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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] grain mills
  • Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:43:10 -0500



Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:
You are a gooberhead. Grain mills, silly.

Ah, well, and here I was already with a diatribe about Live, the Universe, and Everything (and the terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side).

:) Too funny...
You are kind to oblige me in light of my namecalling; I'm glad that you
recognized gooberhead as a term of endearment<g>




The Blackhawk uses conical burrs and the distance between burrs is mechanically fixed by a huge thumbscrew and accompanying locking lever on that screw. Let's suppose you are going to grind corn into meal. Set the screw very far out to give a wide gap between burrs and run the corn through it. It should just break or crack each kernel. If they come too unscathed, tighten the gap. If the mill is overly hard to turn, losen the gap.

After running the corn through, tighten the gap and run it through again. This should break each kernel into very coarse meal like scratch grains for chickens.

Then tighten the gap once more and the corn will come out as meal suitable for kitchen use.

The mistake is to try to grind the corn in one pass. Also turning the mill with no grain should be nearly silent even on the finest setting. If closed too far, the burrs clatter against one another and wear out.

Well, all of that makes sense and I can picture that. The nearly silent
thing is good information. I have tried to find pictures of the
Blackhawk, but don't think I have had success...does it look like this
mill on ebay?
http://tinyurl.com/5k72fm




Second case is a mill like the Corona which has flat burrs. It operates on a slightly different principle. The fixed burr is spring
loaded from springs on the two wingnuts that close the gap. A big
thumbscrew fixes the *beginning* position of the burrs, but as corn goes through the mill, it forces the burrs apart against the springs and this force shears off the corn. The two screws that mount the fixed burr must be exactly equally tightened. If not, you will see the fixed burr wobble as the crank is truned. That rakes off the outside edge of the burr and is bad.

Properly adjusted the burrs will just touch when the mill is empty and push off each other agaisnt the springs.

I think I need to be looking at a Corona to understand. I'm kind of
lost on visualizing exactly how the mill works.


Some versions of the Corona don't have springs but rather mount the fixed burr loosely so that as the gap fills with grain, it is forced
apart from the tolerance of the screws.

If it's hard to turn or makes a noise when turned empty, it is out of adjustment. If the fixed burr wobbles as it is turned, it is out of adjustment.

When using the stone burrs (available from R&R Mills of Uriah Utah) the burrs must not touch when the mill is empty.


I appreciate all the information. This is a keeper post.
So James, what would you recommend for me, who would mostly grind corn,
but would occasionally grind oats and maybe wheat once in a blue moon?
Would the recommendation change if I would be using it equally to mill
corn and wheat? Can I get buy with one machine, or should I get two,
one for each purpose? Do you use one or two? Obviously, I want
something with manual capability.
The other thing is that on some mills, I read that it will only grind to
a medium grade of courseness, and would not grind flour fine enough for
baking...Well..I would want something fine enough for bread baking, so
that might also be a limiting factor. I don't want anything plastic
either, if I can help it...am I wanting too much?
Should I just go with something like this
http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=219
I'm looking at all the mills on the Lehman page...just confusing..
http://www.lehmans.com/sdx/H23514.jsp
Also, I looked online for R&R Mills...no luck..

Bev, who is, for the first time, watching a small flock of cedar
waxwings frequent the deck feeders and birdbaths...cool..



--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda




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