Peppermill issue

[Johnm Chase]

Just a little problem. about one in 3 mills I turn comes out off center after I mount the mill on the jam chuck and press in the lid between the center I start the lathe the mill runs off center. sometimes when I'm boring the main one inch hole I have the mill mounted in the chuck I center it first between a center then mount and drill the mill, it will run a little off, just a little wobble. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I have made about 10, just recently started making them. I use a Super Nova chuck could It be the way the jaws are made with the beveled jaw?

[Greg Just]

Not sure if this solves your problem, but when I turn my mills, I start with a blank that is bigger than I need. I rough turn them, drill the holes, remount them using the holes as my center and true up the cylinder as necessary to line everything up again. I have turned 6 or 8 using this method and it seems to work for me. Good luck.

[Bob Hallowell]

I do the same thing as Greg, I use a big 1 1/6 twist bit to drill my mills and sometimes as you say it comes out off center, You can tell when this is going to happen by watching. I always use the new holes as my center, then it is no problem.

Bob

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto what Greg said. Rough them, drill them and then finish turning using the new holes.

[Jim Kountz]

I havent tried a mill yet, if you had to gauge them as far as difficulty on a scale from 1-10 where would you rate them?

[Marc Himes]

Jim, I had the same problem. I couldn't get the hole to go through straight. What I do now is drill half way through the blank from the bottom first, getting the bottom almost done, but leaving a tennon that will be turned off later. Then I flip the blank around and drill from the top so the holes meet in the middle. This way both holes are centered.

I fiind the mills fun to do and very well recieved as gifts. The grinding mechanisms from Crafts Supplies work better that any store bought mills I have seen. As for the difficulty; they take some work to get everything to fit and are a little more challenging than any other lidded form due to the drilling. I would rate them about 4-5 out of 10.

Getting them centered was an important step.

Marc Himes

[Greg Savage]

John....I've been known to make a peppermill or two. And I gotta say (assuming that your chuck is adequately gripping the blank) it is critical that your tailstock be perfectly aligned with the headstock if you wish to get a smooth, on-axis bore through your mills....I just finished a dozen mills and was suddenly having an issue of wobble bad enough that it could easily be seen.

I'm doing my boring on a large engine lathe so one can expect to have a great degree of accuracy on this machine, but in the blink of an eye, I wasn't anywhere near close to accurate. After re-sharpening my bits, thinking that I may have a dull edge that was causing a pull in one direction, I was still having problems with the wobble.

To make a long story short, I finally tracked down the problem to my Jacobs chuck. If I chucked it in the tailstock, with an alignment tool in the place of the drill bit, it would scribe a tiny circle on the wood instead of a pin point. I first thought that a fore/aft tailstock adjustment would do the trick, but under magnification, I could see that the centerpoint of the tailstock was lower than the centerpoint of the headstock. I rotated the chuck 180 degrees and the point was on perfectly on center. After making the adjustment, I was able to bore glass smooth holes that met perfectly....I may have to replace my Jacobs chuck!


One other thing....I usually bore my holes undersized by 1/8in, before boring to the final dimension.
Well sharpened bits help a great deal also.....I'm using carbide tipped boring bits from Morris Wood Tool. They are great on end grain.

Here is a pic of my last Cocobolo set of mills. One uses a Chef Specialties mechanism, the other a CrushGrind. This set is now on its way to Houston!

[Johnm Chase]

Thanks Greg Ill check the Jacobs chuck.. a few weeks back I went into Woodcraft to purchase some Cocobolo to make a grinder and the guys talked me out of using it said the wood might be toxic, since you use it whats your take on this issue?

[Greg Savage]

Thanks Greg Ill check the Jacobs chuck.. a few weeks back I went into Woodcraft to purchase some Cocobolo to make a grinder and the guys talked me out of using it said the wood might be toxic, since you use it whats your take on this issue?

Check out the Jacobs chuck....But remember that a lot of little mis-alignments can add up to one big one.....It can be a softer spot in the wood that depresses a bit when you chuck the blank in the Nova. Give everything a once over and hopefully you'll pin the problem down.

As for my take on the Cocobolo. I've used it for years on my mills. My personal mill is 8 years old and made from Coco. It is my favorite wood to make mills from....It takes a beating if you use it everyday, and always looks elegant if you give it a coat of wax every-so-often. I will coat the inside with a food safe salad bowl finish such as Behlin's...most recently its been Watco's Butcher Block Oil.

Don't assume the Woodcraft guys know more than you do. They usually have some good basic knowledge, but listen to what they have to say...smile...thank them....then do your own research.

Coco can be toxic to some people...skin rashes and the like. I personally have to wear a mask when sanding it or I can end up with a nose bleed. Caution is the word. I know a fellow that turned walnut for 20 years without a problem. Just about overnight he developed an allergy to it. The walnut dust started giving him respiratory problems and skin irritations.

I have made almost 500 mills, with around 125 being made of Cocobolo....I must say I have never had a problem or complaint....Knock on Wood!!!!!. The peppercorns are not making that much contact with the walls of the mill and they are dry....It shouldn't present any problem. If you take the precaution of coating the inside walls with a food safe finish, you should be good to go. The other side of the coin says that the finish will eventually wear off due to the abrasive action of the peppercorns moving through the mill. But, I don't have any scientific research to tell me that Cocobolo should not be used for a peppermill. I'm more concerned if I have to trim the shaft of a CrushGrind mechanism after it has been installed. I will take the ceramic mechanism apart and blow out the inside to make sure no aluminum filings remain.

As long as the FDA approves the finish as "food safe", I'd not look back and make mills out of Coco....It is truly beautiful and functional.

I won't elaborate, but I know for fact that Cocobolo is used with an FDA approved finish in some of the most "bizarre" devices that you can think of.....you'll have to use your imagination on this one!!!!!

Best of luck on your next mill.

BTW...Have you ever tried Talamaca peppercorns?........Good Stuff!!!!