memo Posted January 11, 2018 Posted January 11, 2018 i just got my 2nd rebel 17 drum for my double drum ball mill and my lead balls. I am good to go
memo Posted January 11, 2018 Author Posted January 11, 2018 yes om , about 3 years ago, it is a copy more or less of ned's dream machine. it just took me a while to buy the 2nd drum.
OldMarine Posted January 11, 2018 Posted January 11, 2018 I thought I remembered you posting pics somewhere. I wish Caleb would modify a Rebel mill to turn 2 drums. 1
memo Posted January 11, 2018 Author Posted January 11, 2018 the are pretty easy to build, even for a plumber, get after it ... plus it a lot cheaper. when I built mine grizzly would not ship to me so caleb sent me a motor. also mc master car will not ship to me, caleb came to the rescue again.
OldMarine Posted January 11, 2018 Posted January 11, 2018 I have 2 mills so I'm good right now but I'd sell them to upgrade to a 2 drum mill with the Rebel barrels. I have a Rebel and a HobFir with the PVC drum so the 2 drums aren't interchangeable on the bases.
memo Posted January 11, 2018 Author Posted January 11, 2018 sounds like you are covered I used a single rebel for a long time. this will be sweet having a double drum
starxplor Posted January 12, 2018 Posted January 12, 2018 I have 2 mills so I'm good right now but I'd sell them to upgrade to a 2 drum mill with the Rebel barrels. I have a Rebel and a HobFir with the PVC drum so the 2 drums aren't interchangeable on the bases. I love my HobFir mill also, but I only have one barrel. In a year or two, when I get a permit to build at home instead of just once per year up north, I will probably get a second jar.
fr3dopyrox Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 Hello, what is the quantity maximum for one batch of black powder with that rebel 17? Thanks ...
OldMarine Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 Some guys run 1000gm but I usually only do 750 grams.
memo Posted March 15, 2018 Author Posted March 15, 2018 I run a 1000 grams in each one with half full of lead balls for 3 hours. 2 hours just didn't make the bp hot enough. 3 hours does it for me.
fr3dopyrox Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) Hello, its you who modified your rebel 17 ? Or you buyed calebs Rebel 17? Edited March 15, 2018 by fr3dopyrox
OldMarine Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 I got mine from Caleb at woodysrocks.com. It's been modified to give the proper rotation speed and comes with hardened lead media.
fr3dopyrox Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) Hello, i can to have the rebel 17 for 250 $ , is it hard to modify the rpm myself ? Thanks... Edited March 15, 2018 by fr3dopyrox
memo Posted March 15, 2018 Author Posted March 15, 2018 I built mine I used plastic tubes the flexible kind radiator hot water heater hose the red kind also works over steel axels
chuckufarley Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 Depends on how handy you are, and what tools/resources you have available. I good part of the cost of a ballmill is in the media itself. You would have to figure the parts cost, vs the cost of an already modified unit, and decide if its worth it for you.
efitzgerald Posted August 25, 2019 Posted August 25, 2019 Hello All, I am just getting into black powder manufacturing and had a few questions. I purchased a unmodified Rebel 17. I also purchased 35 lbs of lead media (from woodys). I eventually intend to upgrade the motor to a more powerful three phase motor and AC drive for speed control. Would it be possible to use the mill as it is or do I have to modify it before it can be used? I purchased several black powder kits from Skylighter and screens from another vendor. I am also very concerned with the safety aspects of making, handling and storage of ball milled three component bp. I have done quite a bit of reading and feel fairly confident on safety but was hoping to find a local enthusiast that might be able to give me some pointers before starting. I have a mill and lathe along with other metal fab equipment and could trade work for some assistance. I am in Lapeer County, Michigan. -Eric
Mumbles Posted August 26, 2019 Posted August 26, 2019 Nothing in this hobby is inherently safe. with an unmodified mill, running at stock speed you can expect it to take longer to mill efficiently. The quality shouldn't be affected though.
efitzgerald Posted August 26, 2019 Posted August 26, 2019 Hello Mumbles, I understand there is always going to be risk involved. I also want to minimize it as much as possible and make sure that I am not overlooking anything. Thank you for the information on the ball mill. -Eric
efitzgerald Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 I found a good deal on a 1680 rpm 1/4 hp 3 phase TEFC motor and snagged a cheap Chinese single phase 120v to 230v three phase VFD. Do you think 1/4 hp would be enough to drive two rebel 17 drums with 35 lbs each of lead media? I might build a base to carry the motor and two drums. The original rebel 17 base is extremely flimsy and seems like it might end up causing alignment problems if not leveled each time it is used. I also don't think the new motor will fit on the original base. What belt type do you think would be a good choice? The round belt looks a little fragile. They do make very small timing belts and serpentine belts that could be used. I have the original motor with cord that someone can have for free if they want (I am going to keep the pulley for now). -Eric
Arthur Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 Get the pulley ratios about right! The VFD will help ramp the speed up and down BUT the motor will only develop it's 1/4 hp at it's rated speed.
efitzgerald Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 I used an optical tachometer to find the current rpm and gear ratio. I calculated the correct ratio to be approximately 2.1 to 1 with the 1680 rpm motor. Though I will measure the drum and rollers to double check before making new pulleys.
efitzgerald Posted September 1, 2019 Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) Almost finished. https://share.icloud.com/photos/0O4ZjSUmDMfhqm_pp0OkDiA9A https://share.icloud.com/photos/0dKR00AisC9psYJ0iTKaY9IMQ The base is made of .25" aluminum plate with 1" x .375" bar stock on the sides and center for strength. I ended up sticking with the round belts but stepped up to a 1/4" belt, it would have been more of a hassle trying to use a timing belt. I need to make the pulleys to replace the original plastic pulleys that came with the rebel 17. I thought I had some 3.5" aluminum stock but most have used it at some point. Another complete rebel 17 is on the way so I can mount the drive and support rollers onto the base. Other than that I need to get an enclosure for the drive and then it is finished. I now have 2 rebel 17 bare bases, 2 motors with cords and drive pulleys, 2 belts and 2 of the large plastic pulleys for free. I would prefer local pickup only. -Eric Edited September 1, 2019 by efitzgerald
efitzgerald Posted September 25, 2019 Posted September 25, 2019 Finished https://share.icloud.com/photos/0fOPNZEbAi8s-yFaBlKvn-IcQ And I made my first batch of black powder. I only used one drum with 1000 grams of chemicals and ran the mill for two hours. I haven't tested it yet so I have no idea how well it turned out. And for that matter, I am not sure how to test it at this point: I currently do not have a baseball / mortar which seems to be the common way of doing it. https://share.icloud.com/photos/0L1cDTdTn_8a_PcrfzsTuzZew I do have 2 rebel 17 bare bases, 2 motors with cords and drive pulleys, 5 belts and 2 of the large plastic pulleys that someone can have for free. -Eric
Arthur Posted September 25, 2019 Posted September 25, 2019 While you can compare your powder with other's powder by using the usual baseball and mortar, you can compare your powder with your powder using any ball in mortar. Mill 1000g for say 4 hours but open the mill and remove 50 g every half hour then do tests on each sample, you should see improvement over several batches then less improvement as you get to optimum powder. 1
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