272 replies to this topic

[Caramanos2000]

Wont that make it overload the 3lb capacity and burn the motor out?

[Mumbles]

If you're worried about the motor burning out, use 100 balls instead of 150 or 200. 100 balls takes 8-10 hours to get a suitable lift product.

[Caramanos2000]

Ok, thanks.

[pudi.dk]

Even though I've read a lot of posts, I'm still confused about the size of my milling media. One post saying 1/10 of the diameter of the jar, and one saying something double as big. Now the milling media I'll use is either brass or copper pipe with lead inside for milling bp.
My jar is 11 cm diameter and I have some 1,1 cm brass pipe lying around, so this is obiously the easiest for me.

What size should I use, and what would happen if I used my 1,1 cm brass rod with lead. Please, I'm totally confused

[Mumbles]

The 1.1cm brass rod will be fine. The mill caramanos and I are talking about is a shade smaller than your mill, around 10cm. 1/2" is 1.27cm. The sizes you have are pretty comparable.

I don't know if there is a specific formula, but the sizes I generally see is 1/8 the ID of the jar. .5" for a 4" jar and .75" for 6" jar.

Edited by Mumbles, 03 April 2007 - 05:49 AM.

[Pretty green flames]

Now i know this probably was answered in the past but with so many pages on the subject i kinda lost my will to search

I'm just looking for a quick comparison on how lead cylinders compare in efficiency to lead balls. Does the milling take longer, what is the most suitable dimensions for the cylinders (Diameter = Length)?

Thanks

[pudi.dk]

PGF > yes, length should be the same as the diameter.

-

Just wondered if you could use long cylinders that are aprox. the same length as the milling jar. Would this so any good or would it crush too little?

[TzaRocket]

Hy everyone,I just received 220 balls of iron whit a 1.5 cm diam to make my ball mill.Are they enought for this tipe of plastic jar:Protein Jar?
It has 1 gk of protein in it.It has 15 cm in base diameter and 30 cm in lencth.

[paul]

If they´re made of iron, don´t use them for ANY mix containing a oxidizing agent. Iron will first of all spark and cause your mill to blow up and second corrode very fast.

If you got balls from ball bearings, this will be ok, as they´re sparkless and made of relatively soft stainless steel. (Most of the time, don´t use them for mixes cont. oxidizers anyway!)

Go with lead or brass or something and play safe!

[Mumbles]

Using longer bars is often used. It's called a rod mill IIRC. The jar has to be longer than it is wide for it to work properly. For instance a 14 cm diameter, and 25cm long jar is often used. This works well with rods approximatly 23cm long. The longer bars are better at crushing large particles from what I understand as the rods carry more momentum with them. However, a ball mill is better at taking the particles down to a fine powder as there are more collisions.

[Pretty green flames]

I got some lead balls as ammunition for sling shots, now this stuff was pretty cheap, but the balls look pretty shitty. they are round and everything but the have marks left from the casting process (bumps and stuff like that), will this flatten out when in the mill? Should i leave the mill running only with balls so they mill each other to a smoother surface?

Thanks

[Bonny]

I got some lead balls as ammunition for sling shots, now this stuff was pretty cheap, but the balls look pretty shitty. they are round and everything but the have marks left from the casting process (bumps and stuff like that), will this flatten out when in the mill? Should i leave the mill running only with balls so they mill each other to a smoother surface?

Thanks

Lead balls will smooth out if you run them with or without anything else. You might want to run them alone so you don't contaminate your material with lead.
I've switched completely to brass as lead is too toxic and was (in this case) easily avoided. I don't actually have any brass balls though. I have a mix of 1/2" rod cut into pieces 1/2" to 3/4" long as well as all shapes and sizes of other pieces. Some were cut from scrap brass flat bar, and others are "blobs" of brass melted with an oxy-acetylene torch. I milled them alone to remove any sharp edges I missed before using. For milling jars, I use empty peanut butter containers. Seems to work fine for me.

[Jerronimo]

I have been using lead ever since I have a ballmill.
The first time I made millingmedia I used shitty roofers lead cast inside pieces of copper tubing, it worked quite well while it lasted, but the lead eventually came out of it's copper jacket.
My current media I use is linotype lead cast into cylindrical molds, have been using this media for about 2½ years and besides the rounded of edges there's no sign of significant wear.
May cast another set sometime soon for my 2nd milling jar, at 1 euro a kg it's pretty cheap.

[marble]

This is f**ked up, i tried casting some lead rods tonight. Made a makeshift burner using metho and a metal cup, i filled a stainless steel gravy jug with small lead squares and placed it on the makeshift burner. The lead took about 20mins to melt while i basked in the toxic fumes, when that was done i attempted to fill a hollow aluminum rod with lead. That was ok but when it came time to slide the lead out it has become stuck fast, after about 30 mins to trying to knock it out i gave up. For the hour i put in i probably took a few weeks off my life.

Any ideas how i can make it not stick?

[Bonny]

This is f**ked up, i tried casting some lead rods tonight. Made a makeshift burner using metho and a metal cup, i filled a stainless steel gravy jug with small lead squares and placed it on the makeshift burner. The lead took about 20mins to melt while i basked in the toxic fumes, when that was done i attempted to fill a hollow aluminum rod with lead. That was ok but when it came time to slide the lead out it has become stuck fast, after about 30 mins to trying to knock it out i gave up. For the hour i put in i probably took a few weeks off my life.

Any ideas how i can make it not stick?

When I made lead media I used wooden molds. Drill large holes on a piece of wood clamped to a wood backing plate so holes will be cleaner. Remove the backing plate and clamp the wood with holes tightly to another (flat)piece of wood.Pour in the melted lead, let it cool and knock them out with a hammer and punch.If you drill the holes close to the edge they will come out easier as the wood will break.