment setting for pepper. To fill with pepper: Unscrew to top finial and remove the top. Fill the lower base of the mill with pepper. Replace the top and finial nut. To adjust grind: The top finial nut has a convenient grind indicator that shows which way to turn for adjustment. Use thumb and forefinger, turn clockwise for a finer grind, and counter clockwise for a coarser grind.