Ball Mill (Home Made)

I put this ball mill together using a second hand 12 volt motor ($20NZ) and a few old scraps from around the workshop.
The tin holds 1 litre. I used lead fishing sinkers, the largest I could find as media. On the first test it appears to be able to mill 250g for black powder in 2-3 hours.

[@fedaikn]

the milling media has to crush the material by falling onto it rather than rolling it over. the speed of rotation is key. the container has to rotate fast enough so that the balls travel along it's wall almost up the ceiling where they fall down because centrifugal force cannot keep them up anymore. if the container rotates too fast, the balls stick to the walls like water to a bucket when spinning it over your head. search wikipedia for ball mill for more info.

[@emigrantgap]

crazy kiwi's, alwaysmaking cool things, like the Sea Legs boat, or electric fence

[@ra777wow]

Home made stuff is the best .I've always made my own tools etc. Even if you don't have anything at home,you can hunt down your parts and I think that even makes it more fun.(I'm such a GEEK) :D Anyway,nice mill

[@pixuma]

grant's stump remover is almost pure KNo3. it has a small ammount of pretty much inert binder but it won't do anything. it's the standard source of KNo3 for the home experimentor. availible at almost any hardware store. ball mills at harbor freight or a rock tumbler from toys r us

[@DarkHero1989]

Its the same thing only rock tumblers are called that way because they are originally designed to polish rocks and minerals.

[@Zyoher]

That's definitely impressive, good job. Saw the voltmeter.

[@USFORCES68]

Lead only for BLACK POWDER! Buy cannonball lead fishing weights at the tackle shop and take the brass off ;)

[@DairyNZ]

Lead is used because it doesn't spark. Using steel you run the risk of turning it into a giant shotgun shell, killing everything/everyone in the room :-)

[@DairyNZ]

Just like the keys on your keyboard, the closer they are the faster you can type. It's the same with black powder, the closer knit the ingredients the faster the reaction (the more explosive it becomes).

[@Longway2fall]

I would be cautious, those lead sinkers contain steel loops for attaching the fishing line, and if 2 of them hit, it might cause a spark. Not to freak you out, but I would remove them before I felt safe.

[@MacsCanfly]

@AxelTiger no its not okay lead on the other hand would be fine, and lead plated doesn't cut it solid lead will do

[@ZaoHuZhua]

Honestly its in the title "Ball MILL" its refering to grinding. Such as KNO3 with C+S. Or KClO3, or even sugar for black powder.

[@Xonegod]

It does appear to be too fast, However he is using LEAD balls. No Sparks from them. Although Al might be too soft for just about any other type of material. ..X..

[@DairyNZ]

I believe they call them media. They make contact with the powders and grind/mix the them together as the cylinder rotates.

[@molinobeer]

A metal can actually dissipates static electricity because it conducts, so having metal ball bearings in metal can is safer the in plastic cans which can accumulate static electricity due to the friction inside.

[@englandinacan]

@TheMightyMagic using lead balls and not steel solves this. Also you never make any mix other than black powder in a mill. For other things, mill each ingredient individually and mix afterwards. And then do it out in a large field, under a bathtub or something.

[@colspyro]

80rpm is about right for a jar that diameter but you do need a lot more media to create the cascading effect for efficient grinding.

[@Chuffernator]

Good song.

[@Rhandahl]

some1 might have mentioned this before, but if its 80 rpm. the size of the can matters just as much to how fast the powder will get to the balls. but anyway look like its functional:)

[@DairyNZ]

Mostly these are made so that three raw ingredients, potassium Nitrate, sulphur and charcoal can be combined together to form what is commonly referred to as "Black Powder". In order for black powder to work, the pores in the charcoal need to be filled with the other two ingredients. This machine does three things, it mixes, grinds and then forces them together.

[@aerotown42]

lol I love it ....epic ball mill is epic

[@Paskarasta]

Balls of Steel!

[@DarkHero1989]

Thats perfectly possible but you arent gonna end up with nice round stars. Also lead shot BB's are usually a bit to large to start a star its easier to start with a small size fishing lead. I find it easier to just make a dough out of my compo and cut them I usually get longer tails that way.

[@DairyNZ]

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to get a bit more media for it.

[@elkotend]

@marine2553 Safely grinding explosive or non explosive material. Mainly used for explosive purposes, such as black powder, so that you don't blow your hands off while you grind it into fine powder from a solid.

[@mathiasxx94]

@DragonToko A ball mill is often used in pyrotechnics to mill coal, aluminium, BP etc. into finer powder :)

[@skcorkcaj]

@9DragonMaster you do not need expensive milling equipment you only need $2 in nickels

[@crazyshitface69]

good idea

[@englandinacan]

You should gear it down. If if spins that fast, the balls spend more time flying around inside the can than crushing powder.

