My first pepper mills

[Bob Hallowell]

I figured I would try out some pepper mills, I realy like turning them they were alot for fun! My fisrt was the plane Maple I got form Blake Mccully. Then I experimented. Next I did the curly maple, bloodwood and walnut. Then the cherry, bloodwood, walnut, and kempas, and last the cocobolo and maple which I used gorilla glue to glue up.

sorry the pics are bad but I am getting one of those photo cubes for Christmas. til then well.

I think the little one is being sold later this week,

Bob

[David Fried]

Very nice!! You've got four done and I'm still struggling to get through one!
I like the cobololo and maple one best - just my taste. Great job.

[Christopher Hunter]

Ya know, I've never made one before, but I can guess that it wouldn't turn out as good as those....
Great Job!!!
--Chris

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Very nice Bob! I like the first one. What are the lengths of your peppermills and what finish did you use? I just finished my 3rd about 10 minutes ago. That's it for peppergrinders for now. Now I've got 3 salt and/or pepper shaker to make out of canarywood.

[Joash Boyton]

nice, nice....in fact....veeeery nice, really like the different timbers. I got 10 kits thrown in with a recent order recently, never turned em, must see what I can do soon:)

Great job;)

Joash

[Bernie Weishapl]

Those are looking mighty fine Bob. I need to learn how to make some of those.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Those are looking mighty fine Bob. I need to learn how to make some of those.

Bernie...........they aren't hard. Just like everything else with turning. Once you get past turning a spindle....all other projects are just a matter of money and time!:o

[John Hart]

Your first??!!!!:eek: Sheesh! I give up. Beautiful pieces all!:)

[Blake McCully]

Bob,
Great pepper mills. Glad to see you put that wood to work. I've been making some mills lately, I'm giving a demo for the club in January on pepper mill construction.

I finally got that little bowl done with that chunk of hickory you brought. As soon as I get one of those round tuits I'll get a picture up.

Your next step is to do some mills with the ceramic mechanism. I prefer those to the stainless steel ones. A little more complex but really worth it.

Again, great work.

[Bob Hallowell]

Thanks, All

Ken,
3 are 12" and on is 8". I frictioned in shelac on the lathe to seal them, took them off and sprayed 3 coats of deft. and since I don't have a beal system yet I put the back on the Lathe and waxed teh with my little hut sticks. I am still pretty new at this But I am learning. I have been working flat for a while and have all the right tools for making the laminated ones.

Blake,
Thanks I plan on trying the ceramic soon. I still can't make a sphere :)

Bob

[Ernie Nyvall]

Those look great Bob. I like the 3rd one best because of the top. I guess that would be the kempas.

[Brian McInturff]

Bob, Those are great! Am I on your christmas list:) . Can't let the wife see these pics or I'll have to try and make one.

[Corey Hallagan]

Those look great Bob. Definitely looking to see more of your work. Nice job.

Corey

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hey Bob, excellent job on the peppermills! Can't believe these are your first ones! I've never tried turning a mill but after seeing your's I think I have been bitten and will have to give it a try! BTW, my vote is for the mill on the far right - the one with the curly maple on the outside. Really like the effect of the curly! Again, nice work! Did I mention that I like the curly maple?

[Tom Sherman]

Very cool Pepper mills, Like several others I have not tried any yet but SWMBO is dropping hints all over the place, may be one in the near furture.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Great work there Bob! these are something to be proud of.:)

[Larry Crim]

very cool I really like the third one
Larry

[Jeffrey L Nolan]

Nice mills all.

really sweet.

So does the wife know what you are doing with her sheets:eek:

[Rick de Roque]

Thanks, All

Ken,
3 are 12" and on is 8". I frictioned in shelac on the lathe to seal them, took them off and sprayed 3 coats of deft. and since I don't have a beal system yet I put the back on the Lathe and waxed teh with my little hut sticks. I am still pretty new at this But I am learning. I have been working flat for a while and have all the right tools for making the laminated ones.

Blake,
Thanks I plan on trying the ceramic soon. I still can't make a sphere :)

Bob
Where did you get a Forstner bit long enough to drill the center shaft? I'm needing to make a 14" mill and will need a 1" x 7" length forstner bit.

Thanks,
Rick

[Gary DeWitt]

Here's a link to a forstner bit extension:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=321-5000

They're not available in the local stores.

[Rick de Roque]

Here's a link to a forstner bit extension:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=321-5000

They're not available in the local stores.
Thanks Gary. I just ordered one.

Rick

[Glenn Hodges]

Beautiful Bob

[Bill Boehme]

Beautiful peppermills, Bob. Maybe this will inspire me to try one.

Bill

[Ed Scolforo]

Nice mills, Bob. Did you use a spindle steady? If not, did you have difficulty running smoothly?
Ed

[Dennis Peacock]

Thanks Gary. I just ordered one.

Rick

Now "why" did I know you were going to do that. :rolleyes: :D

[Dennis Peacock]

Bob,

I really like those peppermills. Nice work and very pretty.

[Bob Hallowell]

Thanks Ed,
No I did not use a steady rest. I have not made on yet. I will soon though it will make drilling them much easier.

Bob

[John Hart]

.....The more I look at this forum the more I get excited about turning.
Rex

That's the gentle but persistent tug of the vortex. As you get closer...the pull becomes so strong that no amount of screaming can save you from the abyss.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.;) :)

[Rex Guinn]

Bob;
I really like your Pepper Mills, my favorite is the first one because of the wood. When I get my first lathe after Xmas I will try some pepper mills. The more I look at this forum the more excited I get about turning. Post some more of your work.
Rex

[Mark Cothren]

Very nice work!

[Keith Burns]

Bob, great work on all of them, WOW:) :)

[Barry Stratton]

Beautiful, all of them!!! Going to be some VERY happy folks come Christmas. Thanks for sharing.

[Randy Meijer]

.....since I don't have a beal system yet I put the back on the Lathe and waxed teh with my little hut sticks......

If you have been holding off on the Beall buffing system because of cost, there are several DIY alternatives that are very inexpensive.

The one I use is based on a standard 9" paint roller. According to the instructions I have, you need a high quality wool roller with long nap. I found one with 1-1/4" nap that set me back about $10.

I turned an "arbor"(for lack of a better word) out of a piece of scrap 2x4 about 13" long. First, turn it between centers to fit inside the roller. At the 10" mark leave about an 1/8" ridge for the roller to index against. The ridge won't be perfectly round as there is not quite enough thickness in a 2x4 to make the arbor the correct dia. + the an extra eighth inch for the ridge......works just fine, anyway. Turn down the short end of the arbor to the approximate shape of an MT2 (or whatever you have). The taper doesn't have to be perfect and it is easy to get close by trial and error. Turning this arbor took me all of 15 minutes. Slip the roller on the arbor and hold it in place with a tiny flat head sheet metal screw. I enlarged the notch in the roller a tad so the head of the screw will be flush with the surface of the roller sleeve to eliminate the possibility that the screw head could come in contact with the work you are buffing if you press too hard.

Now divide the roller into 3 equal length and snip out two 1/2' bands of nap to separate the roller into 3 distinct areas......one for each of your buffing compounds.



Voilà!! Beall junior for a few minutes work and about 10 bucks. Hope this explanation is understandable.....don't claim to be a technical writer. Holler if you need some clarification.