At last, my ball mill is back in action! I promised details, so here they are:
A video of the thing in action with a jar full of media is here:
Ball mill video - (3.6 MB divx avi)The motor is a 0.25hp cap-start 4-pole induction motor (approx 1400 RPM speed) found as surplus on ebay for ?20 - definitely bargain of the year. First measurements suggest that it consumes about 140w. The thing is fan cooled, non sparking and sealed to IP55.
The rest of the contraption, as before, uses 8mm studding, roller blade bearings secured with pipe clips, cheap Tufnol pulleys and 30mm PVC tube rollers painted with primer for grip. The 'drive belts' are a few turns of cotton twine. The woodwork is painted with white gloss to resist evenings in the garden...
It's running a bit fast for the jar at the moment at 110 RPM, so I'll slow it down to the optimal 95 RPM before use.
newtoolsmith: Enjoyed seeing your new mill - how are you controlling the DC supply to the motor for variable speed? Is the sound insulation effective? Mine is LOUD!
Edited by BrightStar, 27 September 2006 - 06:48 AM.