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Peppermill problems

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May 3, 2004
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My latest endeavor involves turning peppermills. NOT EASY, I've found! The problem seems to be boring an accurate 1 1/16 in. hole through the center of the piece. Instructions recommend boring the hole first - BTW, where does one get a 1 1/16 auger bit - seems to be an odd size?? But boring the hole first presents a chucking problem so I figured on doing that after the piece was shaped - not a good idea, either. Couldn't get an accurate center. After much "studying" (after ruining a great looking piece of cherry burl), I figure the solution might be to turn them on a mandrel - much like pens but on a mandrel sized for the 1 1/16 in hole. Could even go 2 up if the mandrel were long enough. Any other ideas/techniques or specialized hardware for the job that you guys know about? My nephew is a machinist and I'm hoping he can help, too. Maybe make a mandrel for this job.
 
Turning peppermills is first spindle turning and second the sequence turning/boring tasks are performed. Being spindle turning a story stick is very useful.

Kiln dried wood is a must as the wood will change shape and thereby fit of the mechanism if even slightly green wood is used.

Also useful are these links to "How do I turn a pepper mill"

Tom Hintz http://www.newwoodworker.com/trnppml.html
Woodturns: http://www.woodturns.com/articles/projects/peppermills/6/
Nick Cook: http://www.nickcookwoodturner.com/articles-peppermill.pdf

http://www2.woodcraft.com/pdf/77B35.pdf
Hintz has an excellent article on shortening the shaft of the mechanism to make it fit the peppermill.
I suggest you download, print, read and study all of the how to's. In my view it takes all three of these articles to make a coherent whole.

Lee Valley Tools has both a 1-1/16" inch auger and a forstner bit. Both work equally well. The auger bit is longer. Sharpen the bits before drilling for best results, use the lowest lathe speed you have for drilling, avoid heat build up while drilling and clear the chips frequently. Incidentially Heinz uses a spade or paddle bit to drill. This type of bit grain follows like a crazy man. I recommend against its use. Use a chisel point 5/16" bit - instructions call for 1/4" - you will like the 5/16" better - to drill the top. Standard point drill bits grain follow in all of the woods that I have used.

Design ideas - try a goggle search for peppermills and click on images.

The above should get you going. Have fun
 
Here how

Hi Denny,

I've turned over a hundred mills and recently did a demo for a chapter in south Jersey. Here's a little tutorial that I wrote and gave to those attending. I hope this helps. I had to edit in order for it to fit here. If you'd like the entire text email and I'll send it to you.

Mike


Making a peppermill is a relatively simple process combining spindle turning techniques and drilling on the lathe.

As for the drill bits, you'll need the following forstner bits; 1 5/8", 1 1/16", 1" and 7/8". Also a 17/64" or 9/32" twist or brad point bit.

Mount the blank between centers and rough to a cylinder. Once you have finished the roughing process, square the ends and cut a tenon at each end appropriate to the size of your lathe chuck. Cut a third tenon, at a location that will eventually be the bottom of the mill cap, depending on the overall length of the mill the cap will be about 3" in length, not including the tenon. This tenon should be longer than the previous two, enough for a chuck tenon on the long end of the cylinder and then another portion which will be left on the cap end.

Once the blank is roughed and the three tenons have been turned, remove the blank from the lathe. At this time cut the cap away from the body of the mill, leaving a chuck tenon on the body and the remainder of the tenon on the cap. If cutting on a bandsaw, use a clamp or jig to hold the blank. Cutting round or cylindrical objects on a bandsaw can be dangerous. The blade can grab and spin the work, pulling your hand into the cutting path. I use a handscrew to hold one end of the blank.
You now have two blanks; the long base section of the mill which has a chuck tenon at each end and the shorter cap section with a chuck tenon on it's top and a longer tenon on it's base.

You're now ready to begin the drilling sequence. Mount the longer base section on the lathe using the tenon on what will be the top of the base. The eventual bottom of the mill will be facing the tailstock. Secure the blank in your chuck and insure that it turns true. Drilling on the lathe should always be done at a very low rpm. Set the lathe speed low, preferably 200 - 300 rpms. On most mini lathes this is not possible so use the lowest setting that you have, probably 500. Insert the Jacobs chuck into the tailstock and insert a 1 5/8" forstner bit into the chuck, make sure it's secure in the chuck and that the chuck is secure in the tailstock. Slide the tailstock forward until the point of the bit is just shy of the mill blank and lock the tailstock to the ways. Turn the lathe on and using the tailstock advance, slowly crank the bit forward into the turning blank. Drill slowly, take small bites and retract the bit often to clear chips and shavings. Clearing the debris is not overly critical at this stage but later when drilling deep into the blank it is very important to follow this direction. Failure to do so can result in a drill bit firmly lodged deep in the blank with removal very difficult.

