MM2 Mill powered with Garage Door Opener?

Williams 728
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wilconrad said:
Shaft coupling was ~$8 at Grainger. It's 1/2" on the garage door opener output, 3/8" on the mill.
Click to expand...

I might be stupid but how exactly do you connect the shaft of the opener to the shaft on the mill? I have the 1/2" shaft (MM2 2.0). Many thanks for the tutorial so far! Since my drill is also getting hot during the milling I wouldn't be too worried ;)
 
funnycreature said:
I might be stupid but how exactly do you connect the shaft of the opener to the shaft on the mill? I have the 1/2" shaft (MM2 2.0). Many thanks for the tutorial so far! Since my drill is also getting hot during the milling I wouldn't be too worried ;)
Click to expand...

Lovejoy couplers (the brand of jaw-type couplers used here) are sold in halves. For the setup shown, you'd buy a 1/2" bore half, a 3/8" bore half and a rubber insert to connect the two and you're all set. In your case, since you have a 1/2" diameter shaft on your mill, it's even simpler (you'd just need 2 1/2" coupler jaws and a rubber insert).

For more info on Lovejoy couplers, here's a link to Amazon:
Amazon Lovejoy Coupling
I used the L050 series of coupling, the lowest torque / lowest cost type
 
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mavrick1903 said:
If you're buying the motor from Surplus Center, they also have a good price on Lovejoy (style, not brand) couplers.
Click to expand...

Like that?

p1-1563C.jpg


http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=1-1563-A&catname=electric
 
I don't suppose anyone has a detailed parts list for a MM setup that they would like to share?
 
wilconrad said:
Ran a full test of this thing this evening and milled a full batch of 50% Wheat, 50% Munich. I started it up from a stop with 10.5lb of malt in the hopper and it crushed it all without issue. Gap on the rollers was set to 0.030". The motor was hot to the touch by the time it was done, but not hot enough to be concerned about.
Click to expand...

Just a quick update here: I've milled 3 batches now with this setup and it's still going strong, no issues so far. It takes just under 3 minutes to mill a 10lb batch, so not the quickest in the world, but everything I've read says to err on the slow side so I'm happy with it. The crush looks good and efficiencies have been solid.

Here's a video of it closing out the batch I milled this morning:
[ame="http://youtu.be/kuPeF1M05pE"]http://youtu.be/kuPeF1M05pE[/ame]
 
wilconrad said:
Just a quick update here: I've milled 3 batches now with this setup and it's still going strong, no issues so far. It takes just under 3 minutes to mill a 10lb batch, so not the quickest in the world, but everything I've read says to err on the slow side so I'm happy with it. The crush looks good and efficiencies have been solid.

Here's a video of it closing out the batch I milled this morning:
Video Link: http://youtu.be/kuPeF1M05pE
Click to expand...

Thanks! It seems to be very quite as well. Biggest issues for me using the drill are the inconsistent speeds, noise and that it sometimes struggles.
 
MaxStout said:
Looking at the schemo...why not wire a double-throw switch, so that you can change directions. If something gets jammed, just switch the other direction to back it out.
Click to expand...

Milled batch #4 with this setup today and had the mill jam. I had to reverse the wire on the capacitor to get it to back up, and was able to finish the rest of the batch without an issue. Will be adding a double throw switch as Maxstout suggested to allow for easy reversal in this situation in the future.
 
funnycreature said:
Sweet! Would you mind listing all the individual items for dummies like me? I might be able to figure out the connector thing from posts above. Thanks a bunch!
Click to expand...

Sure thing, will give it a shot:

Garage Door Opener Motor & Gearcase: $9.95
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1677&catname=electric

L050 Lovejoy Coupling, made up of:
Drive side, 1/2" Bore: $3.26
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWO0G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Driven Side, 3/8" Bore: $3.26
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWNX4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Rubber Spider: $2.10
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWQJK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

10A DPDT Toggle Switch (Used for FWD/REV): $4.49
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062514

Single Pole 15A Light Switch $0.69
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...t-Almond-R56-01451-02T/100669880#.UhGUWtKt3Ws

White Lithium Grease (I added this to the worm gear after the first batch to help it out with the load/duration, I had noticed some wear during the first batch but it's looked clean since I put this stuff on there). $4.58
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lucas-Oil-8-oz-White-Lithium-Grease-10533/202535870#.UhGV7dKt3Ws

Other than the wood, the mill itself, and the stereo cabinet (which I bought at goodwill for nothing), I think that's it. Motorized for <$40!

Let me know if I missed anything and/or you still have questions about the guts. Happy to help a fellow cheapskate :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
funnycreature said:
Sweet! Would you mind listing all the individual items for dummies like me? I might be able to figure out the connector thing from posts above. Thanks a bunch!
Click to expand...

