pogue1000 Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 Or maybe its just me!Was getting around to mill my first batch of BP tonight and filled up the jar with 100grams of chems and then through 2 hundred of the 1/2" lead balls. Obviously it didnt even think about turning it. So i threw out over a hundred of them and it still didnt turn. I wonder if the one I got is just a piece of junk? Anybody else have this experience. Oh and I gotta get me a respirator tomorrow,,, those chems kinda burn the nose hairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algenco Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 mine has been turning with 200g comp and 150 .5 oz balls 8 hrs per day for over a month, still hasn't broke a belt either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 Try giving it a little assistance to get going, or start the motor up and then add the jar. The motor doesn't seem to have a lot of start up torque, but once it gets going it seems fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookieman Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I had the same problems at first. I then added a few strips of black rubber tape on the rollers and it worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peret Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 You may have to tighten the belt slightly. Make sure the motor securing bolts are tight. IMHO, the motor mounting is the crappest thing about these mills. I made a separate tightening strap for mine. I probably should post pics and drawings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtreme Pyro Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 (edited) Like everyone is saying, the belt could be slipping so you may need to tighten it, and sometimes it needs help getting started, then its fine. I have the same tumbler and with a few wraps of tape around the roller it makes great BP. I would also suggest buying a replacement Poly Urethane belt for it, as the black ones it comes with breaks really fast. I bought my belt from pyro creations and have used it for almost a year now with no problems. Good Luck. EDIT: Pouge, what model do you have? Is it the single barrel, or the double barrel? Edited August 28, 2010 by Xtreme Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I have a 6lb dual barrel rock tumbler and use about 45 16mm lead sinkers in each drum, I mill 100g per barrel with good results after 3hrs but usually mill for at least 5hrs depending on my charcoal,I had dramas trying to mill 200g per drum with this combination I milled it for 12hrs and it burnt like greenmix I took half out and checked after 5hrs and was as good as it gets plus I didn't want to overload it or burn it out, if yours is a 3lb I would only mill 100g at a time, mine has a slight hexagonal shape to the drum and is totally made of rubber and the weight of media I use is roughly 850g per drum, it mills down my other chems pretty good too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 200 led balls 1/2" dia is far too much! Either go easy on your rock tumbler or get a more rugged ball mill! The whole milling process needs drum revolutions for a long time, so either use fewer balls or use lighter ceramic balls or buy a tougher mill. Good ceramic balls are a very good option, but you have lead balls so simply cut down the number of balls til the mill turns reliably -you could be down to 20 - 30 balls! just go with it and extend the time if required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogue1000 Posted August 28, 2010 Author Share Posted August 28, 2010 Thanks for all the responses guys.I have the double barrel model. I tried to give it some help and let it spin at first and that didnt help. I am guessing the belt is to loose.Is there an adjustment for the belt or do you just buy a smaller belt? I guess i could read the manual. I was grabbing those lead balls out with my bare hands,,, learned another lesson to wear gloves. That stuff will irritate your hands, duhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunzway Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I was grabbing those lead balls out with my bare hands,,, learned another lesson to wear gloves. That stuff will irritate your hands, duhh. I've never had a problem. I just wash them thoroughly afterwards just to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogue1000 Posted August 28, 2010 Author Share Posted August 28, 2010 Ok, I found out how to adjust the belt by moving the screws on the back and we are now rolling! Thanks for help! Hopefully I will have some BP later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peret Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 200 led balls 1/2" dia is far too much! Either go easy on your rock tumbler or get a more rugged ball mill! That amount is very heavy, but it's not too much for the double barrel mill - that's the amount I use. 200 balls fills the barrel half way and 120g powder fills the gaps, so it's the recommended charge for efficient milling. I used to use fewer balls, 75 to 100, but the results weren't impressive even after 24 hours. 200 balls does the job in 3 hours. I start by rolling the barrel around the floor for a minute to get the contents evenly distributed before I put it on the mill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogue1000 Posted August 28, 2010 Author Share Posted August 28, 2010 Its been running for about 3 or so hours and i took a sample and it flamed up pretty quick. I dont have much experience on what is good. But so far I am pretty impressed.Just cant make much at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SB15 Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 (edited) Its been running for about 3 or so hours and i took a sample and it flamed up pretty quick. I dont have much experience on what is good. It's probably not going to burn very quickly in meal form, but once wet granulated, it should make a nice 'poof' and disappear almost instantly. An undercharged rock tumbler will take quite a while to make decent powder, and it will never quite reach the level of component integration that you would get from a larger diameter mill. I'd leave it running for at least 12 hours or so. Edited August 28, 2010 by SB15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algenco Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I mill for at least 4 hours, after an hour or so the comp cakes up on the sides and rear, take the tumbler off the drive and thump around sides and rear with a hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogue1000 Posted August 28, 2010 Author Share Posted August 28, 2010 Actually it went poof and basically disappeared instantly after i touched the edge with a lighter. I will take a video later tonight. I am using Willow as my charcoal. What size screen would be best to granulate this for lift. I have some 3" + shells I am gonna be making. I will hit the home store and see if i can find something to screen this through.It's probably not going to burn very quickly in meal form, but once wet granulated, it should make a nice 'poof' and disappear almost instantly. An undercharged rock tumbler will take quite a while to make decent powder, and it will never quite reach the level of component integration that you would get from a larger diameter mill. I'd leave it running for at least 12 hours or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SB15 Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I typically use 16 - 20 mesh for granulating lift. Standard aluminum window screen should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelluis Posted August 29, 2010 Share Posted August 29, 2010 Or maybe its just me!Was getting around to mill my first batch of BP tonight and filled up the jar with 100grams of chems and then through 2 hundred of the 1/2" lead balls. Obviously it didnt even think about turning it. So i threw out over a hundred of them and it still didnt turn. I wonder if the one I got is just a piece of junk? Anybody else have this experience. Oh and I gotta get me a respirator tomorrow,,, those chems kinda burn the nose hairs.Well I bought one and havent had a problem yet I also got a 2 year insurance for $10.00 so if anything goes wrong with it I could exchange it I got the 2 barrel one for $39.00 and have made about 10 lb of bp and have also milled some Kn03,pine charcoal,sulfer dextrin star comps ,maybe it is a defective one you should call harbor frieghts ?good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbryceman Posted August 30, 2010 Share Posted August 30, 2010 (edited) . Edited August 30, 2010 by dbryceman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogue1000 Posted August 30, 2010 Author Share Posted August 30, 2010 Its working now, i just had to adjust the belt. Read my previous posts. Just very small batches so its gonna take a while for me to get a little stock pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted August 30, 2010 Share Posted August 30, 2010 Take your belt to a good vacuum dealer and get a belt just a little smaller then the one that came with the tumbler. They will last for years!! When charging your jar, add the grinding media first, fill the jar 1/2 way with media and add the comp to be ground so that it just covers the media, give it a little shake to settle the media and add a little more until, the comp just covers the media. A short charge can cause problems like ignition, over charging will result in poor grinding. If you are caking after an hour of grinding, consider drying your chems first, the heat and humidity will cause this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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