Crankandstein 3GT

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GoeHaarden

The best advice is unsolicited
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Since there isn't much info online about the 3GT, I figured I post some pics and measurements. Received it 3 days after ordering it so shipping is quick.

Weight: 9.5lbs
Length: 6.25"
Height: 3.5"
Width: 3.75"
Roller width: 1.5"
Roller length: 5" (excluding gears).
Drive shaft: 0.5"

This thing is a beast. Very substantial. Now I don't know for sure what the actual metals are, but I'm fairly confident that it's the same materials and quality as the other C&S mills. Probably a safe bet to say spec-wise it's close the commercial 320G only with 1.5" rollers. The crossrod holds this thing solid and seems like it will help prevent racking/twisting. The indexed adjusters are awesome, and I will measure their accuracy with some feelers when I get some time. Not sure when I'll be able to mount this thing and try it out but I'll update when I do.

I wanted to buy a mill that I would never have to replace, never have to deal with a stuck roller, never worry about having to dump a hopper, etc. Take it how you want but I feel like this thing will be unstoppable, and at the same price point as the MMG3, the Crankandstein 3GT is a no brainer...

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That's a chunk for sure.

Are there no gap adjusters? Don't see any.
And what's with the peck marks?

[edit] I just realized there are no side plates? Really?

Cheers!
 
That's a chunk for sure.

Are there no gap adjusters? Don't see any.
And what's with the peck marks?

Cheers!

The gaps are actually indexed at 0.005" increments that actually click which is pretty cool. It's the rod with the bar through it. I think the pecks marks have something to do with gaping. I didn't have too much time to get to mess with it before going out of town.
 
My C&S 3D has a single punch mark to indicate the middle detent position (line up the end of the roll pin with the mark).

It looks like this model has a series of marks to indicate the middle detent, and a single mark at the least gap setting, with a double mark at the greatest gap setting. If this is so, the photo shows the gap is set to detent "6".
 
Hmm. Do you have any example? Not sure I know what you're talking about then?

The MM and C&S mills have no such plates connecting the aluminum end plates...Screenshots_2021-07-25-17-58-37.pngScreenshots_2021-07-25-17-59-13.png
 
Is it me or better for the the gears be on the outside? Gears on the outside would possibly preventing chaff from getting into, and maybe clogging, the gears? I ask as I don't know.

@GoeHaarden thanks for taking the time to post pictures and info, but we still don't know the material of the rollers, the bushings, gap range, etc.
 
Is it me or better for the the gears be on the outside? Gears on the outside would possibly preventing chaff from getting into, and maybe clogging, the gears? I ask as I don't know.

@GoeHaarden thanks for taking the time to post pictures and info, but we still don't know the material of the rollers, the bushings, gap range, etc.

I honestly doubt these gears will get clogged. The teeth are probably 1/4" deep and they are fairly thick, so I'm guessing they will pulverize any grain material. Nothing that I'm going to put through the mill is going to stop them, they are beefy. The commercial version 320G has been out and I found nothing but rave reviews on the pro forums. Surely an issue would've been found with the amount of grain they're putting through. The external gears on the MM look rather thin in comparison.

As to the materials question. I thought about this as well, but if you look at their mills they all run the same materials. I'm willing to bet money, and I did, that they use the same materials in the 3GT. It wouldn't make sense to source other materials for this one mill in their line-up. Fairly minimal risk in my opinion.
 
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Hmm. Do you have any example? Not sure I know what you're talking about then?
The MM and C&S mills have no such plates connecting the aluminum end plates...

Right - I guess I just missed that they didn't have side plates. I thought they were necessary for stability, apparently not.
Anyway, fwiw, here are some examples of mills that have the side plates...

Cereal Killer
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Barley Crusher

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Hullwrecker

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Mighty Mill

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etc...
 
I honestly doubt these gears will get clogged. The teeth are probably 1/4" deep and they are fairly thick, so I'm guessing they will pulverize any grain material. Nothing that I'm going to put through the mill is going to stop them, they are beefy. The commercial version 320G has been out and I found nothing but rave reviews on the pro forums. Surely an issue would've been found with the amount of grain they're putting through. The external gears on the MM look rather thin in comparison.

