Ball mill, tumbler for grinding and polishing a variety of materials

[TheMatt1215]

what kind of motor is that like what is it from

[gettingahandle]

If yoo wanna good gunpowder, use charcoal from willow wood- it' low ash

[ENGRLIFE]

I hear your voice of caution. I though about grounding out the mill or using different media... At the end, I decided to just do them seperate.

[ratfinkle]

hmm, gunpowder eh?

I wouldn't use steel media if you are milling the mixed components, one spark an it's a bang and alot of damage done (voice of experience and man with a crater in the garden)

[SparkLitSky]

hey i see you used a charcoal like kingsford. If you want a way faster powder you can buy real oak charcoal in a big bag cheap at walmart(red bag). Briquets have a lot of clay in them to make them burn Longer. Nice Ball mill!

[ENGRLIFE]

Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a try soon and see how much faster I get the same results. :)

[ENGRLIFE]

The rpm that I use is based upon the diameter of the drum. The way you calculate this value is by finding the rpm at which the centrifugal force approximates the force of gravity. The formula for this is; rpm=54.19/(radius of drum in feet)^1/2. So as an example, if the diameter is 3.5", r=(3.5"/2)/12=0.1458 and the rpm is then approx 142. Hope this helps.

[maxpower14843]

is that the actual rpm of your mill

[ENGRLIFE]

Yes, that is the approx. rpm of this ball mill. Give or take a few rpm. The formula is useful in finding the approx rpm required so you know what kind of motor and ratios to use but the "exact" rpm should be just below the calculated value. This means that a design should be able to vary the rpm so it can get the best results.