# First Ten Inch Pepper Mill



## W.Y. (Dec 30, 2008)

This was my first attempt at making a pepper mill . 
I was a little reluctant to get started at it   because I had heard that the measurements are so critical to make the hardware work right. So with careful measuring   as I went I put a piece of firewood on the lathe   yesterday afternoon and  had a go at it. 
It wasn't near as hard to make as I had expected
I am quite pleased with the way it turned out and this will be our own as a first one but I am sure I will be making many more for future craft sales.


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## dntrost (Dec 30, 2008)

Very nice I would like some of your "firewood"


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## markgum (Dec 30, 2008)

nice.  wish the wood in my 'fire-wood' pile would look like that..


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## hewunch (Dec 30, 2008)

I was thinking about trying one soon too. Your first looks wonderful!


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## Jim15 (Dec 30, 2008)

Looks great, nice work.


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## titan2 (Dec 30, 2008)

Mighty fine *firewood*!!!! Nice turning also!!!!


Barney:bananen_smilies022:


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## rdunn12 (Dec 30, 2008)

Wow very nice.I like the shape and the wood looks great.


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## Darrin (Dec 30, 2008)

Thats a great form!!! Check out Ted Sokolowski's DVD on making peppermills as well. VERY VERY in depth on design. Just a heads up. Again, very beautiful mill you have there! Great Job!!


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## W.Y. (Dec 30, 2008)

Thank you all for the relpies. 



> Thats a great form!!! Check out Ted Sokolowski's DVD on making peppermills as well. VERY VERY in depth on design. Just a heads up. Again, very beautiful mill you have there! Great Job!!


.
Glad you like the form .
Do you have a link to the DVD you mentioned ? I would like to get an idea of different forms for future use .
I just roughly  eyeballed and  copied the shape from the picture in the site where I got the hardware. 
I must admit that it does fit very comfortably in the hand while the other hand is turning the top.


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## ranchonodinero (Dec 30, 2008)

Very nice-wish all my "prototypes" looked that good!


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## Darrin (Dec 30, 2008)

http://www.socantel.net/~sokol/
This is his personal site. It's a great investment and comes with a PDF file you can download on design using drafting techniques with the crush grind mechanisim.
Take care
Darrin


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## Darley (Dec 30, 2008)

Look like you going to buy an electric heater for this winter and turn all this fire wood :biggrin:  nice pepper mill


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## Glenn McCullough (Dec 30, 2008)

my compliments to you, nice shape, wood and finish!


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## ronhampton (Dec 30, 2008)

nice work,as usual:biggrin:---ron.---


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## ahoiberg (Dec 30, 2008)

good work william, i had a similar experience with my first pepper mill. keep em coming!


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## toolcrazy (Dec 31, 2008)

Very nice. I have one started out of walnut, just need to put finish on it.


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## W.Y. (Dec 31, 2008)

> http://www.socantel.net/~sokol/
> This is his personal site. It's a great investment and comes with a PDF file you can download on design using drafting techniques with the crush grind mechanisim.
> Take care
> Darrin


 
Thanks Darrin


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## nava1uni (Dec 31, 2008)

Nice pepper mill.  Good to hear that it wasn't too difficult to do.  I have hesitated in making one, but I think that I will give it a try.


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## angelofdeath (Dec 31, 2008)

Like everyone else said you firewood is pretty darn nice looking.  Great job on your first mill.  Thank you for sharing


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## fernhills (Dec 31, 2008)

I just bought salt and pepper shaker bungs and stainless steel caps, going to make those and then go into the mills. Glad to here they are not to hard to do.


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## byounghusband (Dec 31, 2008)

William,
Check out using the Crush-Grind mechanisms from CSUSA.  They do not have the metal ball on top of the grinder, so length measurements are not as critical..  You can adjust the shaft length to accomodate your wood piece.


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## opfoto (Jan 1, 2009)

Very nice mill. On my to do list!


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 3, 2009)

Darrin said:


> http://www.socantel.net/~sokol/
> This is his personal site. It's a great investment and comes with a PDF file you can download on design using drafting techniques with the crush grind mechanisim.
> Take care
> Darrin



Looks like a great DVD, wish I could afford it right now... 

Peppermills are one of my favorite projects... not much on doing a formal design off the lathe though ... for a design I like to just start and see where I go with it...

William,
You didn't mention what kind of wood, but that is a beautiful mill... I like the crush/grind mechanisms because I don't have to worry about the measurements so much, but I'm thinking I need to get back into the standards... people seem to respond to them better.
Keep up the good work and lets seem some more recycled fire wood.


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 3, 2009)

byounghusband said:


> William,
> Check out using the Crush-Grind mechanisms from CSUSE.  They do not have the metal ball on top of the grinder, so length measurements are not as critical..  You can adjust the shaft length to accomodate your wood piece.



My favorite because I am sometimes measurementally challenged.


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## byounghusband (Jan 3, 2009)

ozmandus said:


> My favorite because I am sometimes measurementally challenged.




Me too!!  Just a bonus, huh?


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## W.Y. (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks to everyones replies.

Bob;


> William,
> Check out using the Crush-Grind mechanisms from CSUSA. They do not have the metal ball on top of the grinder, so length measurements are not as critical.. You can adjust the shaft length to accomodate your wood piece.
> __________________
> Bob in Sachse


Thanks and I checked that out and will order some with my next order from CSUSA. Says for mills from 4" to 12" with a 25 year warranty. Sounds good.

osmandus; 


> William,
> You didn't mention what kind of wood, but that is a beautiful mill... I like the crush/grind mechanisms because I don't have to worry about the measurements so much, but I'm thinking I need to get back into the standards... people seem to respond to them better.
> Keep up the good work and lets seem some more recycled fire wood. 01-01-2009 12:44 PM


 
That wood is elm from a neighbors tree that I cut down for him a few years ago in exchange for the firewood. It was leaning dangerously over his house and didn't want to cut it himself. It was the worst luck I have  had  with drying green wood and I have succesfully dried many kinds over the years but I did manage to get some nice turning pieces from it . I turned some bowls when it was juicy green and they turned out OK.

Did you have any problems with the crush grind ones apart from them not being as well accepeted ? 
Do most people "expect" to see the adjustment controlled by a chrome knob on top?


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 4, 2009)

William O Young said:


> osmandus;
> That wood is elm from a neighbors tree that I cut down for him a few years ago in exchange for the firewood. It was leaning dangerously over his house and didn't want to cut it himself. It was the worst luck I have  had  with drying green wood and I have succesfully dried many kinds over the years but I did manage to get some nice turning pieces from it . I turned some bowls when it was juicy green and they turned out OK.
> 
> Did you have any problems with the crush grind ones apart from them not being as well accepeted ?
> Do most people "expect" to see the adjustment controlled by a chrome knob on top?



Actually after the initial response, most people seemed to like the CG mills.. they first look for the adjustment and once it's explained they accept them fine.   I've sold quite a few so far, and have a dozen + still in inventory.  

Good to see how pretty the elm wood is... I had a 50' elm standing next to my new workshop right after it was built... first week the shop was up a 6"or 8" diameter x about 12 foot limb fell out of the top of the tree onto the roof.  Fortunately it hit the roof right on a rafter, drove the rafter down and loose from the frame, bent the metal roof all in and tore a small hole where one of the screws secured the sheet metal.  Needless to say, that tree came down right after that.  It's laying behind the shop in the weeds, cut up into 3' lengths for me to get cut up into workable blanks... Need to get started on the cutting of the blanks before the ants and termites eat my wood.


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