MM2 Mill powered with Garage Door Opener?

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I may have missed it, but to the "Garage Door Guru"...........If I post up the make and model # of my opener, would you post up a simple wiring diagram to eliminate all the crap I saw in side the drive unit?

Something simple, with a not too fancy 3 position switch, ( Fwd. / Off / Rev.).
 
Stealthcruiser said:
I may have missed it, but to the "Garage Door Guru"...........If I post up the make and model # of my opener, would you post up a simple wiring diagram to eliminate all the crap I saw in side the drive unit?

Something simple, with a not too fancy 3 position switch, ( Fwd. / Off / Rev.).
Click to expand...

Yeah I could need some wiring help too. A detailed diagram showing each individual wire and its connections would be great! The one in the early posts doesn't work for my stupid mind


EDIT: I found a nice instruction set to wire at least the DPDT switch: www.robotroom.com/DPDT-Bidirectional-Motor-Switch.html Will definitely try that tonight!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Home Brew mobile app
 
I got the new Millars Mill with the 7" ss rollers for christmas, and the Surplus Center garage door motor to drive it. McMaster has sprockets and chain for under $15 to drive it, but Millars "Made in USA" mill is metric. The shaft is 10mm, not 3/8 as seems to be the standard. I will have to bore the sprocket from 3/8 to 10mm before I can get started. Not an easy option for most, but I have a milling machine and lathe. Also means I over engineer most things.

At 110 rpm and with a 6 tooth sprocket on the mill (8 on motor) I should be at almost 140 rpm on the mill shaft. If by chance the longer rolls loads it down too much I can switch the mill sprocket to a larger one and get more torque, at the loss of grinding speed. Not an issue in the big picture for me.

John
 
Ok I give up. Would someone please post a picture of the wiring? I do not understand how to wire the DPDT switch into the circuit. I feel so stupid.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Home Brew mobile app
 
funnycreature said:
Ok I give up. Would someone please post a picture of the wiring? I do not understand how to wire the DPDT switch into the circuit. I feel so stupid.
Click to expand...

Are you looking for the garage door opener wiring? That is simple:
SPDT center off switch - Center terminal is Line (hot) Black wire
The red and blue connect to the other 2 terminals, but how you mount/drive the mill determines which is fwd and rev.

For any other motor, it varies. You need to know the motor wire details. Most will work like above, but not all.

switch.jpg
 
jleiii said:
Are you looking for the garage door opener wiring? That is simple:
SPDT center off switch - Center terminal is Line (hot) Black wire
The red and blue connect to the other 2 terminals, but how you mount/drive the mill determines which is fwd and rev.

For any other motor, it varies. You need to know the motor wire details. Most will work like above, but not all.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I bought a DPDT switch but if a SPDT works I'd be glad to purchase one. Do you have a Radioshack part number I could go by?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Like jleiii said, connect the line (hot) to the center of the switch and the two sides of the capacitor to the outer posts on the switch. An SPDT is all you need to accomplish this, but I used a DPDT because I had it laying around (you just use one side of the DPDT switch, and leave the other side open. ie if you bought a DPDT, you should go ahead and use it.

Here's how mine's wired up, the white wire is hot coming in from the wall, the blue box is the on/off switch, the red carries hot over to the Fwd/Rev switch, the red & blue wires on the outer contacts of the DPDT switch are energized for fwd & reverse, respectively:
photo3_zps9006c249.jpg

photo4_zps8901a0db.jpg


And here's what the top of the capacitor looks like (switching wires will switch the direction of the mill, if you care about which direction on the switch is fwd):
photo2_zps48516042.jpg
 
I'd also mention that I'm not sure the fwd/rev switch was really necessary. I added it because I thought I had jammed the mill once, but now that I've used it quite a bit since then, I realized that it wasn't a jam, but a hi-temp shutdown. If you mill more than about 18lbs of grain with this thing, it gets warm and shuts off to protect itself. Let it cool for about 2 mins and it'll go again.