As to the materials question. I thought about this as well, but if you look at their mills they all run the same materials. I'm willing to bet money, and I did, that they use the same materials in the 3GT. It wouldn't make sense to source other materials for this one mill in their line-up. Fairly minimal risk in my opinion.

A couple of weeks ago I emailed Crankstein asking about the roller material, bushings, etc. So far, no reply. IMO, not very good impression for an eager customer.
 
A couple of weeks ago I emailed Crankstein asking about the roller material, bushings, etc. So far, no reply. IMO, not very good impression for an eager customer.

Just guessing, Tobor, but perhaps you didn't notice that although the "Contact Us" page of the website has a form, the text above the form says not to use it!

It's too bad that the website doesn't do his product justice.
 
A couple of weeks ago I emailed Crankstein asking about the roller material, bushings, etc. So far, no reply. IMO, not very good impression for an eager customer.

Looks like the page has been updated...

Crankandstein 3GT

Imagine that, the exact same specs as the other mills. Everyone can rest easy now...
 
A couple of weeks ago I emailed Crankstein asking about the roller material, bushings, etc. So far, no reply. IMO, not very good impression for an eager customer.

Like @Tom R mentioned, don't use the contact us as stated in the page.

When I saw your post I emailed them at 3:38pm and Don responded at 5:04pm. His response:

"The materials are the same as our other mills,
aluminum frames and crossrod, steel rollers and gears, tool steel driveshaft, SAE 841 bushings impregnated with motor oil. It's all rebuildable to last indefinitely. The design brings together the best features and materials from more than 20 years in the business. The knockoffs can't or won't be made as thoroughly thought out. Like any other competition, it's policy not to inform them of their mistakes by being too specific about specs. Rest assured you have the best.
Performance sells the product.
Don"


That's an impressive response time. Much faster than a lot of retailers on here. I'd say his customer service is top notch, and you won't be disappointed in any aspect. Just buy the damn 3GT already, lol...
 
Just guessing, Tobor, but perhaps you didn't notice that although the "Contact Us" page of the website has a form, the text above the form says not to use it!

It's too bad that the website doesn't do his product justice.
No, when I visited the site, Contact Us, I noted ' Please send any messages to [email protected] from your email instead of the Contact Us form below. " and sent a direct email.
 
Well then, that sucks.
As a former small-business owner, I know what it's like to be buried in work.
But I still strove to answer all email within 24 hrs.
 
Tried to post a video but I guess mp4 is not supported here and then the file was too big when I converted it to a gif.

Does anyone know what video format/size is supported on HBT?

Anyways, put 10lbs of grain through the 3GT in a little under a minute. Not pushing it really, trying to dial in a speed with my corded yellow drill. Set the gap to .030" and it flew through it. I tested it before on 0.025" and it kind of scared me a little, torqued the whole wooden frame. Lol. I think I'll get one of those router speed controller for dialing it in. I'll get a video up next time if I can figure out what kind hbt allows and size limits.

Crush on one pass (0.030") in under a minute...
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Tried to post a video but I guess mp4 is not supported here and then the file was too big when I converted it to a gif.

Does anyone know what video format/size is supported on HBT?

Anyways, put 10lbs of grain through the 3GT in a little under a minute. Not pushing it really, trying to dial in a speed with my corded yellow drill. Set the gap to .030" and it flew through it. I tested it before on 0.025" and it kind of scared me a little, torqued the whole wooden frame. Lol. I think I'll get one of those router speed controller for dialing it in. I'll get a video up next time if I can figure out what kind hbt allows and size limits.

Crush on one pass (0.030") in under a minute...
@GoeHaarden Thanks for the detailed info on this mill. I just ordered one! Do you have any pics of how you added a hopper to this mill - looking for ideas.

Thanks
 
Not a 3GT, but I made sides and a hopper for my 3D.

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The hopper is 3/8" hardwood plywood and 1/8" acrylic. It holds about 6-1/2# of grain, so I have to stop and refill. I usually use an aux handle (not shown) to avoid tweaking my wrist when milling, it takes some serious torque to run this mill when the gap is set tight.

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The sides are more 1/8" acrylic. If the sides extended into the cutout, that dust wouldn't be there. But that was all that escapes after a typical 5 gal grain bill, so I'll probably leave it as is.

