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pepper mills dimensions

Dave Fritz

Dave Fritz

Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
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Location
Montfort, Wisconsin
I'm curious what measurements you strive for when making peppermills? I'm speaking of the greatest and smallest diameter, not the height.

It seems the taller the mill the harder it is to get a pleasing ratio between the largest diameter and the smallest diameter without making it too big for my wife to grasp.

Thanks for your help.

Dave F.
 
Thanks John. The link you provided still shows the top as 1 3/8 inch. Do you mean someone wrote the correct measurements on your copy?

Thanks again for the reply.

Dave F.
 
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It's a good question, Dave, to which there's really no fixed answer (at least none that I've found satisfactory.) It goes back to the old saw about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, etc. But within that context, my most popular pepper mills are about 8" tall with a 3 - 3-1/2" diameter base and a 2-1/2" diameter top. But that's only part of the equation because pepper mills are held in two hands - one supporting the weight of the mill while the other turns the handle that drives the grinding mechanism. Therefore what I'd call a "good" mill must be proportioned so that the hand supporting the mill's weight isn't strained. The best way I've found to do that is to apply a "fair curve" to the mill body while laying a bead at the top to act as a "stop." That not only adds aesthetic appeal, but serves to keep the supporting hand in place. Since it sounds like you're making a mill for one person (your wife) you can (and should) vary the dimensions to suit her taste.

Anyway, by following that guideline, I've found it possible to make mills ranging from 7 - 8" tall all the way up to 18"+.

You can see some examples by going to the pepper mill section of my website.

Please feel free to reach out directly if you feel I can help.
 
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