Pepper Mills, Advice Please

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please

Al Crandall

>Hi Jim. I've never turned a pepper mill, but if I needed to drill a deep hole I'd think about drilling half way from each end, or using a drill extension with a spade bit. I bought a drill extension from Lowe's which is 12" long and has a 1/4" hole in the end and a set screw to fasten the bit into the extension. I use it in a high speed drill with a sanding pad inserted in it to sand the interior bottoms of deep turnings.

Remember also that the drill chuck can be inserted in the headstock as well as the tailstock for drilling from both ends. Keep the work centered on your live center in the tailstock while drilling.

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont

>Hi Al,

Thanks, makes perfect sense, I might look into it and see what other options I can come up with.

Hope all is well with you these days,

Take care,

Jim

Dominic has some good info in this post  *LINK*

Dave Smith, Longview, WA

>


http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/archives_turnin

Thanks Dave and Dominic

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont

>

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please *LINK*

Phil Joines Krum, Texas

>These people have salt and pepper grinder kits at a good price. I bought some but haven't used them yet :>(

As for drilling deep holes I use fostner (SP) bits with 3/8" shanks with a extentions made from 3/8" rod and a motor shaft coupler.


Chef Specialties

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please *LINK*

John Williams in PA

>I use a fostner type bit (Rover Bits)from Bad Dog Tools. My experience with spade bits has not been good. They wander too much for my liking.

By drilling from both ends, I make 10 inchers without having to use an extension. Longer mills require a drill extension. I first mount the blank between centers and cut a tenon on both ends to mount in #2 jaws of a Oneway chuck. When mounting in the chuck, bring up the tailstock and use the live center hole to re-center the blank.

Another way to get the hole in the tall mills is to laminate the body with two or more pieces. Cut a groove with a dado blade, then laminate the blank so the hole is centered in the blank. The hole needs to be made round at the bottom for only an inch.


http://www.baddogtools.com

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please

Ruth

>At the Totally Turning Symposium in Albany this past weekend, Ted Sokolowski demoed turning pepper mills and made an excellent point. He drills half way from both ends no matter what height mill so if there is any run out, it's compensated or realigned in the middle of the piece where no one can see or feel it. Even if you don't see the discrepancy, the assembled mill will not turn (or operate) as smooth as it should if you drill one straight hole.

That's what the man said!

Re: Pepper Mills, Advice Please

Bob Persing (Skillman NJ)

>Jim,

I am in the midst of turning my first pepper mill. Last evening I go to bore the 1" hole through the base. As Ruth relayed in her post, I too used a fostner bit and drilled from each end towards the middle. Since the bit ws not long enough for the holes to meet I then chucked a spade bit (paddle bit?) into the drill chuck and finished the through hole. It met just fine in the middle. The initial drilling with the fostner bit seems to provide a bit of a guide for the spade bit and (in my case) I only had to drill through about an additiona 1.5 to 2" to get a through hole. I do not think the results would have been as good had I tried to use the spade bit for the entire process.

I'll be turning the outer profile this evening (hopefully). I have been using the article in AAW magazine for inspiration and instruction.

I think the first one will be a bit tricky to get the process down but I think things will speed up for subsequent attempts.

Go for it!

BobP