Also, here is a pic of the motor side with holes drilled for venting.

image-884521511.jpg
 
wilconrad said:
Sure thing, will give it a shot:

Garage Door Opener Motor & Gearcase: $9.95
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1677&catname=electric

L050 Lovejoy Coupling, made up of:
Drive side, 1/2" Bore: $3.26
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWO0G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Driven Side, 3/8" Bore: $3.26
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWNX4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Rubber Spider: $2.10
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HIWQJK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

10A DPDT Toggle Switch (Used for FWD/REV): $4.49
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062514

Single Pole 15A Light Switch $0.69
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...t-Almond-R56-01451-02T/100669880#.UhGUWtKt3Ws

White Lithium Grease (I added this to the worm gear after the first batch to help it out with the load/duration, I had noticed some wear during the first batch but it's looked clean since I put this stuff on there). $4.58
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lucas-Oil-8-oz-White-Lithium-Grease-10533/202535870#.UhGV7dKt3Ws

Other than the wood, the mill itself, and the stereo cabinet (which I bought at goodwill for nothing), I think that's it. Motorized for <$40!

Let me know if I missed anything and/or you still have questions about the guts. Happy to help a fellow cheapskate :)
Click to expand...


First off, thanks for all the effort! I will go through the list soon. Reason why I'm interested again is that it took me 30 min last weekend to mill my conditioned grain using the HFT drill. I already shaved most of the flats of shaft off thanks to it just spinning around :mad: I was hoping that a real motor might prevent that.

If I have a 1/2" shaft on the mill which adapter (highlighted above) would I need? Wish I had more DIY experience to figure it out myself... Thanks! :rockin::rockin:
 
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funnycreature said:
I already shaved most of the flats of shaft off thanks to it just spinning around :mad: I was hoping that a real motor might prevent that.
Click to expand...

Were you not aligning the chuck on your drill with the flats on your mill shaft? If you lined up the chuck teeth with the flats and tightened, you shouldn't have had any slippage issues. But HFT stuff is junk, so maybe you've just got a lemon of a drill. Anyway, not hard to fix, just grind a flat spot onto the shaft if you're going to put a lovejoy coupler on it.

funnycreature said:
If I have a 1/2" shaft on the mill which adapter (highlighted above) would I need?
Click to expand...

If your mill has a 1/2" shaft, you'd just need to get a 1/2" lovejoy for the driven side instead of the 3/8" I had listed. No big deal, same price.
 
I saw this morning why I had such a problem milling last time: The grain must have gotten too wet during conditioning. The rollers are completely gunked up so I'll need to clean it soon! Ooopsie
 
Yaksha808 said:
Question... the capacitor... does that come with the motor? if not could you post which one or a viable alternative to it?
Click to expand...

Yep, the capacitor comes with the motor.
 
Damn, the door opener is no longer at the website. Does anyone know of an alternative? So far milling the grains with a drill is the worst part of my brew days. Need to find an alternative for the drill for sure.
 
I have about a dozen of these. Pm me your address and I'll ship one to you for only the shipping cost
 
Wilconrad how has your set up been working?

Has anyone else built one of these?

I've been looking for some time now trying to find a motor like this one too. Anyone know where I can find one?
 
It's been working great! I've been brewing a lot recently and no issues, still crushing like a champ. I brewed an imperial stout last weekend, 22lb grain bill, and crushed the whole thing in one shot without issue.

I don't think Surplus Center has these motor kits anymore, so I'd just look for a garage door motor on craigslist or eBay.
 
TripleHopped said:
Thanks for the fast reply and most of all thanks for the write up on this thread.
Click to expand...

You bet, happy to do it, glad it's helpful! I've learned so much from this forum, it's nice to be able to pay it forward here and there.
 
I've got a line of a free garage door opener. They claim the control board is bad but the motor should still be good to go.

The only hitch is that they believe it's 1/3 HP. Is it even worth picking up?
 
heckels said:
I've got a line of a free garage door opener. They claim the control board is bad but the motor should still be good to go. The only hitch is that they believe it's 1/3 HP. Is it even worth picking up?
Click to expand...

For free? Sure, give it a shot. These things are geared down lower than most mill setups, so I'd bet you could get away with 1/3 HP. Especially if you play nice with it.
 
Can't find a motor for nearly the $10 you spent. I would love to replace my drill with something like this, cheap.

Also, OP, thanks for all the info can you move it to the OP though. Having it all in one post would be handy.

Thanks.
 
I'm a persistent person. The web site was showing that they did not have any in stock for a while now. I've been subscribed to this thread for some time now. So, I called them today. It was worth a shot. Plus they might be able to give me some information about the motor to help in an internet search. They have 300 in stock. The person I talked to is going to have the IT person fix the glitch in the system. So I ordered 2. This means they only have 298 in stock. Hurry and get yours before they run out.
 
She said the website should be up dated by tomorrow showing how many they have in stock.

The shipping on this was almost as much as the product itself.
 

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