With the 1 5/8" forstner bit, drill a hole 3/8" deep beyond the tenon. The exact depth of this hole is not an absolute, this hole is merely the area where the ground pepper will exit the mill and also forms the inner diameter of the eventual base upon which the mill will rest. Use a small rule to measure the depth. Remember the depth is measured beyond the tenon!

You've now completed the first step in the drilling schedule. Remove the 1 5/8" bit and chuck the 1 1/16" bit and again move the bit into position. Turn on the lathe and drilling in the same manner, bore a hole 5/8" deep beyond the previous hole. This hole or recess will house the actual grinding mechanism and it's depth should be as near exact as possible. Step two of the drilling schedule is complete and you're on your way to deep drilling now.

Remove the 1 1/16" bit and chuck the 1" forstner and again move the bit into position. This is where slow, shallow bites with the bit and constant clearing of chips and shavings is critical. You'll be drilling through the remainder of the blank to and through the other end. Failure to clear the debris will very possibly, in fact probably, result in the bit becoming lodged deep in the blank. If this occurs removal can be difficult, often requiring that both blank and bit be removed from the lathe and then the application of quite a bit of brute force in the manner of grabbing, twisting and turning. So, a word to the wise, short bites and clear the debris often!

The purpose of this 1" diameter hole through the length of the mill is twofold. First, this hole provides a passage for the drive rod that connects the cap which the user twists to grind pepper, to the actual grinding mechanism in the bottom of the base. It also provides a reservoir for the whole pepper. The hole can be bored through in one of two ways. The first option and the one that I most often choose is the use of a bit extension. This is nothing more than a length of rod with a recess in the end and an allen screw. The forstner bit fits into the recess and is held in place with the allen screw. This effectively extends the length of the bit and enables it to reach through all but the longest blanks. These extensions are available in various lengths, through wood turning supply houses, hardware stores and home improvement centers.

A second method to drill through the blank is to drill approximately half the length from the base end. Remove the blank from the chuck, reverse it by chucking the base end tenon and then drilling the remainder from the top end. The holes will meet and should be dead on, but even if they aren't it's not important, we've already discussed the purpose for this hole and having that in mind, along with the fact that the hole will never be seen or inspected, perfection just doesn't matter.

I use the former method drilling through the blank, however if you have a small lathe, a lathe that's a bit underpowered or don't have a bit extension, the latter is perfectly acceptable. The important thing is to form a hole the length of the blank, how you arrive at that is moot. In fact, some turners hollow through without the use of a bit. Those are the options, you make the choice.

Now it's time to work on the blank which will become the cap. Chuck this blank onto the lathe using the tenon on what will be the top of the cap. At the base your looking at the short tenon where you sawed or otherwise separated the cap and base sections earlier. Now for a short bit of turning.....followed by more drill work. Increase your speed setting for that which is appropriate for spindle turning and form a tenon on the base that is between 1/2" and 3/4" long and of a diameter which will permit it to fit somewhat snuggly into the 1" hole in the top of the base section, the hole that you just finished boring through the blank. You'll want a tenon that will permit the cap to turn freely in the base, but is not too sloppy. However, if you just had to choose between too tight and too loose, loose would win. Remember someone will be turning this cap to grind pepper, you don't want their knuckles to turn white while doing so!

I use a parting tool coming into the tenon at 90 degrees to achieve the correct diameter of the tenon. Initially I only turn a very small portion at the end of the tenon and I stop the lathe quite often to check the fit of the tenon to the 1" opening in the base section. The reason for turning just the end of the tenon??...If I turn it too small I haven't lost the entire tenon, just that portion which I've turned. Once I achieve the correct diameter I turn the remainder of the tenon to this diameter and again check to insure proper fit. Once your satisfied, put down the turning tool, it's time to drill again!

Place the 7/8" forstner bit into the jacobs chuck and, just like with drilling the base, move the point up to the base. You're going to dill a very short recess into the tenon, only about 1/8" or so in depth. The purpose of this recess is to center and house a portion of the mechanism which I call, for want of a better term, the drive plate This drive plate is round and has a square hole in its center which captures the drive rod and turns it when the user turns the cap, this in turn operates the grinding mechanism way down in the base. Now, you'll find that this drive plate is a tad larger than the 7/8" forstner bit, just a hair. Use your parting tool and open the drilled recess just a very small amount to accept the plate. Just take off a very small amount and stop the lathe and check the fit, turn until it fits snug. There will be very little wood remaining around the drive plate. That's fine, the purpose of this is to center the drive plate on the tenon, the remaining wood serves no other purpose.

Okay, one more step in the drill schedule and that's it! Remove the forstner bit and chuck a 9/32" or 17/64" twist or brad point bit. You're going to bore a hole completely through the cap, from the tenon through the top. The purpose of this hole is to provide a passage to the drive rod to the top of the cap where the threaded metal cap will attach and control the size of the grind.



