• July 2025 Turning Challenge: Turn a Multi-axis Weed Pot! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Kent Reisdorph for "Sugarberry Bowl" being selected as Turning of the Week for July 14, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Skinnier Peppermill-- Recommended Hardware?

Davis Stevenson

Davis Stevenson

Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
89
Likes
48
Location
Port Angeles, WA
Hi all,

I know so much of the discussion here focuses on bowls, but I know there are some prolific peppermill turners somewhere on here...

Anyways, I have a bunch of nice figured maple shorter spindle blanks that are a strong 2 1/8" square, from 7-14" in length. If possible, I'd like to get at least a couple mills out of these. Family keeps asking, and the one my wife and I use in our kitchen has bitten the dust, so I figure it's finally time to spend all my extra $ on forstner bits and give it a go.

Most of the kits I've looked at have a recess of 1-5/8" at the bottom, so theoretically a 3/16" shoulder around the opening would be possible, if I'm careful...

So, has anyone done peppermills out of skinnier stock? I know the recommended blank size is 2.5"-3" square (don't have anything that big dry) but most of what I've seen are big beefy mills, which I'm not interested in with this wood-- I wouldn't go more than 8-9". What's the thinnest stock you've done? What length? What kit?

If it's too much hassle, I'll bite the bullet and get some nice stuff from over in Port Townsend. With all the boat work going on there, Edensaw seems to have a good assortment on 10/4 and 12/4 in some of the exotics that wouldn't hurt too badly.
 
I have done some where I built up the blank with a contrasting wood like walnut on maple. the process is to make sure the base piece is square and has a good gluing surface on all four sides. if you cut some walnut about 3/8" thick and have two pieces a little wider than the base piece and two pieces 3/8" thick a little wider than the base piece plus 3/4". Glue the two narrow pieces on with a little overhang then when the glue is set carefully trim the excess, and then glue on the wider pieces. The turning process should be the same except make sure the blank is mounted centered on the base piece so that the details that cut through to the base will look symmetrical .
101_1445.JPG The mechanism used in this one is a combo salt shaker / pepper grinder from PSI that stands 6" high, if you go on the PSI website you can down load the instruction sheet.
 
The two mills sitting on my kitchen table now each measures 2 1/8 inches max outside diameter. It appears to me that I could have made them about 1/4 inch smaller without much of a struggle. These use crush-grind mechanisms and were made several years ago so I do not remember the brands. BTW, you do not have to have an exact-size Forstner bit. Just bore the hole undersize and ream to the desired diameter with a side-cutting scraper.
 
Dennis J Gooding said:
The two mills sitting on my kitchen table now each measures 2 1/8 inches max outside diameter. It appears to me that I could have made them about 1/4 inch smaller without much of a struggle. These use crush-grind mechanisms and were made several years ago so I do not remember the brands. BTW, you do not have to have an exact-size Forstner bit. Just bore the hole undersize and ream to the desired diameter with a side-cutting scraper.
Click to expand...

I might give it a go with the maple I have, if I can stay precise through the steps, it might be doable.

Good call on forstner bits, too-- I might be able to make do with what I have (not many, but good quality)

I might have some more plain maple I can laminate up, too. No Walnut, but I might have enough Sapele, which h could look nice.
 
Karl Loeblein said:
These one handed salt & pepper grinders use smaller wood blanks:

https://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-Project-WoodRiver-Pump-N-Grind-Turning/dp/B00KGWBXP8
https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKGRIND8.html
http://www.timberturners.com/product-p/pkgrindpt.htm <<out of stock currently

Haven't turned any of these mills myself so I can't vouch for their quality.
Click to expand...

Good backup plan! I might see what people have to say about them-- they look exceedingly quick and simple Although, for heavy pepper users, myself included, we might end up with Carpal Tunnel dispensing enough pepper!
 
Last edited:
Karl Loeblein said:
These one handed salt & pepper grinders use smaller wood blanks:

https://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-Project-WoodRiver-Pump-N-Grind-Turning/dp/B00KGWBXP8
https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKGRIND8.html
http://www.timberturners.com/product-p/pkgrindpt.htm <<out of stock currently

Haven't turned any of these mills myself so I can't vouch for their quality.
Click to expand...
I make a ton of the pepper mills like shown on the Amazon link--I buy mine direct through Ali-express and they require a 1" hole bored through a 3 13/16" long blank--the OD can be anything from 1 1/16" on up in diameter. They are very efficient and put out a good amount of fresh ground pepper in a couple of pumps--my customers like them a lot. I also make the mills from Chefware Kits--they have a 6" kit that you need a 1 5/8" bore about 1/4"-3/8" deep and a through hole of 1 1/16" so if your rounded blank is large enough to accept those two bores, 1 5/8" at the bottom and through hole of 1 1/16" then you are good to go--here's a link to the chefware kit 6" mill: scroll down on the landing page: https://www.chefwarekits.com/peppermill-kits/peppermill-mechanism-usa-woodturning-kit.html if you look on Ali-Express, here's one link to one I've used: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sta...253.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.34c94c4d7r1fa6
Scroll to the bottom of this page and you will see a link to one selling for less--they are all of decent quality IME.

I think either of these will let you use your current blanks.
Cap'n Eddie on YouTube show a neat way to make you mills with an overlapping top cap on them that I like a lot--although I will say that I typically just cut them on the line I've chosen for the base-cap separation and that works for me! I make a lot of mills, feel free to ask me any questions you have!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top