Grain crusher

[Oneflewover]

Just taken the plunge and ordered one of these. Let's hope that it is as good as they say it is!

Well it arrived today, pretty good since I ordered it Friday evening :thumb:

Very easy to put together, gap between rollers simple to adjust.

Obviously yet to use it in anger, but the build quality looks good. Impressed so far :grin:

 

[Kronos]

I am having a bit of trouble setting the roller gap, the grains are either going through hardly crushed or not at all.

I have tried various gaps to no avail. Is it right when you lock the gap that it also locks the roller so only one roller is actually turning.

 

[MyQul]

I am having a bit of trouble setting the roller gap, the grains are either going through hardly crushed or not at all.

I have tried various gaps to no avail. Is it right when you lock the gap that it also locks the roller so only one roller is actually turning.

I think people use something called a feeler guage to measure the gap. I have no idea what a feeler guage is but I keep reading in posts people use them in conjunction with roller mills

 

[IainM]

You can use a credit card to set the thickness, which is about 1.3mm if i remember correctly, or use feeler gauges. They're basically strips of metal of known thickness that you can use to set the gap. Just choose the gauge or combination of gauges which give the thickness you want and adjust the mill so that they can only just fit in the gap. I find 1.1mm to be good for barley and 0.8mm good for wheat as it's a smaller grain. You can go lower if you are doing BIAB.

 

[Kronos]

I do have a set of feeler gauges and did use a credit card, I will try again tomorrow, but can anyone confirm if it is correct that only one roller turns and one is stationary.

 

[IainM]

I do have a set of feeler gauges and did use a credit card, I will try again tomorrow, but can anyone confirm if it is correct that only one roller turns and one is stationary.

I dont know about your mill in particular, but that doesn't sound right. My understanding is that for the cheaper mill one roller is driven by the crank/drill and the other rotates freely, while for the more expensive ones both are connected and they rotate in sync. The Bulldog mill is the latter.

 

[Bigcol49]

I do have a set of feeler gauges and did use a credit card, I will try again tomorrow, but can anyone confirm if it is correct that only one roller turns and one is stationary.

Hi!
If you have a mill that has only one "powered" roller, the second roller is like a free-wheel. As you turn the crank, the grain being pulled into the rollers turns the free-wheel roller. If it was stationary it would tear the grain apart rather than crushing it.
Did you receive a set of instructions with your mill?

 

[Gerryjo]

I think people use something called a feeler guage to measure the gap. I have no idea what a feeler guage is but I keep reading in posts people use them in conjunction with roller mills

A feeler gauge is a tool used to measure gap widths. Feeler gauges are mostly used in engineering to measure the clearance between two parts. They consist of a number of small lengths of steel of different thicknesses with measurements marked on each piece.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Oh the joy of setting the spark plug gap!

 

[Kronos]

Hi!
If you have a mill that has only one "powered" roller, the second roller is like a free-wheel. As you turn the crank, the grain being pulled into the rollers turns the free-wheel roller. If it was stationary it would tear the grain apart rather than crushing it.
Did you receive a set of instructions with your mill?

There were no instructions.

 

[Bigcol49]

There were no instructions.

Hi!
I've got the Bulldog mill, and although the instructions show which screws are the gap adjusters, I have not been able to fathom out how to use them. The factory-set gap has been fine so I haven't changed it.
I assume your mill is adjusted by loosening the lock nuts and turning the adjusting screws.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pHyUltm4mJSFPgyi2
What happened when you did this?

 

[IainM]

I would return it as it sounds defective to me

 

[MyQul]

A feeler gauge is a tool used to measure gap widths. Feeler gauges are mostly used in engineering to measure the clearance between two parts. They consist of a number of small lengths of steel of different thicknesses with measurements marked on each piece.

Thanks Gerry. Not having an engineering background (or hobby) I'd never heard of them till people mentioned them here and didnt have a clue what they were other than they somehow measured gaps. You learn all kinds on THBF :thumb:

 

[Kronos]

Hi!
I've got the Bulldog mill, and although the instructions show which screws are the gap adjusters, I have not been able to fathom out how to use them. The factory-set gap has been fine so I haven't changed it.
I assume your mill is adjusted by loosening the lock nuts and turning the adjusting screws.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pHyUltm4mJSFPgyi2
What happened when you did this?

If I loosen the lock nuts the roller will turn.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hi!
Oh the joy of setting the spark plug gap!

.9mm for the last car I did it on *triumph toledo

 

[Bigcol49]

If I loosen the lock nuts the roller will turn.

Hi!
The Bulldog doesn't have lock nuts - have you tried slackening the lock nuts just enough to get the roller turning? Mill some grain and check what happens to the adjusting screws. If theydon't move, you have a solution.
As @IainM suggested, perhaps make contact with the seller, express your concerns that the mill is not operating correctly and request a refund.

 

[Kronos]

Hi!
The Bulldog doesn't have lock nuts - have you tried slackening the lock nuts just enough to get the roller turning? Mill some grain and check what happens to the adjusting screws. If theydon't move, you have a solution.
As @IainM suggested, perhaps make contact with the seller, express your concerns that the mill is not operating correctly and request a refund.

I will try this tonight after work, thank you.

 

[Kronos]

I sussed it out chaps, once I have the correct gap I tighten the two adjuster screws which lock the roller, I then loosen half a turn which then frees the roller and then tighten up the two lock nuts on the adjuster screw.