Hand mills for grinding grain at home are modern household designs that allow you to easily get flour from different types of cereals.
When developing a device such as a grain mill, professional engineers use the latest technology, thanks to which the work in the kitchen becomes pleasant and easy. These are relatively new units, but they managed to gain wide popularity in the market of kitchen appliances.
There are also industrial mills for grain. But they are used in large flour mills and in farms. Prices are quite high.
A wide range of devices such as a grain mill are available in stores. But to make such a device by yourself is not so difficult, however, a fair amount of skill and the ability to work with turning and drilling devices will be required. A home grain mill will allow you to get flour of different grinding depending on the setting. In this case, you will spend a minimum of cash.
This article will talk about how to make a grain mill with your own hands.
Mill "Baby"
The most common model is the Baby Mill. It was invented in Udmurtia by two engineers. By means of this device, it is possible to achieve not only crushing grain to the required size, but also the manufacture of compound feed and the production of flour from corn, buckwheat and other grain. Such an electric mill for grain will be simply indispensable in a family that lives in their own home and contains pets.
The dimensions of this machine are small, but the level of performance can surprise any user. In five minutes, you can process a full bucket of corn, and a bucket of wheat can be easily ground in just three minutes.
Technical parameters of the device:
- the size of the housing, not including the hopper and pipe, is 320 x 160 x 170 mm;
- the device is capable of grinding two types: fine and coarse;
- low engine power indicator - 180 W;
- high level of productivity with low energy consumption;
- the presence of a reversible rotary engine;
- the weight of the device is 15 kg.
The main task, which increases the efficiency and strength of such an aggregate as a grain mill, is the assembly of the rotor and stator.
Device diagram
Many are interested in how to make a grain mill with your own hands.
Before you start assembling the device, experts advise stocking up with all the necessary details:
- electric motor (you can use the engine from the washing machine, since the required power is small);
- engine mounting points (12 M6 bolts with washers equipped with springs are required);
- engine mount (two corners of steel measuring 45 x 45 mm);
- the base of the device (bed) made of sheet steel, the thickness of which is 6-8 mm;
- studs with nuts for tightening;
- roof box based on metal;
- rotor;
- bearing cap;
- stator;
- branch pipe;
- 3 mm thick sheet metal cover;
- four M6 screws securing the cover;
- distance ring;
- fastening of a reception box;
- two bearings No. 203;
- three screws connecting the caps of the bearing assembly;
- M6 screws equipped with nuts (for installation);
- box for loading;
- axis (M6 stud and two nuts);
- wood handle;
- places of fastening of a branch pipe.
Rotor manufacturing process
A manual mill for grain with its own hands has a unified scheme, so assembly can be classified as light. If it seems impossible to procure parts manually, you can order them in a turning workshop. You need a stator, a rotor, as well as a bearing cap.
If you decide to resort to the manufacture of the rotor on your own, then you should take into account a number of important technical nuances:
- The part must be equipped with a shaft with a variable section. It is made of forgings M 45 9 cm long and 12 cm in diameter or steel round timber.
- The whole process should proceed in stages: the preparation of metal parts (in a circle with a diameter of 105 mm, holes with a radius of 5 cm are drilled at the same distance).
- Remove the outer layer of the circle so that the size of the groove is reduced to a rate of 104.5 mm. The working teeth must be open. After that, the rotor is quenched.
Rotor machining
The hardening of the rotor must be carried out in a certain sequence: the temperature in the furnace is brought to 800 º, after which the part is lowered into the oil container. Cooling the metal with water in this case is highly discouraged, as cracks may appear. Then a vacation is made: the rotor is subjected to secondary heating, but already up to a temperature of 400 º. It must be allowed to cool at room temperature. As a result, you will get a very strong and solid part that will last for more than a dozen years. To check the quality level of the work performed, a file should be carried out along the cutting side of the tooth. If a slip is noted and no trace remains, then this means that everything is done correctly.
In a device such as a homemade grain mill, the rotor will spin with two radial bearings. This increases the rigidity of the node and the strength of the device. A distance ring of 0.5 mm is made between the bearings in the shaft. It serves to displace the bearings and create the tension necessary to adapt the assembly to the voltage in the mechanism.
Make the stator
Making a stator is a little more difficult, as in this case accuracy will be required of you. The work is done in stages. First of all, the workpiece is turned on a lathe, and then a small technological allowance is left. For this purpose, an opening of up to 70 mm is drilled in the center. A circle is marked on the workpiece with a diameter of 105 mm, the center points of future openings are applied. Subsequently, they will become the working plane for the stator. The marking is applied strictly according to the drawing.
The contours of the holes are indicated above and below, and then blind “windows” are drilled with a depth of about 26 mm. The allowance left earlier is removed on the machine and the space for the working chamber (105 mm) is bored. The resulting workpiece is turned over and a landing recess is made for inserting bearings. It will also require the manufacture of grooves for sealing parts. The mill can function without this component.
When the stator is ready, you can begin to create holes with threads for the covers for the bearings, stator, nozzle and duct for loading. The stator, like the rotor, is subjected to heat treatment using a similar technology.
Ensuring accurate operation of the unit, the stator coordinates should be set correctly. In this case, bolts are used. During operation, the rotor must move slowly and easily, without jerking or stopping. Only after checking the functionality of all parts can you start a trial run of the device. For this purpose, the mill (milling machine) is fixed on a stool or table so that it does not fall during vibration.
Bed Production
The bed is an important detail. It is used as a base plate. To create it, a sheet of steel with a thickness index of 6-8 mm is used. A stator is attached to the bed by means of M6 screws. The screws will also hold the pipe, which can be removable. The pipe is installed in the opening of the base corresponding to the diameter of the part. In the mechanism, it is held only by friction.
Pipe making
To make a pipe, you should take a piece of pipe with a thin wall. Its diameter should be equal to 28 mm. A product with a round or square cross section is applicable. Depending on this indicator, a hole of the desired shape and diameter is made in the bed.
We make a box for loading
If you have made all of the above items, then the production of a loading box is not so difficult. It is made from a roofing metal sheet, bending in accordance with the desired shape and soldering the seams. Normal sheet metal is also applicable, but the roofing is more durable.
When the part is ready, it should be installed on the stator and fixed with two M6 bolts.
We take into account important points
Before you start collecting a hand mill for grinding grain, the following fact is taken into account: if the torsion of the rotor is carried out only in one direction, then the first half of the working chamber of the stator will be in working condition, and when the rotor rotates in the opposite direction, the second one will be connected. The sides differ in the number of protrusions and their sizes. This allows you to get flour of different grinding (coarse or fine). Only change the direction of the rotor.
Unit Installation
To bring all parts into working condition, a certain current strength is required. Before you start cutting out all the parts of the device, prepare the necessary electrical equipment. For such a unified design, expensive elements are not needed.
You will need an electric motor, a capacitor with a capacitance rating of 3.8 μF, a fuse and a toggle switch. The engine is mounted on a dielectric plate, and the remaining components are attached there. To rotate in the opposite direction, resort to switching the capacitor.
Shafts for crushing and motor are located on the axis. A rigid coupling is used to transmit rotation. In the corners for mounting, holes are drilled that guide the parts to adjust the position. Holes are made in the frame. They are needed to move.
Grain is loaded into the receiving box, a container for flour is placed under the outlet pipe and the first grinding process is carried out at home.
The article highlights the question of how to make a grain mill with your own hands. The manufacture of such a practical apparatus is not particularly difficult. A manual machine will cost you much less than buying a factory fixture.