Went to a peppermill demo last evening

[Roger Chandler]

I went to a demo at the Central Virginia Woodturners meeting last evening and the feature demo was by fellow Creeker, Dale Winburn. Dale makes some of the nicest peppermills that anyone could ever see. I just wanted to say that his demo was very informative, very well done, and his ability to come up with innovative solutions to steps in the process has made him develop peppermills into an art form.

Just wanted to say thanks Dale for a great demo, and for sharing your knowledge base with us, and for the innovative ways you showed to hold the lid tenon in the chuck, as well as your "jig" for holding the bottom between centers, the story stick for your contemporary style peppermills, and the many examples you brought to the demo to show what can be done.

Thanks for the blanks you brought to give those who wanted them......I got one of the Osage Orange ones, and will attempt a profile similar to the one you did last evening.


Dale has a website, and it can be seen by going to his page on SMC for the link.

[Tim Rinehart]

Roger, I was just looking at Dale's site and he does make some beautiful peppermills. I really like the clean lines of the upswept ones especially.
Glad to hear it was a good demo. I've only done one peppermill myself, but wasn't crazy about it. Will probably take the mechanism out and do differently for next one.

[Baxter Smith]

Sounds like an interesting time Roger. I have some spalted maple 3x3x14 blanks I have had drying for almost three years. I read somewhere one should only use kiln dried wood for peppermills. Did he mention anything in that regard?

[Roger Chandler]

Sounds like an interesting time Roger. I have some spalted maple 3x3x14 blanks I have had drying for almost three years. I read somewhere one should only use kiln dried wood for peppermills. Did he mention anything in that regard?

Baxter......Dale uses wood he harvests........he does have a good setup for drying blanks, however.......he uses a variety of methods, including DNA soak, boiling, microwave and just anchorseal, and has an attic space above his shop where the temps assist him a good bit. Last evening he had pecan blanks, Osage, cherry, ash, a couple of laminated blanks from different woods, and he has done a number of mills from the Stonewall Jackson prayer tree..........all his turn out really nice, so ............

If you give reasonable diligence in the drying time and way you do it, you can stabilize your own. It should work fine. He does finish the inside with a homebrew of his own making.......maybe he will see this thread and chime in on his process, including how he finishes the inside.........

Speaking of the inside..........he showed the neatest set up for sanding the inside.........he uses a wooden dowel that is about 12 inches long with a slit cut into one end........slides a folded piece of sandpaper in the slit, and then chucks the other end in some pin jaws......takes his hand and sort of circles the sandpaper strip until it will go inside the mill.....does a super job on the inside sanding! He is very innovative in his approach and has some super jigs that make everything very repeatable.

[Dale Winburn]

Roger,

Thanks for your kind comments.

The Central Virginia Woodturners club has some great members/woodturners. My wood turning knowledge and skills doesn't come close to some of the woodturners that were present last evening. My wife Millie and I enjoyed socializing with the club members and I very much enjoyed doing the demo. I think it was well received by the members.

I would like to thank the Central Virginia Woodturners club for asking me to do the demo.

[Dale Winburn]

Baxter,

I have never turned a peppermill with kiln dried wood. As Roger points out most of my wood comes from trees that come down in a storm or are cut for some other reason. My peppermill blanks usually come from pieces too small for bowl blanks or other uses. I'll cut it into 3X3 pieces, coat the ends with anchorseal and let it dry for a few months, I get some cracking but most make it through the drying process OK. After a few months I'll turn in into a cylinder and let it dry and stabilize another few months. Sometimes the wood will still move after the mill is completed but usually it's not a problem.