# home made ball mill



## hoardpm (Apr 10, 2009)

I have seen several posts where people use a ball mill to crush up the flat packs and such. To buy one of these setups is kind of expencive. I have seen other home made ball mills on youtube and other sites. These look like they preforme well and aren't that expencive. But, I had another idea. There seems to be a whole lot of people wanting to get rid of old laundry dryers. Most of these are less than 20 bucks or free. I was thinking that if the heating element and blower were disconnected and you sealed up the drum where and the lint trap you could use an old dryer. Im sure it wouldn't last too long from the abuse of ball bearing bouncing around in there. But, it is super cheap and can be taken by an appliance scrapper once it is destroyed. Has anyone used this method and how did it work for you?


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## semi-lucid (Apr 10, 2009)

I can't imagine that it would hold up very long. I don't think the bearings are designed to handle the weight. And a heavy load of balls would be too much for the motor to handle, not to mention the beating the drum would take.

John


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## Platdigger (Apr 10, 2009)

A guy could build a much smaller drum, say, made from some well casing perhaps.
Then atach that inside the dryer drum in the center and use it for the drive of a small ball mill.
could work.....
There is a company that sells a similar idea that you throw inside a small cement mixer.
But with it, it is not atached. Once the stuff is small enough it falls out of the tumbler crusher, and then is ground smaller by the the little mill rolling over it. Inside the cement mixer.


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## semi-lucid (Apr 10, 2009)

I think some of the older ones were heavier duty than some of the later ones. I replaced the belt on one a few years ago, and it was barely adequate to handle a heavy load of clothes.

If I remember correctly, some of the old ones had a proper vee belt in the back. If I were going to try it, I would look for one that had a decent belt drive and bearings on the drum. 
I think the front of the drum usually runs on rollers, does it not?

John


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## hoardpm (Apr 10, 2009)

I suppose I could experiment with this. I do have about 15 pounds of fishing weights (sinkers). I'll just see if I can find a dryer for free and see if it works. The worse that can happen is I totaly wreck a dryer in a very unique fashion. Could be fun.


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## qst42know (Apr 10, 2009)

On the dryers I have serviced the drums are very thin. Anything more than pocket change would quickly beat the snot out of them. They are not much thicker than a coffee can. The front of the drum rides on felt sometimes with a couple wear resistant plastic tabs. the rear bearing point is a poly bushing. It just wont hold up.


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## Anonymous (Apr 11, 2009)

look on ebay there is a guy on there that sells a hand powered hammer mill for prospectors, basical a pipe in a pipe that is lifted and pounded on
with the material inside.

jim


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## Anonymous (Apr 11, 2009)

qst42know said:


> On the dryers I have serviced the drums are very thin. Anything more than pocket change would quickly beat the snot out of them. They are not much thicker than a coffee can. The front of the drum rides on felt sometimes with a couple wear resistant plastic tabs. the rear bearing point is a poly bushing. It just wont hold up.



In addition to the weakness's GST42know has pointed out, the drum is poorly sealed. You have no way to confine the dust ( your values ).

There have been several posts on making a homemade ball mill all of which could be scaled down. If you do not have the means to machine, cut and weld consider using a small lapidary rock tumbler.


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## Irons (Apr 11, 2009)

james122964 said:


> look on ebay there is a guy on there that sells a hand powered hammer mill for prospectors, basical a pipe in a pipe that is lifted and pounded on
> with the material inside.
> 
> jim



I wonder what the shipping charges are. Might be cheaper to have someone at a local welding shop weld a cap to a base plate so you could unscrew the pipe. For the pestle a length of capped pipe filled with lead shot.


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## Anonymous (Apr 11, 2009)

Irons, that was what I ment for them to do, I personally have every dollar pried out of my clinched first. 8) :lol:


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