When I first experienced this, I thought I'd jammed it, so I messed around manually reversing the motor. This gave it enough time to cool down, so it started running again.

Long story short: add the fwd/rev function if you like (it's not much extra work), but I don' think it's necessary. This thing just doesn't jam, it has no problems cranking through grain, it just get's a little warm if you do a big batch.
 
PPS: rather than adding a fwd/rev switch, I'd add a small computer case fan to keep the motor cool. If you're planning to do big batches, or you'd like to mill multiple batches for friends, etc, a fan would be a great add.
 
wilconrad said:
Like jleiii said, connect the line (hot) to the center of the switch and the two sides of the capacitor to the outer posts on the switch. An SPDT is all you need to accomplish this, but I used a DPDT because I had it laying around (you just use one side of the DPDT switch, and leave the other side open. ie if you bought a DPDT, you should go ahead and use it.

Here's how mine's wired up, the white wire is hot coming in from the wall, the blue box is the on/off switch, the red carries hot over to the Fwd/Rev switch, the red & blue wires on the outer contacts of the DPDT switch are energized for fwd & reverse, respectively:

And here's what the top of the capacitor looks like (switching wires will switch the direction of the mill, if you care about which direction on the switch is fwd):
Click to expand...
wilconrad said:
I'd also mention that I'm not sure the fwd/rev switch was really necessary. I added it because I thought I had jammed the mill once, but now that I've used it quite a bit since then, I realized that it wasn't a jam, but a hi-temp shutdown. If you mill more than about 18lbs of grain with this thing, it gets warm and shuts off to protect itself. Let it cool for about 2 mins and it'll go again.

When I first experienced this, I thought I'd jammed it, so I messed around manually reversing the motor. This gave it enough time to cool down, so it started running again.

Long story short: add the fwd/rev function if you like (it's not much extra work), but I don' think it's necessary. This thing just doesn't jam, it has no problems cranking through grain, it just get's a little warm if you do a big batch.
Click to expand...

wilconrad said:
PPS: rather than adding a fwd/rev switch, I'd add a small computer case fan to keep the motor cool. If you're planning to do big batches, or you'd like to mill multiple batches for friends, etc, a fan would be a great add.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!!!! I might have a fan somewhere for cooling. How would you get it to 12V though? I will also use aluminum as a cover with a vent so it can cool more easily. :ban:
 
funnycreature said:
THANK YOU!!!! I might have a fan somewhere for cooling. How would you get it to 12V though? I will also use aluminum as a cover with a vent so it can cool more easily. :ban:
Click to expand...

I'd use a 115V case fan, like this

Or you could put a small transformer in there to drop it down to 12V, but that's more complicated than it's worth imo.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
wilconrad said:
I'd use a 115V case fan, like this

Or you could put a small transformer in there to drop it down to 12V, but that's more complicated than it's worth imo.
Click to expand...

Never seen one of those! I have a stand for my Wii that has built-in fans and maybe I can use that. I never use it for the Wii :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you do already have a 12V case fan laying around, you could dig up an AC adapter from an old power cord (for example, the power supply on my cable modem is 12VDC output), and use that. Not the cleanest way, but certainly aligned with the low-cost mission of this little project!
 
wilconrad said:
PPS: rather than adding a fwd/rev switch, I'd add a small computer case fan to keep the motor cool. If you're planning to do big batches, or you'd like to mill multiple batches for friends, etc, a fan would be a great add.[

My Crush-Master also auto shuts down after about 20 lbs of grain, due to a built in overheat circuit. Since the motor is only designed for short duration work, it doesn't have an internal fan. Adding a 12v computer fan via a transformer wouldn't be a bad idea.

I just let it overheat, wait 5 minutes and fire it back up and finish. Would be interesting to see how much the fan increases the batch capacity. Wonder if it would bring it to 100% duty. The reversing switch is not necessary, a box of rocks wouldn't slow this thing down.
Click to expand...
 
