Merlin Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 I have been using a lortone 12 lb to ball mill. It has flats on the inside and is rubber. Recently I got a MJR 40lb which rotates much faster than the lortone at around 60RPM. The jar is made of PVC and has a smooth interior. It mills much faster. If anyone is using one of these or similar I wanted to ask if your BP clumps. If you let it go a little too long all the BP is separated clumped in the end of the jar. The lortone never did clump. The BP tests fine but just wondering about the clumping?
TYRONEEZEKIEL Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 Dry your chemicals before you put them in the mill.
Mumbles Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 I had the 15lb drum from him, and often had clumping problems. It turns out it was probably my charcoal that was wet. Even after drying the nitrate, my initial culprit, it was still clumping. I would have to stop the mill once or twice during the milling to break up any clumping or caking BP. It worked eventually, but was still rather annoying. There is some thought that the rubber jars of lortones and thumbler's mills can flex a little and help prevent caking or clumping.
Arthur Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 I have a rubber mill jar (it's all rubber) with damp chems it clumps, with dry chems it doesn't. 100C for a couple of hours for the charcoal and separately the nitrate is good.
Merlin Posted August 6, 2015 Author Posted August 6, 2015 I dont think my chems are wet but anything is possible. I ordered another 12 lb drum from lortone so I can run two 12 lbs jars on the MJR set up. I had not experienced this clumping until I switched to the round PVC jar. Little difficult to handle and screen a 40 lb jar of lead anyway. If the 12 lbs drums do not clump then I have to believe it is a characteristic of the round PVC. If they do, I will dry the chems. The clumped meal did burn fast enough to be considered milled (0.5 sec) on the 3 gram test. I just have to break it up in the bottom of the jar to get it out and of course for a while the mill wasn't milling at all. I will figure it out. I am wondering if the round PVC actually mills faster than the hexagonal rubber jars. Thanks for the replys.
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