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Crushgrind mechanisms: anyone using? Need advice

Mark Hepburn

Mark Hepburn

Artist & Chef
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Is anyone using the Crushgrind click-in shaftless pepper mill mechanisms? I've made a couple of mills with them and the recommended shaft size to drill is 1 1/2" but it seems that this is just a tad loose.

Woodcraft has a sheet that shows it as a 38mm shaft, which is something like 1.495 inches. I'd buy the metric Forstner bits if that makes a real difference but don't know. I'm using the Colt bits with the Rota-stop shafts and they don't seem to make metric equivalents so I'd have to go a different direction it looks like.

I'd like to get a good snug fit that doesn't require a bunch of epoxy to hold the mill in the housing, so if anyone has any tips I'd appreciate it!

Mark
 
Mark Hepburn said:
Is anyone using the Crushgrind click-in shaftless pepper mill mechanisms? I've made a couple of mills with them and the recommended shaft size to drill is 1 1/2" but it seems that this is just a tad loose.

Woodcraft has a sheet that shows it as a 38mm shaft, which is something like 1.495 inches. I'd buy the metric Forstner bits if that makes a real difference but don't know. I'm using the Colt bits with the Rota-stop shafts and they don't seem to make metric equivalents so I'd have to go a different direction it looks like.

I'd like to get a good snug fit that doesn't require a bunch of epoxy to hold the mill in the housing, so if anyone has any tips I'd appreciate it!

Mark
Click to expand...

Mark, a bit of a coincidence; I just finished roughing out a blank for a crush grind mill WITH a shaft. Have never heard of the shaftless variety. Seems to me the simple solution to your problem is to bore the hole using the next smaller available bit and use a small side-cutting scraper to enlarge it to fit. A gouge turned its side with a scraping pull cut using the bottom wing will do the trick
 
Dennis J Gooding said:
Mark, a bit of a coincidence; I just finished roughing out a blank for a crush grind mill WITH a shaft. Have never heard of the shaftless variety. Seems to me the simple solution to your problem is to bore the hole using the next smaller available bit and use a small side-cutting scraper to enlarge it to fit. A gouge turned its side with a scraping pull cut using the bottom wing will do the trick
Click to expand...

Well duh. You're right of course. A 1 3/8 bit is just the thing Dennis. A touch of scraping will do just right. Thanks!
 
It is the common mill we turn here in South Africa. You will need a 38mm forsner bit, the mechanisms are made in Scandinavia so will be metric. Here is a link to some Power-point presentations done by the South African agent for Crush grind
https://www.peppermills.co.za/powerpoints I have also attached a pdf with the instructions
 

Attachments

Richard Hodsdon said:
It is the common mill we turn here in South Africa. You will need a 38mm forsner bit, the mechanisms are made in Scandinavia so will be metric. Here is a link to some Power-point presentations done by the South African agent for Crush grind
https://www.peppermills.co.za/powerpoints I have also attached a pdf with the instructions
Click to expand...

Thanks Richard. That PowerPoint and instruction set were very, very helpful downloads! BTW, my late uncle Randy was a lifelong resident of S.A. and taught entomology at university there until he passed away some years ago.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Google 38MM forstner bit and you get several sources including Rocklers.
Another solution would be to get a machinist's boring head to accurately enlarge the hole if it maters.
This link to Amazon is a 2" head with a MT2 shank then you would need to purchase the appropriate 1/2" shank boring bar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WLLNVY...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Click to expand...

Thanks Don. Just want to mention that I love the piece in your avatar photo. Really nice work!
 
Ron Browning has a nice article in the AAW journal 24.4 winter 2009
he does a combination salt shaker/pepper Mill in the article.

he uses metric bits for the holes.
You can use his article for a number of adaptions.

I’ve known Ron for a long time. Excellent turner and great guy to be around.
 
hockenbery said:
Ron Browning has a nice article in the AAW journal 24.4 winter 2009
he does a combination salt shaker/pepper Mill in the article.

he uses metric bits for the holes.
You can use his article for a number of adaptions.

I’ve known Ron for a long time. Excellent turner and great guy to be around.
Click to expand...
Thanks Al,
I'll go grab the article. How can you possibly remember stuff like that ? :-D
 
Al,
I just grabbed that issue and printed the article. Amazing resource on the AAW website. I highly recommend joining to those of you who haven't already. Just the back issues alone are worth far more than the annual dues.
 
Mark Hepburn said:
Is anyone using the Crushgrind click-in shaftless pepper mill mechanisms? I've made a couple of mills with them and the recommended shaft size to drill is 1 1/2" but it seems that this is just a tad loose.

Woodcraft has a sheet that shows it as a 38mm shaft, which is something like 1.495 inches. I'd buy the metric Forstner bits if that makes a real difference but don't know. I'm using the Colt bits with the Rota-stop shafts and they don't seem to make metric equivalents so I'd have to go a different direction it looks like.

I'd like to get a good snug fit that doesn't require a bunch of epoxy to hold the mill in the housing, so if anyone has any tips I'd appreciate it!