The circular base has a rabbet on both sides, one to center onto my MLT, and the other to center on a bucket for inverted storage.
 
@GoeHaarden Thanks for the detailed info on this mill. I just ordered one! Do you have any pics of how you added a hopper to this mill - looking for ideas.

Thanks

Mine isn't as elegant as @Tom R but it was something I put together quickly with repurposed materials and it works rather well. Used an old pvc reducing coupler that was already torn on the side I cut off. A few pieces of scrap plywood and acrylic for the sides like Tom. Had a better bottle that was cracked so I cut the bottom off. 12 pounds filled it a little under half way, and I bet it'll easily hold 25lbs.

I plan to make a little cabinet/cart for it but for now I'm kind of digging the frankenstein feel of it to match the mill.

One thing to note, is that this mill is a beast and the rollers will NOT slip. That being said, if it gets packed your drill will torque hard with a tight gap. 0.025" scares me a little so I've jist stuck with 0.030 for now. I suggest securing the whole system. I hose clamped my drill to the plywood and it works.
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Not a 3GT, but I made sides and a hopper for my 3D.

View attachment 739487
The hopper is 3/8" hardwood plywood and 1/8" acrylic. It holds about 6-1/2# of grain, so I have to stop and refill. I usually use an aux handle (not shown) to avoid tweaking my wrist when milling, it takes some serious torque to run this mill when the gap is set tight.

View attachment 739488
The sides are more 1/8" acrylic. If the sides extended into the cutout, that dust wouldn't be there. But that was all that escapes after a typical 5 gal grain bill, so I'll probably leave it as is.

The circular base has a rabbet on both sides, one to center onto my MLT, and the other to center on a bucket for inverted storage.
I like the acrylic sides as this allows one to see what's going on (if there is an issue inside).
 
Mine isn't as elegant as @Tom R but it was something I put together quickly with repurposed materials and it works rather well. Used an old pvc reducing coupler that was already torn on the side I cut off. A few pieces of scrap plywood and acrylic for the sides like Tom. Had a better bottle that was cracked so I cut the bottom off. 12 pounds filled it a little under half way, and I bet it'll easily hold 25lbs.

I plan to make a little cabinet/cart for it but for now I'm kind of digging the frankenstein feel of it to match the mill.

One thing to note, is that this mill is a beast and the rollers will NOT slip. That being said, if it gets packed your drill will torque hard with a tight gap. 0.025" scares me a little so I've jist stuck with 0.030 for now. I suggest securing the whole system. I hose clamped my drill to the plywood and it works.

@GoeHaarden thanks for sharing. My current mill has the traditional tapered sides that I built from wood. I saw a hopper design like yours on YouTube with a big water bottle. He has some fancy cut clear acrylic on top but he said his design failed because he used a weak threaded coupling design that cracked under load of the grain.

On your top piece is there anything on the underside of to guide the grain to go between the rollers (so whole grain doesn’t fall between the rollers and outside walls)?

Mike
 
@GoeHaarden On your top piece is there anything on the underside of to guide the grain to go between the rollers (so whole grain doesn’t fall between the rollers and outside walls)?

Mike

Yeah, I just took a couple of pieces of sheet metal and cut them to size with some sheers and then bent them. They are screwed to the lower piece of 3/4" plywood. Very utilitarian.

For the mill top/hopper attachment. The bottom 3/4" plywood has large rectangle cut out in the middle leaving essentially only a ~3/4" ring for mounting. The second piece of 1/2" plywood on top only has a round hole cut out (~3" diameter, I didn't measure it just eyeballed). I did need to use 1/2" longer bolts for attaching to the actual mill.
 
Yeah, I just took a couple of pieces of sheet metal and cut them to size with some sheers and then bent them. They are screwed to the lower piece of 3/4" plywood. Very utilitarian.

For the mill top/hopper attachment. The bottom 3/4" plywood has large rectangle cut out in the middle leaving essentially only a ~3/4" ring for mounting. The second piece of 1/2" plywood on top only has a round hole cut out (~3" diameter, I didn't measure it just eyeballed). I did need to use 1/2" longer bolts for attaching to the actual mill.
Appreciate the details. Have to laugh, I’m an engineer and spend too much time thinking of details. Your simplistic approach to this is excellent!

mike
 
Appreciate the details. Have to laugh, I’m an engineer and spend too much time thinking of details. Your simplistic approach to this is excellent!

mike

Haha. Probably makes you cringe, but I'm not sure I measured anything. Just mark and cut.
 
