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Motorize your grain mill!
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


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There is a fairly major downfall in using a typical pulley setup that I've seen most home Brewers using.
Most setups severely side-load the driven shaft. This, in turn, causes pretty uneven wear on the bronze bushing/bearings. If using a pulley setup, it's worth doing it right and supporting a shaft on 2 points with pillow blocks. And driving that shaft with the belt. Then couple the mill shaft with a Lovejoy coupler. This will result in mostly only rotational forces transferred to the mill and your Mill will have a much longer life.


Last edited by huaco on Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kevin59




Joined: 03 Aug 2012
Posts: 1047
Location: Fort Collins, CO

Drinking: Imperial Brown Ale

Working on: Oatmeal Stout, IPA


PostLink    Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Following up on huaco's point, here's a link to a post I did showing my mill setup that was implement without putting a side load on the mill's input shaft.

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=296304#296304
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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:46 am    Post subject: Wiring Sketch Reply with quote

I am here working in China and asked the plant electrician how to wire a switch for my new motor. He was kind enough to give the attached to me. Now to get a 3 position switch with 6 normally open contacts. Looks like I can use the same method Kal used for the element selector and stack it 3 high.

Life is good! Mug



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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear what your saying and agree but there shouldn't be any difference in that regard between direct drive and using a pulley, they both should have the same wear on bushings although my mill has bearings not bushings and the main shaft seams to have bent slightly from hanging my drill from it...shame on me lol
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OkieDokie




Joined: 31 Aug 2013
Posts: 191
Location: Oklahoma

Drinking: Electric ale, Weizen

Working on: Electric lager, American Amber Ale, Dirty Blonde


PostLink    Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have it figured out for wiring to run only in Counter Clockwise rotation, which is the way we need it to mill. Took a bit of tweaking and a few tripped breakers, but got it figured out. My problem now is getting the right couplers to marry. I have the one for the mill side, and one for the motor side, they just don't match up. Been looking at Grainger and they don't make bore sizes of what I need (22 mm bore size for the motor, and 9 mm bore size for the mill) in the same size coupler. Frustrated. I'll find it!
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Didn't know you boys up North in Oklahoma used the metric system. Haha...

That's a pretty big size difference but surely there is a coupler out there somewhere. Have you searched through Lovejoy's selection?
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OkieDokie




Joined: 31 Aug 2013
Posts: 191
Location: Oklahoma

Drinking: Electric ale, Weizen

Working on: Electric lager, American Amber Ale, Dirty Blonde


PostLink    Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anything close to half inch is big for Oklahomans! But sadly, I have checked the charts and there isn't a coupler that I can find that matches both. I'll keep looking but it might just be easier to upgrade my mill to a Monster 3 roller with the 1/2 inch shank.
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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, while I am still waiting for my new house to be completed, I have been working on my grain mill. What a huge project that turned out to be. There are more components on it than any other one I have seen. I got a 3 position maintained switch with two normally open contacts. I learned that I needed a reversing contactor and a separate control circuit because the switches aren't designed to carry the total motor load. Quite the learning experience.





It works great! It even has reverse if it gets bound up but, I doubt that will ever happen. I guess it could if a foreign object gets in there. If anyone wants any help with a setup like this, let me know, I will give you all the details.

Cheers,
Tony
Mug

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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OkieDokie wrote:
I have checked the charts and there isn't a coupler that I can find that matches both.


My mill has a 3/8" shaft and I have a Lovejoy coupling half that fits. I got it from Grainger and it is not listed in the charts. It is item number 34G305 and item description is L090 Hub 3/8 N/Kw.

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier. I have been spending a lot of time in China. I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Tony
Mug

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Castermmt




Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 863
Location: Lowell, In

Drinking: Steelhead Porter, Alt-Toids, Hefty-Weizen, Terry's Kolsch, African Amber, Pumpkin Ale, Double Dog Ale

Working on: Janet's Brown Ale, Terry's Kolsch, Pilsner


PostLink    Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Grain mill cart looks pretty cool. I found that without funneling the grain to the inside of the bucket and keeping the bucket covered I get a lot of dust. You may be able to use a taller bucket or build up under the bucket so there is little or no gap to minimize the dust. Just a few ideas, Castermmt
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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Castermmt wrote:
Grain mill cart looks pretty cool. I found that without funneling the grain to the inside of the bucket and keeping the bucket covered I get a lot of dust. You may be able to use a taller bucket or build up under the bucket so there is little or no gap to minimize the dust. Just a few ideas, Castermmt


Thanks, Castermmt. The cart is a Husky tool cart from Home Depot. You can't see it in the photo but I have a loading sock (pant leg) hanging from the connection at the cart into the bucket. Elevating the bucket may be a better idea....



Cheers,
Tony
Mug

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"What your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve". Napoleon Hill
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Kevin59




Joined: 03 Aug 2012
Posts: 1047
Location: Fort Collins, CO

Drinking: Imperial Brown Ale

Working on: Oatmeal Stout, IPA


PostLink    Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job on the mill & cart Tony. I like the "sock" idea! You might find however that once the grain level in the buck gets up to the bottom of the sock, the milled grain might start to backup in the sock and back up to the mill. If you were to use a lid with a hole in it for the sock, and then trim the sock to just reach an inch or two below the lid, that might do the trick and not have to worry about backing up the grain output.

Hmmm... I should do something like that with my mill!

Of course what I just said might not happen at all! Smile

-Kevin
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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Kevin. Another great idea. Thumbs Up I like it! I could even attach the bottom of the "sock" to the lid with just enough slack to get the bucket in and out. Idea

Cheers,
Mug
Tony

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