JrayJ Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Well have I a suggestion for you.... What if someone were to take a ball mill and use a windmill as the energy source, instead of an electric motor? You would be an environmentally friendly pyro! Do you think I would start a new thread with just and idea? No. Well we have a windmill and took it down from the stand to do some repair work and add an air compressor attachment to help aureate our tank. While we had it down I figured I had might as well make use of it so here is our windmill's new ball mill attachment. Yeah, I improvised. Pics are attached! All comments and suggestions are appreciated. Now the only thing preventing me from making large quantities of well milled powder is a bulk source of KNO3, any sources in Texas? Has anybody set up a pile with cow manure and straw and had any success? Thanks!pics_of_wind_powder_ball_mill.zip
NightHawkInLight Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Haha, well...It's a unique idea, I'll give it that I think the variable speeds are going to make milling time a bit of a guessing game.
RUUUUUN Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 the first wind powered ball mill, however not the first wind powered mill, where do you think windMILL came from??? Real windmills seem to work jsut fine fro grinding things down to say flour.... now where can we find some huge granite slabs???
andyboy Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 I don't know if I really understood how it goes together but was the ball-mill attachment the propane-can on the blades. If so the only worry would be that it might unbalance the wind-mill. I would think that it could break pretty easily if unbalanced, if there where strong winds around. Anyway, great idea. Now I just need to wait 'til tomorrow so I can start my solar powered charcoal cooker.
RUUUUUN Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 The only problem I can see with the this method is that variable speed, IIRC there was a thread somewhere that had a formula for calculating the optimum RPMs for a barrel of diameter, with media, with total mass...(love my variables???) I think that, unless you have some pretty steady winds, the mill is going to be very inefficient as a result of the wrong speed.... Andyboy: Are you thinking of something along the lines of a fresnel lens?? or a giant magnifying glass???
NightHawkInLight Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Andyboy: Are you thinking of something along the lines of a fresnel lens?? or a giant magnifying glass???I got a huge fresnel lens I could give it a shot with
TheSidewinder Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Well, that's certainly one of the more novel approaches to Ball-Milling I've ever seen. One old gasoline can, some clamps, and a nearby windmill. I suspect you'd need an awfully high wind, though, to get optimum RPM of the blades.
stug161 Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Who here can write up a grant? The way our money is being dished out in D.C., maybe we can get some of it to design/build a wind powered mill!!
andyboy Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Andyboy: Are you thinking of something along the lines of a fresnel lens?? or a giant magnifying glass??? It was mostly a joke but if I could find enough mirrors I could arrange them like Archimedes (supposedly) did back in the day. Some interesting reading for those that don't have a clue as to what I'm on about: http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mirrors.htm
Ventsi Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 I saw a fellow on YouTube that made a water ball mill. A much better option IMO. You can get a hell of a bigger load and a constant RPM out of it. Not to mention its a lot simpler to make. Obviously the downside is finding a source of running water nearby.
JrayJ Posted August 10, 2009 Author Posted August 10, 2009 (edited) I saw a fellow on YouTube that made a water ball mill. A much better option IMO. You can get a hell of a bigger load and a constant RPM out of it. Not to mention its a lot simpler to make. Obviously the downside is finding a source of running water nearby. Hmmmm... We have a creek on our place that never goes dry (comes right out of the sewage treatment plant )... That may be an idea. Does anybody know of a farm store in Texas where I can get a sack of KNO3? Has anyone had any success with making their own (from assorted organic matter)? As for steady RPM we have northers come through here every fall with 30 mph winds for 5 days straight... which is more than enough time to make a few pounds of gunpowder... And I'm not really going for speedy results; it's not as if it'll hurt to leave in in the can for a few weeks. Edited August 10, 2009 by JrayJ
Arthur Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Real wind mills have ground flour for ages! If you need to mill powder then put a rev counter on the system so that you can estimate the numberof turns needed (70rpm for 8hours is 70 x 60 x 8 so count 33600 turns. could take a day or two!)
Mumbles Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Nitre beds are reported to take years to yield any quantity of nitrate matter, not to mention the excessive cleanup, and low yields. I'd stick with a pre-purified source. As for where to get it, try calling around various farm stores. Thats pretty much the only way you're going to find it locally.
JrayJ Posted September 11, 2009 Author Posted September 11, 2009 just got my first batch of bp out of this mill and I have to say it's the fastest I've made yet! will post a vid when I have time...
tentacles Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I could be wrong but isn't that gas can made of steel? I wouldn't go milling any live comps in there! I bet you could make a sweet wheel mill using wind power.
Ryanjax Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 That's some serious redneck Sh*t. Good idea though.
Skycastlefish Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 I can see how this could have a use. In fact, I’m glad to have stumbled upon it. In an emergency situation this could come in handy. Despite the inconsistency, it would still be working for you while you’re doing something else (unlike mortar and pestle.) Flour can be made from lots of seeds (including pine.) Mesquite trees have thousands of seeds that make delicious breads. I like it! Oh yea, I’d have a separate can for BP.
JrayJ Posted October 3, 2009 Author Posted October 3, 2009 That's what I'm saying, I mean I really don't mind leaving a can of BP on the thing for a week or so, it's not like I have enough free time to burn through it so fast that this method won't mill enough. For now it works perfectly, at least until the can rusts through
homebrewed77 Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 That's some serious redneck Sh*t. Good idea though. Yeah..well..that's where all the cool stuff come's from anyway...BUt hell..up here in Montana...the area where I live..the wind just dont stop..was thinking about getting one of those small 10' to 12' windmill's..and see what I can rig up..LOL you got my wheel's turning lol..(pun).
NightHawkInLight Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 Yeah..well..that's where all the cool stuff come's from anyway...BUt hell..up here in Montana...the area where I live..the wind just dont stop..was thinking about getting one of those small 10' to 12' windmill's..and see what I can rig up..LOL you got my wheel's turning lol..(pun). IMO, I would think it much more efficient to use the windmill for power generation. You could still run a mill off it, but when not in use you're saving cash on the power bill.
Recommended Posts