Turning a Peper Mill

By Bob Sawyer

Steps for Pepper mills:

1. Pick wood – 4″ diameter – any size you want from 4″ to 24″ long
2. Round piece of wood
3. Drill all holes before you begin to turn – set up block with drill in it
#1 1st hole = 1 5/8″in bottom 1/2″ to 3/4″
#2 2nd hole in bottom 1 1/16″wide and 1″ deep
#3 3rd hole – 1″ wide at least ; 4” to 6” from top
4. Take mill off lathe put bottom end into nova chuck
5. Drill 1/4′ hole in top – 5″ to 6″ deep
6. Turn top (round) leave a 1 5/8″ waste piece *** very important
7. Finish top-by sanding up to 1200 grit
8. Cut top off – drill 1/4″ completely through – next drill 3/4″ hole in bottom of waste piece
1/4″ deep for turn plate to be inserted
9. Drill 1 5/8″ hole into top just cut off
10. Drill 1″ hole to finish hole in base
11. Take pepper mill base off lathe; fit into adapter that is mounted into nova chuck ; slide tale
stock up to pepper mill to hold in place
12. Finish mill: sand and varnish
13. Put top onto mill making sure waste piece fits into 1 5/8″ hole; if not, sand to fit
14. Put mechanisms into mill; fill with peppercorns to make sure R works.

Supplier for pepper mill parts: Drill bits from Wholesale Tool (Tampa) 1-800-237-4689
#2 taper 1″ thick x 12″ long

Pepper mills from Penn. State Industries 1-800-377-7297