[@altoids18ROX]

my dads a chemisty teacher as well...i wanted some potasium nitrate too and i thought i could get it easy as hell from the fertilizer plant but turns out they use somthing called "ureia" and its only like 50% potasium nitrate so it wouldnt be very good for explosives

[@thepl508]

big like for an idea of construction... :D

[@Xempt_One]

good old kiwi ingenuity

[@MechEngine22]

It grinds metal and other materials to a fine powder. The longer you let it run, the finer the powder becomes

[@ftmcrusherbriquettemachine2584]

dear friend, Get【Price & Details 】about 【1-500t / h ball mill】Click: www.chinafote.com/ball_mill.html?yt

[@raxredneck]

BALLS OF STEEL

[@Boems3l]

Yes but the problem might be that you get glass splinters in youre black powder. But i wont worry about that to much. So officiale No you cant but i would say no problem you can.

[@DairyNZ]

13.8v x 1amp. I turn the voltage down (12.0v) on the PSU when milling light loads.

[@DairyNZ]

Probably, but I wouldn't know what the right size is. If it works then it can't be far away :-)

[@KingErrek]

Mixing stuff, such as powders or crushing stuff ie. gun powder.

[@Raydoom1]

could you use a glass gar if you could then it would look pretty cool

[@manvstaco]

I like it..

[@XxROCKSTARxX69]

yea its fast but i mean it will take half the time to achieve a fine powder most likely

[@wengley120609]

good to mix black powder :)

[@poopeybritches]

wow out there

[@GNBrews]

Your speed reduction will make a considerable difference in efficiency. I do suggest replacing your mill jar with something not made of steel. Gallon mayonnaise jars work great for 15-20 runs before becoming stretched too much to use. If you visit your local grocery deli, you can usually get as many as you want for free.:) Also, you need much more milling media. Optimally, you should have just about half of the volume of the jar filled.

[@rit3xx]

Hey bro it's been 15years

[@GNBrews]

@rit3xx - It has! I assume you've got a Rebel 17 or better these days. Cheers man!

[@tuannurulainbttuankamarudd5515]

@@GNBrewshi can u help me, I’m doing my project for small milling machine .But mine was too slow , I use motor 225 RPM .But the movement were very slow .Do u have a suggestion???

[@Vernichtungslager666]

oh alrite. well I ended up using lead fishing weights it worked out Spectacular. I just posted the video like half hour ago. i just found out that KZbin made it suprisingly difficult to do the thumbnail trick now =s

[@latchminsingh8835]

Drop some cocoa beans and sugar, bingo chocolate. Lol

[@pyr0ph1L]

Wow that thing is fast! I would advise you to use some more media at that speed wow.. :P

[@feenixb1o7]

There are only a few materials that spark and lead isn't one of them. which is why a lot of people use it, or ceramic, ceramic is cheaper.

[@arman1008]

song? and amazing ball mill, i noticed you rounded the corners, i would have never had the thought of doing that (too lazy -.-)

[@IthBombgard]

Very nice - I am in the process of building one of these for pulverizing things into powder as well, but the motor I am trying to use is too weak once I add the ball bearings and whatever I'm attempting to powderize. :) What did that motor from from? Cheers!

[@alexoelkers2723]

try tilting the base and running it at a angle while the machine is running.

[@ALEX62592]

a ball mill is used for powder to make it finer

[@PyroNonStop]

At that high speed I would really use it to get pottasium nitrate finer... but I wouldn't ball mill BP in that one..

[@flyinbryan1619]

so thats how they make balls!!!!!!!

[@tommy11490]

nice

[@TomashPL58]

it's a ball roller not a ball mill. To make good ball mill you need to use plexiglass lid and set rotation speed at level that milled material will fall of the tin walls a little in front of balls. Allso usage of metal tin is not a good idea. It will degrade reaaaaaaly fast. Every plastic is alot better and safer. Cheers. btw. good job tough ;)

[@Taydrum]

i suggest smaller, but more balls, it seems the sinkers are so heavy that they dont really move.

[@DairyNZ]

Hypothetically speaking, it would be possible to mill black powder with it.

[@Chribbe0502]

very nice ;)

[@sephangelo4603]

I wonder if a steel drum can be used instead of a paint can. Then I could pulverize lots of fire bricks, tiles, broken toilets and rocks for pottery. I only recommend using steel balls for pottery or masonry, which are hard as fuck.

[@randyclar747]

Ok, I am considering making one of these. I have two obstacles: One, were do I get the motor specifically, and what kind do I ask for? I.E. Fan blower motor, since 12 volt?? What did you use for traction around the can? How are you sure these are static free materials for safe black powder making? Even the can must be static free.

[@warrior7772]

I believe this is spinning too fast and will make inefficient gunpowder (if that's what it's used for). The lead balls are supposed to be lifted to the top portion and 'dropped' on the media for effective mixing/pulverizing.

[@antonhelsgaun]

+warrior7772 yes, it needs friction so they can be liften for better effectivity

[@Longway2fall]

It depends on the alloy

[@700racer22]

hey i tore apart a drill and i got the motor out of it and i hooked it up to a aa batry which drained it in about a minute so i hooked it up to a 12v and it was WAY to fast lol so whats that thing thaqt u control the voltage to make it the current u want? sorry if im a little confusing..thanxs

[@DairyNZ]

Fishing sinkers

[@DairyNZ]

Cheers!