I'm building it this weekend and will include my failed "stir plate" project fan in the build. I'm going to incorporate it into a Rubbermaid Container so that I can flip the lid over and grind directly into the container. Flip the lid back and it goes right into storage.

At least that's the plan. :D
 
Rather than using a 10A DPDT Toggle Switch for FWD/REV, could you use a standard 3 way switch as the forward/reverse along with a standard SP switch to control the power On/Off?

thanks

tom

Edit: thinking about it a little more, the DPDT switch gives you the ability to pause from forward to reverse. With my question about the 3 way switch, I would have to shut of power, flip the 3 way to reverse, flip on power, shut off power, flip the 3 way to forward, flip on power. Altho, the 3 way switch is cheeper and easer for me to purchase (Menards).
 
Hey Tom, yeah, I think that'd work. However, I really don't think the fwd/rev switch is needed. As slbradley put it, this thing could crush a box of rocks. The bigger issue is overheating, due to the lack of a fan on garage door motors (a result of the short duty cycle in their intended application). I'd spend your effort on a cooling fan and not sweat the fwd/rev. My $0.02.
 
slbradley01 said:
I was originally going to leave the electronics so i could run it off a remote control but thanks to UL safety built into the circuit board, it auto shut down after 30 seconds.
Click to expand...

You can still run the unit with a remote, I use one of those Xmas lighting controls you normally find at this time of year. This is what I use.

tom

363-5414_NEW.jpg
 
Don't worry guys, the person that started this thread is still here :) With a move halfway across the country this summer into an apartment, and just moved into a house before Christmas, the timeline for me has pushed... but here's my $0.02.

Fans - I was wondering how much grain you would be able to crush before overheating. Sounds like 5-gal brewers don't have to worry, but it could get questionable for 10-gal brewers. While you could use 12V fans, watch what wall wart you grab. When I was working on my stir plate (still in pieces in a box somewhere...) the first wall wart I found didn't have enough current for the fan I had. 110V fans would be cleaner (wiring wise) and have much more power.

Fwd/Rev Switch - probably not necessary with the gearing. With the worm gear, we have a lot of torque. I'll still probably put one on, and likely just use a 3-way light switch + a standard on-off light switch. This would fit cleanly in a 2-gang electrical box (or at least a cover). This does mean you have to turn it off, reverse the direction, then turn it back on again.
 
mrstevenund said:
Fans - I was wondering how much grain you would be able to crush before overheating.
Click to expand...

Somewhere between 15-20 lbs, depending on ambient temps. So like you said, 5gal brewers are mostly in the clear, 10gal brewers would need to wait out one cool-down cycle or add a fan.
 
Carlscan26 said:
Any concerns about a fan drawing in grain dust and catching fire or exploding?
Click to expand...


Yes, an important point. With my setup, the dust is pretty well contained within the stereo cabinet base, but if dust is an issue with your arrangement, a fan would be an unwise addition. (Although steps should be taken to contain the dust, regardless)
 
wilconrad said:
Yes, an important point. With my setup, the dust is pretty well contained within the stereo cabinet base, but if dust is an issue with your arrangement, a fan would be an unwise addition. (Although steps should be taken to contain the dust, regardless)
Click to expand...


Yeah I like your setup a lot. I haven't motorized yet and was considering using my dewalt drill but it sparks when it turns on and off so I'm not even comfortable using it with a mill sitting on top of a bucket. Maybe I'm being paranoid.
 
Carlscan26 said:
Yeah I like your setup a lot. I haven't motorized yet and was considering using my dewalt drill but it sparks when it turns on and off so I'm not even comfortable using it with a mill sitting on top of a bucket. Maybe I'm being paranoid.
Click to expand...


Better to be paranoid than careless :)

The drill sparking at startup probably isn't something to be worried about, but better to be safe than sorry.
 
