635 replies to this topic

[Mumbles]

$63 for you. I am looking at a bigger one that would require something on the order of at least $200 or $250.

[Frozentech]

I have just researched brass balls for media. For those with safety in mind. There is a place here in the states that sells 1/2" brass balls for $0.63 a peice if you buy 100 of them. That puts media at about $63.00. If anyone can find a better deal please let me know.

Oh, you just want to be able to say you have brass balls !

www.onlinemetals.com carries 0.5" brass round bar for $3.54 / ft. a little hacksaw work ( or if you are fortunate, a cutoff saw ) and you have 24 pieces of .5" media for a little under $0.15 each. I have an order for 6 feet of the .5" hex brass bar enroute. I want to try that cut up in .75" pieces for milling pure chems.

I just noticed that that price above, is for 1 foot lengths. Price breaks for buying say 6 feet, @ $15.73. Shipping eats up a lot of the savings though.

[Djsethall]

HAHAHA very funny. I just got done making my very first batch of airfloat charcoal. Airfloat I guess, it floats in the air. Is that what the term airfloat means?? anyways I just used two coffee cans one smaller than the other. I filled the smaller of the two with some wood, cedar I think, then used the larger one as a cap and put it on the burner I use for my still. Oe hour later and Voila charcoal. After an initial crushing, I stole the coffee grinder and got to grinding. I ended up with about 3/4 of a pound of the stuff. I never knew it was this easy to make pyro stuff. The company that makes the BRASS BALLS is Salem Specialty Brass. I called for a quote and the lady seemed friendly. They do have a website, so google them I guess.

[Draco_Americanus]

I have been looking at various materials for media. I was wondering if there were any grades of stainless steel that are better than others. Of course sparking is my #1 concern, but lack of corrosion is also important. I have found a good supplier for 303, 304, 416, and 440.

I second this question!
I have been reading mixed views on the use of Stainless steel, some say yay while some say nay. I know stainless is much less prone to sparking then normal steel and I see people useing stainless steel screens all the time. Personaly I will not use lead for the danger of contaminating my lair and am nervus about useing ceramic as I have heard some rumors of people having problems with it.
I have been using .5inch 440c stainless steel balls but it's generaly only with single chemicals. They are so easy to clean as well.

[Mumbles]

I really don't understand. For some reason Stainless steel is cheaper than brass. My new ball mill will run two to 3 jars. I don't want the lead contamination either. I'm not really worried, but with the size of devices I am moving to, I am getting a little more worried with how much more lead I would be contacting. Brass is still not bad priced. It would run me abount 50 per jar. I may run one stainless steel for metals and copper incompatable things. Then brass for the rest. I will only have one jar at first, but I will probably get brass for that. Brass rod is cheaper than brass rod. So it is not only cheaper, but less labor intensive to get solid rod than the lead brass hybrid.

[jellywerker]

I am planning on makign a new one, simple and small, using a bacis frame made from 2x4, pvc fo the rollers and milling jar, a drill for the motor, and probably brass for the milling media. Is there a safe way to connect the drill directly to the cansiter, so no bolts or such on the inside? or should I make a false botton type thing, or even a larger screw end. SO the canister would have a cap and a screw end, and the screw end would go into a larger cap that had been mounted to the drill motor.

[Mumbles]

Don't use a drill. It won't last very long. They are not built to be run continuously as other motors are. In addition to that, at least with the drills I have, the drill really sparks.

[jellywerker]

hmm, could you suggest a small low cost motor that would work?

[Mumbles]

I don't know any places in England specifically. Just try to find a 1/3 or higher HP A/C motor. They are used in evaporative coolers for one. They could perhaps be available from hardware stores. They are sometimes used to repair or replace motors in weed eaters, or rock tumblers. Washing machine or dryer motors are probably the best and cheapest source. It might take a while to find one with the proper voltage. At least it does in the US with standard outlets running on 110V, but the UK runs 220V.

[pyromania]

Where abouts do you buy your gears from. For my first mill i used old bike gears but these didnt fit the shaft properly, so i done a bodge job weld on it . Any websites that sell pulleys. As i need to make a new mill.

[ProfHawking]

I got my bits from RS:
http://rswww.com
Cost about ?15 i think for both wheels & belt.

[pyromania]

Nice site. Now the question is wether to have a pulley or chain and sprocket? im edging towards the chain and sprocket as i know it cant slip then. Im trying to get hold of a old bench grinder motor, any ideas how much horse power they have on average?

[ProfHawking]

I wouldnt use a chain, as it will give you no play whatsoever. A belt is good as its a bit more flexible.
I use a toothed belt - thus it has some give, but will not slip.
search for syncronous toothed belts, contitech and the like. that RS site doesnt seem to like links, but here:
http://www.ukrocketr...997
i outlined what i used to make my mill, which works ok, but its not by far the best design.

Grinder motors may or may not be continiously rated. check it out first or you might find it gets hot if used for a while. Any grinder i have seen would be powerful enough im sure.

[pyromania]

Thanks prof hawking.
Did you work backwards from your jar size or forwards from your motor size? At the moment i have my eye on a 1 horsepower single phase motor, I think this should be able to mill 2kg of Bp a time quite confortably?

Edited by pyromania, 30 October 2005 - 11:09 PM.

[Frozentech]

Thanks prof hawking.
Did you work backwards from your jar size or forwards from your motor size? At the moment i have my eye on a 1 horsepower single phase motor, I think this should be able to mill 2kg of Bp a time quite confortably?

More than sufficient. A 1 HP motor could run your ball mill, a star roller, and a BP corning mill all at once without breaking a sweat ! 1/3 - 1/2 hp is sufficient actually.