pepper mill boring

[Rob Price]

Okay, I've squared up my blanks. I've got the crush grind mechanisms on the way from CSU, forstner bits, bit extender, etc. I'm ready to go. Except, I just noticed my Nova G3 chuck can't hold a tenon greater than 2 5/16. I had planned on starting with 2.5" like the directions indicate. I don't think boring with the spur drive is a good idea...

Option 1- make my own jamb chuck on the faceplate with the correct diameter? will that hold enough for boring?

Option 2- buy the 100mm chuck jaws? I've spent so much money to get up and running, I just put in a big order at CSU for the wolverine jig, pen stuff, and the grinder stuff. I'm guessing this is what I'm stuck with.

Option 3- bore on the drill press. I have the bit extender. My blanks are 7" tall, minus the 2" top I think I can get through the 5" blank with a couple of passes on the drill press. If I did this while the stock is square, then using a step chuck and cone center the piece would end up centered on the hole, correct?

I'm guessing I'll just shelf the blanks and wait until the wallet cools off and buy the bigger jaws. Wanted to see what you guys thought.

[Jason Clark2]

Turn a 2 5/16" diameter tenon that's about 3/16" long to fit the jaws on the chuck. This can then either be turned away or incorporated into your design.

Jason

[Jim Burr]

I'd get the bigger jaws...you're gonna need 'em anyway! Remember when drilling a mill blank, you drill from both ends. this minimizes deflection at the ends and results on a slight offset in the middle. Drilling on the lathe makes for an accurate bore on both sides. Do you hear it?....it's the vortex calling you deeper and deeper!

[Rob Price]

I've seen people recommend both approaches. I would be concerned about the offset affecting the mechanism. Boring from both ends would be easy on the drill press although less accurate than the lathe... I watched a video series on youtube where the guy used the same mechanism. He chucked up the square blank and bored the hole all the way through, the idea being that any wander would be corrected when the stock was turned round using a stepped chuck and cone center.

I have some white oak burl I planned on using, by the time I cut off all the punky stuff I have a 7" blank which is already shorter than I want, I don't want to loose any more length than I have to. And yes, I'm gonna practice on a poplar blank first.

I think I will wait until I can get the jaws, I'll use them down the road. I bought the Woodcraft bundle that came with the cole jaws, 35mm jaws, and pin jaws. I've used the cole jaws, but would glady exchange the 35mm for the 100mm. Not that different from the base 50mm jaws.

Maybe I should start a poll and see who bores all the way through and who does both ends...

[Dan Forman]

I've only made one, but bored all the way through without difficulty using a Colt MaxiCut Forstner bit on a morse taper shank. It just barely allowed the depth I needed on a 7 1/2" blank.

Dan

[Jerry Marcantel]

Rob, I just finished turning my 30th mill. Ten of them are 8" and the rest are 10 and 12". I usually figure out how deep I want my pepper or salt chamber, then get a blank that is usually 2" longer. I make a tenon on the tailstock end, using my Chuck Plate at the chuck. After the tenon is complete, 2 5/16" od, I remove the chuck plate, and put the tenon in the chuck. This is now my top of the mill. I should have a dimple on the end that was in the chuck plate, and I bring the cone up to that, and tighten the tailstock. I usually square up the tailstock end, and turn my piece down to 2 9/16" through out the length of the blank. I then mark where I'll cut the top from the bottom, and turn a 3/4"? wide x 2 1/4+-OD , and then take it to my miter saw and cut it. What I've just done is to make another tenon where I'll chuck the bottom half for drilling. This tenon is now at the top of the bottom half of the pepper chamber.....

Next step is to drill out the large hole, which I do at 1 3/4" x 3/4" deep. Those are the sizes I choose to do, but you should follow the directions that come with your mill kits. I then drill my 1 1/16" all the way through. There is space between the end of the mill and the chuck jaw, so you shouldn't bottom out. The next step is to pull the taik stock, and sand the bottom while you can. Missed that step a bunch of times. After you've sanded the bottom, remove the blank from the chuck, turn it around if you have a jam chuck or mandrell, and put the top end at the tail stock.
At this point you should be ready to shape your mill bottom. Any wandering caused by drilling long holes should be taken care of while shaping the mill....... ...... That's the way I do it and it works for me.... ... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Bernie Weishapl]

I had the same problem and just turned the tenon slightly less that the max of the jaws on both end. I drill my mills from both ends on the lathe and they will meet pretty much in the center right on. I have since gotten more chucks with bigger jaws but didn't have a problem turning the slightly smaller tenon.

[Rob Price]

Thanks for all the specifics Jerry, nothing like experience with any task. I'm going to practice on some longer blanks and get a feel for what I want to do before I dive into the burl blanks I have.

[Rob Price]

And the 100mm Jaws are $40 on Amazon, down from $50. 20% off is 20% off.

[Dan Forman]

Thanks for all the specifics Jerry, nothing like experience with any task. I'm going to practice on some longer blanks and get a feel for what I want to do before I dive into the burl blanks I have.

That's a good idea, I did a mockup with a funky piece of wood to evaluate my shape before I started working with the figured maple. I didn't have time to do the drilling and all of that, just played with the shape, and the rest went reasonably well. There are all sorts of options when you get to the real thing, whether to make jam chucks or use a pin jaw chuck on the tenon in the cap, etc. I watched a few of the videos on Ebay, and this article which gives a few options for mounting the various pieces as you work on them. It's not for the crush grind, so the drilling routine will be different, but turning the parts should be about the same. http://www.woodturner.org/products/aw/peppermill.pdf

Dan

[Jim Sebring]

I've found the Nova Power Grip jaw set to be very useful for holding 2 1/2 inch square pieces for drilling. They're the most used set I have, next to the standard 50mm jaws. I have my set on a SN2, but the range of adjustment on the G3 is the same as the SN2.