Mark
Click to expand...
I have been using the 'Pro Grind Variable Length Peppermill' mechanism for quite a while and it was originally made for metric sizes. The mechanism is internal and the vendor (Penn State Industries - pennstateind.com - PKGRINDTL) has instructions on how to handle this. I've attached a copy of the instructions. Where the body of the ceramic grinder mechanism fits, they specify a 1 1/2 inch forstner bit. The instructions state:
Assembly Instructions

· Note: The mechanism is designed to fit in metric holes. In order to fit in standard holes, some modifications to the mechanisms are necessary

· Remove the 6 (plastic) ribs over the surface of the grinding mechanism (using a sharp knive) and the knob mechanism

With these ribs removed, the difference between the metric dimension and the 1 1/2 inch forstner bit hole are done away with and the mechanism is a nice snug fit (with a little force)
Hope this helps,
Brian
 

Attachments

I use the Mill Drill which is made for the crush grind mills. This Mill Drill is made by Woodcut Tools. I reviewed it in More Woodturning Magazine a few years ago. Works very well.
 
Bill Blasic said:
I use the Mill Drill which is made for the crush grind mills. This Mill Drill is made by Woodcut Tools. I reviewed it in More Woodturning Magazine a few years ago. Works very well.
Click to expand...

Bill, does it work for the shaftless mechanism as well as the one with a shaft?
 
brian horais said:
I have been using the 'Pro Grind Variable Length Peppermill' mechanism for quite a while and it was originally made for metric sizes. The mechanism is internal and the vendor (Penn State Industries - pennstateind.com - PKGRINDTL) has instructions on how to handle this. I've attached a copy of the instructions. Where the body of the ceramic grinder mechanism fits, they specify a 1 1/2 inch forstner bit. The instructions state:
Assembly Instructions

· Note: The mechanism is designed to fit in metric holes. In order to fit in standard holes, some modifications to the mechanisms are necessary

· Remove the 6 (plastic) ribs over the surface of the grinding mechanism (using a sharp knive) and the knob mechanism

With these ribs removed, the difference between the metric dimension and the 1 1/2 inch forstner bit hole are done away with and the mechanism is a nice snug fit (with a little force)
Hope this helps,
Brian
Click to expand...

Brian thanks. This looks a lot like the same product that crushgrind makes. I buy from PSI fairly often so I found it and put one in my cart. :-)
 
Bill Blasic said:
I use the Mill Drill which is made for the crush grind mills. This Mill Drill is made by Woodcut Tools. I reviewed it in More Woodturning Magazine a few years ago. Works very well.
Click to expand...
Yup that would be great for that one project but if you invest in the boring head you get adjustment in the thousands and, while it will take more steps to do the crush mills, it has more versatility for other applications.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Yup that would be great for that one project but if you invest in the boring head you get adjustment in the thousands and, while it will take more steps to do the crush mills, it has more versatility for other applications.
Click to expand...

Never having used a boring head before, I'm a little confused. It looks as though the smallest diameter i can find with a MT2 is the 2" diameter. The pepper mill body requires a 1.495" shaft. I'll be doing about a dozen pepper mills for sure and maybe more so do I need to be looking for a boring mill with a smaller body diameter, or is that the max size diameter that is listed? I don't find a lot of help in the reviews/questions on Amazon.
 
So I ordered the Woodcut Tools Mill Drill. Amazon had it with prime shipping so I should get it this Tuesday (boy oh boy, is prime shipping getting slow).

Still interested in that boring mill though...
 
I have never used the crush grind without the shaft. Easy to do 1" hole through the piece then with mill drill (that has been set properly) drill to the mark on the body then 1 cut with notch cutter for the ears. Ready for insertion. Although I have never used it for anything else it is capable of doing many things.
 
Last edited:
John King said:
Don't even consider making a salt shaker, pepper mill, etc. until you get (and read) a copy of Turning Salt & Pepper Shakers And Mills by Chris West. There's a section in the book dedicated to the CrushGrind@ mechanism. Everything you need to know. - John
Click to expand...

Thanks John. I just ordered the book.
 
I realize I'm awakening a dead thread, but I'm wondering if there's a preference between the shaft type and shaftless CrushGrind kits. I've just recently had a few people ask for some, so I need ot get busy.
 
Darryl, I’ve been using the shaftless mechanism and really like it, but not having used the shaft type I can’t compare.

But I find that the shaft is type offers a lot of creative opportunities, and isn’t terribly difficult to do. Also, since you don’t have a shaft, you don’t have to have a nut on top and you don’t have to mess with the length of the shaft.
 
Thanks to everyone -- lots of great info in this post! I have made several of the Crush Grind Mills that have the shaft but have been curious about the "shaftless" version. I intend to order some to try soon. I am happy with the Crush Grind shaft version - for me, it has worked out better with my designs than the "old style" ones where the shaft needs to protrude out the top for the knurled adjustment knob. The Crush Grind "shaftless" version should provide even more design flexibility... looking forward to making some mills with it.
 
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