[@balbinoktf4l]

es el mismo molino que usan en mineria para pulverizar el material y convertirlo en un polvo muy fino, solo que a una escala mas pequeña, el motor es un motor neumatico, alguien podria decirme que tipo de maquina posee este motor o donde puedo conseguirlo? saludos.

[@AxelTiger]

no worries thanks!

[@conmanumber1]

HI FRM OAMARU, "HOLY SCHITT!" N-ZED CRAFTYNESS AT IT FINEST...G'ONYA M8T!.

[@cory8791]

go buy some fishing weights the round ones they work well

[@Angron1234]

Song is "mind dependency" by blindspott

[@AxelTiger]

Would it be ok to use stainless steel balls for the medium? Im sure they dont produce sparks

[@TheMightyMagic]

Wouldn't the metal container cause a risk of sparks, potentially igniting the powder (especially when dealing with things like flash and armstrongs mix)?

[@murdoch2486]

hi there i am thinking of using a metal barrel with lead media, is this dangerous for milling blackpowder?

[@Skazen51]

What are the diameter of the mills you use are metal or ceramic, have you tried with stone? Circular, if you use pre-made steel grinders (balls) where do you have them, from what website (if you can give it a link) etc

[@emmahuang5588]

lead oxide?

[@ftmcrusherbriquettemachine2584]

dear friend, Get【Price & Details 】about 【1-500t / h ball mill】Click: www.chinafote.com/ball_mill.html?yt

[@rafire34]

Is there a specific type of lead balls that are non-spark or is it all lead balls?

[@HazeCake]

if you want it to be perfect, yep, but i bet this one does the job anyway.

[@ronemler2518]

I like your design. Question do you feel the need to put some type of paddle inside to keep the material from just laying in the bottom as the mill spins?

[@ftmcrusherbriquettemachine2584]

dear friend, Get【Price & Details 】about 【1-500t / h ball mill】Click: www.chinafote.com/ball_mill.html?yt

[@chinaxbm]

well, i want know what are you gonna do with this machine? or just for fun?

[@kamil1024]

@FMxFireworks good job :)

[@mrzwerver]

ah thank you!

[@thep00k]

try find a plastic subsititute for the tin and with a securable lid, and maybe some smaller sinkers (not too much smaller) if you are using this for your KNO3/sucrose motors

[@LONExJUGGALO]

right now i working on my mill and was wondering the size of lead balls matters?

[@dave4854]

@TheMightyMagic Lead does not spark and the balls are lead.

[@azzy314159]

@mathiasxx94 But make sure you do not mill charcoal/sulfur and potash together.

[@pacteded]

@triden55 Agreed

[@scozzahisee]

You really should use wooden balls to mill anything explosive or combustible.

[@cliquehop]

What's with the Fluke? Do you have to monitor voltage?

[@MacsCanfly]

@9DragonMaster before granulation

[@Vernichtungslager666]

CAN I USE MARBLES IN BALL MILL FOR BLACK POWDER? U KNOW THOSE LITTLE BLUISH GREEN HARD BALLS WITH SWIRLS ON THEM. I NEED TO KNOW CUZ THE 4TH IS COMEING UP SOOn! (;

[@parkourdude100]

isn't it unsafe to use a metal mill container if you're making pyrotechnic compositions in that?

[@destroyer4416]

what song is that ? I read all the coments but none mentions it.

[@fruethr]

i want to ask you a question. when can I find the engine to make it? and the balls inside? thanks

[@destroyer4416]

He found them at the fishing shop i supose since the coment say's: "I used lead fishing sinkers" -Greets DESTROYER-

[@matandclo123]

ok so did you have like a cap on the tin?

[@xxxDesign4Lifexxx]

could that thing rescue the world?

[@homafrodite]

hey i live in nz and i am wanting to get some visco fuse do u no where i can get some chrz.

[@VC106893]

To everyone saying its turning to fast, also watch the last couple seconds of the clip :)

[@lowercherty]

The mill needs some ridges running lengthways to lift the balls better. Otherwise a very nice jar mill.

[@ftmcrusherbriquettemachine2584]

dear friend, Get【Price & Details 】about 【1-500t / h ball mill】Click: www.chinafote.com/ball_mill.html?yt

[@cryptonic26]

That is an awesome motor, I ended up with a few from an overstock warehouse.. I would like to find some more- where did you get yours?

[@Xonegod]

It would be better for you to use a motor off of old Microwave or similar house hold appliance since you would known the voltage and easier for you to work with. SPEED and strength of motor are secondary to durability and the motor NOT using carbons contacts, as these provide arc-spark and big safety hazards. He used rubber bands around the can. As far as static goes. USE YOUR HEAD. I suggest you slow down and proceed slowly. and let it run outside of your home. ..X..