Place the base section into the chuck using the tenon located at the base, where you first started your drilling sequence. Using a parting tool or small spindle gouge turn away the tenon from what is the top section of the base. If needed bring up the tail stock for support, the live center will pass into the 1" hole that you drilled but the tailstock itself, just barely touching the shoulder will provide support. On mills longer that 16" you may want to employ a steady rest support. Whichever route that you choose, taking light cuts will remove the tenon without creating problems to the stability of the piece in the chuck.

Once the tenon is turned away, add the cap section by placing the 1" tenon that you turned on the cap into the 1" hole that you drilled in the base. If turned properly, it should fit a bit snug, turning freely without play or slop. Bring up the tailstock and place the point of the live center into the hole that you earlier bored through the cap. If you're concerned about the point of the live center entering too far into the bored hole and possibly enlarging or splitting it, add a washer to the live center point to restrict it's entry length. Bring up you tool rest and insure that the bill clears it. Set the lathe to the appropriate speed.


Now for the finishing touches. Move the tailstock and remove the cap. Look at the cap, the very top where the tailstock sat will be a bit rough. So will the very top of the base section around the perimeter of the 1" opening, where the cap sat. This is easily remedied.

With the base section still mounted in the chuck, restart the lathe and using very light cuts, refine the rough edge around the 1" opening with a small spindle gouge and finish with sandpaper.

I often wet sand with Watco Danish oil using wet/dry paper in 320 grit. I like the finish this gives and if you don't apply overly liberal amounts of oil, is a relatively neat operation. I often apply the oil to the entire base by hand, then with the paper wet with the same oil, sand. I sometimes keep a rag on the ways just beneath the piece to protect them from the oil, failing to do this, I simply wipe the ways when I'm finished. I've been wet sanding work on the lathe for years and unlike those that use too much oil, I don't have oil streaks up the nearby walls and on the ceiling.

The base is nearly finished. The only remaining step is to turn away the tenon still on the bottom. Remove it from the chuck and replace the standard jaws that you've been using with the smallest dovetail or spigot jaws that you have. Remount the base section by expanding the jaws into the top, 1" opening. Bring the tailstock up for support. The tailstock will extend into, the opening, beyond the tenon. Using very light cuts with a sharp parting tool of gouge, turn away the tenon. Lightly sand and oil the base.

Now to finish the cap. Mount the cap, by holding it in the chuck jaws by the 1" tenon on it's base. The area around the hole where the tailstock sat will be a bit rough. Using a freshly sharpened gouge, clean up this area and then finish with sandpaper. Remember that the metal cap threads onto the drive rod and will be wide enough to cover the remaining hole which will only be slightly larger that the one that you drilled through the cap. Apply some oil and remove. Any jaw marks in the tenon can be sanded away and the tenon will be out of sight inside the base.

The only steps remaining are those used installing the mechanism. This is a quick, straight forward operation which only requires the drilling of 4 small pilot holes, 2 in the base and 2 in the cap tenon and then the installation of 4 wood screws. I use lubricating wax on the screw threads to ease the install and always keep in mind that the screws are small and can easily be broken, don't over-tighten.


One last hint, while I don't apply finish to the interior of the mill, the 1" hole that we bored through, I do run a shotgun bore brush through to remove any loose pieces of wood shavings.

I usually apply 3 coats of Watco allowing 24 hours drying between coats and then buff on the Beall.
 
A couple more things

The hole through the length doesn't have to be 1 1/16" or 1". You need a 5/8" deep hole that is 1 1/16" to house the grinding portion of the mechanism, the remainder of that hole through the base serves as a passage for the drive rod and as a reservoir for pepper that's waiting to travel to the grinder. So other size holes, within reason will work. Remember too, when you turn the outside, you have a hole running the length of the mill, don't turn through the side into the hole! As well, if you bore that hole from both ends it should line-up, however if it doesn't, so what. After understanding it's purpose and having in mind that no one will see, you realize that it doesn't have to be perfect, though as I mentioned it most probably will line up.

Also, buy a mechanism longer that what you think you'll need. To adjust to length, simply cut the drive rod at the non-threaded end and pean it gently. I use the stainless deluxe mechanism that Craft Supply carries.

As I mentioned if you'd like a copy of the entire tutorial, let me know and I'll email it.
 
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Mike,
Excellent tutorial. I've found that in the tall mills (ie18" and 24") that I have better luck with the center hole when I drill a 3/8 or 1/2" pilot hole. I have a smaller full size lathe and it just works better for me. It's the only thing that I can think of that would add anything to what you've said.

Jim
 
I just read an article by David Campbell on pepper mills in the Spring issue of Woodturning Design. He approaches the boring process by going half way from both ends as was suggested in Cunningham's comprehensive reply. I've never made a mill but I have been questioned by others on this exact problem. I suggest you check out this article.

- Scott
 
Great tutorial Mike.

I hope this gets saved in the "How-To" section of the forum. (Yes, that's a hint, Sir Moderators.)
 
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