Just ordered the Cereal Killer from Homebrewing.org and was looking to snag a motor from Surplus Center, but they look to be out. Did anyone snag a few of those motors that might be willing to part with one?? Shoot me a PM if you got a an extra or two.
 
hunter306 said:
Just ordered the Cereal Killer from Homebrewing.org and was looking to snag a motor from Surplus Center, but they look to be out. Did anyone snag a few of those motors that might be willing to part with one?? Shoot me a PM if you got a an extra or two.
Click to expand...

I'd send an email to Surplus Center first; the motor disappeared from the website several months ago, then a clever HBT reader emailed them and it popped back up with 300+ in stock. Some sort of error on their end, I guess, so worth trying again.
 
Just a quick update, Surplus Center replied and said they were out of stock with no re-order option. If anyone has an extra shoot me a message!
 
hunter306 said:
Just a quick update, Surplus Center replied and said they were out of stock with no re-order option. If anyone has an extra shoot me a message!
Click to expand...

Bummer, sorry man. Someone must have bought a truckload of them, because there were 300 or so in stock quite recently.
 
OK, I managed to build my Frankenmill and it appears to be working. I tested with a handful of CaraPils assuming that if it crushed that it will chew through anything.

Here are my observations and I hope others will be able to use them to cut down (more or less literally) on problems:
  • Tools and parts. Be prepared to have a selection of tools available when tackling this project. I needed wire cutters, wire nuts, metal saw, drill, hex keys, screws, file and probably more.
  • Shaft. This turned out to be the biggest problem. As stated in a previous post the shaft "as is" is too short. I learned that the hard way when I had to take apart my entire construction to cut off some of the bushing. The lovejoy connector would always slip until I had the end of the shaft line up with the end of the connector. The bushing is now protruding about 2 mm, down from 10.
  • This motor will stall. I set the gap to 0.36 and could not get the mill to grind my CaraPils; it would always stall. I had to adjust the gap to 0.40 and throw in the grain whilst the rollers were spinning.

I also added a "casing" made from microwave grease traps and some vent cover. Gaps were filled with aluminum tape. My idea was to add a hair dryer set to cold (just blowing air w/o the heat) if the motor gets too hot. I also have an old microwave oven that I have partially disassembled for the fans inside and I might use those in the future. The crushed grain is funneled into a Homer bucket through an 8x8x6" duct :D

I'll post pictures soon I hope! :rockin:
 
funnycreature said:
[*]This motor will stall. I set the gap to 0.36 and could not get the mill to grind my CaraPils; it would always stall. I had to adjust the gap to 0.40 and throw in the grain whilst the rollers were spinning.
[/LIST]
Click to expand...

Odd, something must not be right. I've had mine as tight as 0.025 and it starts just fine with the hopper full. It shows no sign of strain, and isn't anywhere near stalling; crushes whatever I throw at it with ease. Like slbradley said, it'll crush a box of rocks. Post a few photos and hopefully we can diagnose what's going on.
 
OK here are the pictures. The mill crushed my ~12 lbs nicely without any hiccup. I used the hair dryer preemptively for cooling and everything worked smoothly. Best efficiency I've had so far!

Grain_Mill_1N.jpg


Grain_Mill_2N.jpg


Grain_Mill_3N.jpg


Grain_Mill_4N.jpg
 

Similar threads

C
Garage door grain mill fan
Replies
9
Views
2K
501irishred
501irishred
mrstevenund
MM2 powered by garage door opener
Replies
6
Views
2K
mrstevenund
mrstevenund
G
  • Article
Cheap DIY Option for a Motorized Grain Mill
2
Replies
49
Views
23K
modobrew
modobrew
Puddlethumper
Grain mill - Garage door opener motor ??
Replies
3
Views
3K
Puddlethumper
Puddlethumper
R
Motorized Monster Mill Build MM3-2.0
Replies
26
Views
8K
Robg773
R

Latest posts

Back
Top