635 replies to this topic

[willd]

Don't use coins because if they are uk ones they are just plated steel so after a bit of milling they may start sparking.

[icarus]

inner tubes are rare now but a motorcycle innertube cut into 1cm wide bands stretched onto the drum much improves the drive from rollers even on overloaded stone tumblers with lead the media doesnt need to be round just no sharp corners 110 ml bog pipe makes good small drums and small drums can be put in bigger drum for multiple milling

[marble]

Does anyone know which is more efficient at milling, hexi or round barrels?

[cooperman435]

Hey all. Just running an idea past people, but i've still got quite a few 12v motors like the ones i've used for my small ball mill and star rolling machine, so was considering making some units to sell...

Theyre on this page, under the ball mill (the small one) and under star roller (the silver drummed version)

http://www.freewebs....jectshidden.htm

Basically, would anybody be interested in a 12 volt ball mill or star roller built much the same as my units or I might even be able to design something that is a multi machine with interchangable front mounted parts for both jobs on the same motor. The machines almost definatly wont be quite as perfect looking as some of the ball mills avaliable, but in my opinion, mine is more suited to our use ie very heavy lead media rotation than most of the stuff avaliable thats really designed for stone polishing. I couldnt quote prices yet as i didnt price up the parts when I built mine, but I cant imagine them being as much as their equivalent sized commercially avaliable equivalents and as a bonus, ball mills would come complete with lead media, ready to use.

Best to email me rather than pm as my inbox is always full. lol.

Thanks, Phill

[W.P]

Right now the link is broken but if you sell them at a reasonable price (£20 would be excellent, £30 is the border) then I'd be more than happy to purchase, maybe even several if they are good enough.

How much with media can they turn?

EDIT: Just noticed they come with media, £30+ is what I expect to pay.

Edited by W.P, 20 October 2007 - 12:09 PM.

[TheExplosionist]

Hexagonal barrels > round barrels

[spdreader]

I'm building a ball mill, and was wondering what I should use for the barrel. Ive looked on rock tumbling sites, but the barrels alone are $25 (£13), and I would like to find something cheaper. I have seen many people suggest or say they use PVC, but wouldn't that build up a lot of static? Anyone have any suggestions?

[Arthur Brown]

A good rock tumbler will be better than a badly made ball mill! Anyway what is the difference! Rock tumbler - a rotating jar. Ball mill - a rotating jar!

A good ball mill will hold 10+ kilos of lead media and mill about a kilo of powder, If your rock tumbler can hold and turn the same amount then it will perform similarly. Just that some rock tumblers are so small that they only hold a kilo of media and mill say 100g of powder slowly.

[spdreader]

Arthur, thanks for the advice. However, my issue was not whether to make a ball mill or buy a rock tumbler (sorry if I was unclear). I was asking if there is something that I could get cheaply that would work as a barrel. I know I could buy a rock tumbler, but my goal is to spend the least money possible on a somewhat decent ball mill, and if all i have to buy is a jar, building one would be the least expensive. I already have a motor, and I could make a cradle to hold it, so all that is missing is a jar. I wanted to know what might work well. Would a metal or PVC barrel be OK for black powder if I grounded it?

[Pyrogeorge]

metal???NO!!!!it will sparks and will explode..just buy one from store with ball mill equipment or you can make your own from pvc pipe..

[cooperman435]

Arthur, thanks for the advice. However, my issue was not whether to make a ball mill or buy a rock tumbler (sorry if I was unclear). I was asking if there is something that I could get cheaply that would work as a barrel. I know I could buy a rock tumbler, but my goal is to spend the least money possible on a somewhat decent ball mill, and if all i have to buy is a jar, building one would be the least expensive. I already have a motor, and I could make a cradle to hold it, so all that is missing is a jar. I wanted to know what might work well. Would a metal or PVC barrel be OK for black powder if I grounded it?

From experience yes a pvc barrel works fine and when I tested it at work for residual static the buildup was foudnd to be insignificant, I apreciate though that the makeup of your ball mill could alter this as roller material may add charge and media the same. I was using a direct drive motor coupling to the jar made of 4" drainpipe and 2 end caps with lead and brass media. You could always earth it too if you want to be sure though.

Id personally advise against a metal barrel because of the increased risk of sparking an the hugely increased risk if it managed to ignite inside.

[Arthur Brown]

If you are planning to use rollers to locate and drive the drum, then almost any round, screw top jar will work! See the larger jars on Cooperman's site, buy from him or get some like!

A barrel made of pvc drain pipe or HDPE gas or water pipe (yellow or blue) will be bigger and more robust, and weigh more! Perhaps going over the drive's rated weight. PVC will glue with the proper cement, hdpe must be heat welded.

[spdreader]

Thanks for the advice guys. Sounds like PVC is the way to go.

[TheExplosionist]

I recommend building one out of 10mm polycarbonate, its see-through and its bullet proof.

[BrightStar]

http://www.inoxia.co...ategory/17.aspx

Their 1.3l jar will make 220g meal with 1Kg of ceramic media. The larger jars scale proportionately.

Edited by BrightStar, 01 May 2008 - 12:30 PM.