272 replies to this topic

[phildunford]

In reply to the question about melting lead, you could probably do it over a meths stove. I use the kitchin gas ring! and an old iron saucepan. You don't need a high temp to melt lead (about 300 o C if I remember correctly - gas flame probably 1000 oC). You do need a fair amount of heat though (big flame) if you are melting much, or it will take ages. Start with a small quantity and see what your heat source can do. The more you melt, the longer it stays liquid but if you melt about half a baked-bean can full (way I started) it stays pourable for a couple of mins so you have plenty of time.

Also, sounds obvious but lead is heavy and it can be quite tricky (and dangerous) shifting large quantities of it - another reason for starting small.

As a source I used old lead pipes I removed from my house. Otherwise most builders merchants (Wickes in the UK) stock lead sheet for roofing which you can buy by the roll.

[Pyromaster2003]

o sh*t i just remembered , well you just helped remind me actauly, i do have a big lead roll, nice one for reminding me*big smile on his face:)

[PanMaster]

On my way to needing media... I just managed to scrap together something like a motor that actually WORKS from the parts of a mower motor and an ancient vacuum motor.

[smpip]

Ok apart from the risk of splinters would anyone consider a 6 sided (as used by the Pro's) timber built tumbler body as being OK.
Yes it would wear down, yes if things go wrong it would/could become a splinter mine, but if it was clad in any containment material, (Loft Insulation and chicken wire as one possible example) it could then equal the bursting qualities of plastic,
and when they wear down you simply make more replacements.

[bernie]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. I always thought that the idea was NOT to confine the contents. The plastic jar 'gives up' more readily. Perhaps a good cage around the entire mill zone would be another approach. Hardware cloth/4 x4 galv. screen would allow for an oops and let the pressure escape but contain the splinters and media at least in part.
Go be free. Learn the many ways. Read your u2u old wise one. Be one with the bottom shot.

I remember reading somewhere that a fella used to clean his brass cartridge cases in a tumbler of some kind that was wind driven. If i am remembering correctly it was a wood barrel. Yep, a windmill. It must have been one of those garden scale windmills that he adapted with a simple pulley setup.
Very clever if you live in a windy area. Seems to me that if used for milling purposes it would be necessary to count the rotations.

[Edited on 1-6-2003 by bernie briden]

[Pyromaster2003]

my ball mill arrived:). is a little smaller than i expected for ?70 though, but still, it work pretty good. i just milled 2 teaspoons of KNO3 for an hour with 3 computer mouse balls in:), powdered it pretty good, im sure this would turn into the finest dust by adding 70 lead balls, not much but i just couldnt wait any longer to test it.

[smpip]

I have an old line drawing of a wind powered log cutter, with a bit of thought it could be modified to tumble a container, but there would have to be a speed governor on the thing, if anyone is interested I will make the effort and upload the drawing.
Its an all timber construction:)

[Edited on 4-6-2003 by smpip]

[adamw]

Thats just one of those birdscarers where the little man saws the log but doesnt manage to make much headway!

[bernie]

I just thought it was a novel idea. I bet a watermill was a welcome addition to blackpowder manufacture before Tesla started running wires. That makes me wonder if cornmeal had a suspicious sulfur twang. Now there is some good corn muffins. Make your tongue slap your brains out!

[phildunford]

Back to the mill topic...

I've used some industrial rollers to make my mill rolls. They take a lot of hard work out of building it and they are relatively cheap. Also easy to get in the UK.

If you want to see what it looks like there are some pics at my new website (cheeky advert!) at www.thegreenman.me.uk

It's planned to be a rather eccentric (like me?) fireworks website...

[Rhodri]

Great site. A lot of good work there!

Cool looking ball mill and a great comp. database.

The Green Man is most appealing too!

Cheers.

:-)

[Pyromaster2003]

sites coming on nicely. thanks for telling me where to get the stuff to make a mill AFTER i got one and payed ?70 for it:)

[Edited on 13-6-2003 by Pyromaster2003]

[hewettn]

Originally posted by PanMaster
I've found 100 0.45.. dia lead shots for ?8.50 at www.Sutlers.co.uk

Were these lead alloy or just plain lead balls?

[Pyromaster2003]

i finally got some lead and made my own lead milling media. there not balls and are pretty sloppy but work great. i drilled 18 holes in a plank of wood and filled them up with the lead.

I found that you get a much better finish from potatoes and apples!i used the blunt end of the big drill bit and just jabbed it into the apple and made a little space, the lead then comes out easy and into water. powdered my KNO3 to flour fineness in an hour of milling, im using around 40 medias and my mill strugles with that much, i may have a got at changing the gear ratio.

[Edited on 8-7-2003 by Richard H]

[Richard H]

Pyromaster...that is just plainly bizarre. You are supposed to drill the hole all the way through the wood and place the former board on top of another solid board. Cast into former board. Remove back panel, punch through the lead media once cool.

It's not rocket science. Only Pyromaster could have the sheer genius to use a potato to do it.

POST_OF_THE_DAY

[Edited on 8-7-2003 by Richard H]