@GoeHaarden Can you give me the specs on that DeWalt drill (amps?)? What speed do you run it?

I just put my 3GT with my gear motor together today.

I'm a very unhappy guy right now. I ran my BarleyCrusher for about 17 years with a 1/2 HP 325 rpm gear motor. I could even start it with the hopper filled. Don at Crankandstein has been very helpful and told me my BC was running too fast and I should reduce the motor speed in half. So I bought a pair of pulleys and a belt and did just that. For the maiden run I set the gap at 0.035" and the motor stalled! It stalled at 0.045" and I think around 0.055" it ran. Then Don answered my call today and said to throttle the feed. I cut the area to about half. I could run 0.045" without a stall but no go below that.

OK - some motor questions. Do you think my motor is too weak for this mill (Don thinks so). I see a few use hand drills - can you tell me which model of drill and what amps. I have a DeWalt 115V 5.4Amp I can try but don't want to mess around if it too is too weak. I also have a 18V Makita cordless?

What about this 3-roller geared mill vs my 2 non-geared roller BC. Is there that big of a difference in torque to drive this new 3GT? Also, I'll attach some pics of my crushes. It looks to me that a 0.037" crush with my BC is about 0.045" on the 3GT.

I see @GoeHaarden is successfully running small gaps with a hand drill that looks like my DeWalt. Is it possible there is something wrong with the mill??

Thanks
Mike

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I run my 3D with a geared-down heavy-duty Milwaukee that is rated at 8 amps @ 120V. So almost 1.3 hp. Can easily start with a full hopper, but better use the aux handle and be prepared for the torque kick.

It takes a lot of power to run my mill at tight gap settings.
 
OMG - could it be? I looked at the torque rating of my Makita 18v hand drill and it is about 10 times my gear motor???

That gear motor is listed at 6.6 n-m!
 
@GoeHaarden Can you give me the specs on that DeWalt drill (amps?)? What speed do you run it?

I just put my 3GT with my gear motor together today.

I'm a very unhappy guy right now. I ran my BarleyCrusher for about 17 years with a 1/2 HP 325 rpm gear motor. I could even start it with the hopper filled. Don at Crankandstein has been very helpful and told me my BC was running too fast and I should reduce the motor speed in half. So I bought a pair of pulleys and a belt and did just that. For the maiden run I set the gap at 0.035" and the motor stalled! It stalled at 0.045" and I think around 0.055" it ran. Then Don answered my call today and said to throttle the feed. I cut the area to about half. I could run 0.045" without a stall but no go below that.

OK - some motor questions. Do you think my motor is too weak for this mill (Don thinks so). I see a few use hand drills - can you tell me which model of drill and what amps. I have a DeWalt 115V 5.4Amp I can try but don't want to mess around if it too is too weak. I also have a 18V Makita cordless?

What about this 3-roller geared mill vs my 2 non-geared roller BC. Is there that big of a difference in torque to drive this new 3GT? Also, I'll attach some pics of my crushes. It looks to me that a 0.037" crush with my BC is about 0.045" on the 3GT.

I see @GoeHaarden is successfully running small gaps with a hand drill that looks like my DeWalt. Is it possible there is something wrong with the mill??

Thanks
Mike
That's crazy. Sorry you're having issues with it. I don't think there is anything wrong with the mill, it's just straight from Mad Max and it runs on anger. Jokes aside, it was a little worrisome the first few times I ran it as those gears sound a little scary when they run.

I use a Dewalt DW235G that I've had boxed up for a few years and it pulls 7.8amps. Right now I try to throttle it manually, but I can tell when it starts to get bogged down and I need to bump the trigger a little. I try to run it on the lower side, but no way to know for sure at the moment (drill max rpm is 865). I need to get a router speed controller, but it mills so fast that doing it manually hasn't been an issue yet.

Honestly, I've thought about widening the gap a little and running it twice. I could probably mill my batch twice faster than most other mills can get through once. It takes under 90 seconds to get through.

I didn't even try to use any of my cordless drills with it. I should test my 20V cordless Dewalt to see if it'll even budge it.
 
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