Hello,
I just finished motorizing my Monster Mill MM3 and thought I would share a few pics and a build list in case anyone wanted to emulate or improve upon my setup...
I chose to mount the mill on a service cart because we only have a one car garage, and that is stuffed full of tools and other stuff. So instead we have a storage area just inside our garage, and its easy to wheel the mill outside or in the garage to process the grain. Furthermore, in light of the fact that I was going to store it inside, I wanted something a bit les conspicuous than a bright red service cart, so I did a once over with gloss white enamel so its easy to wipe down. The only other modifications I made to the cart was inverting the top shelf so it created a flat surface to mount the mill and motor.
The monster mill base was great because it acted as a jig to drill the mounting holes and make a cutout for the grain to pass through. After it was mounted it also acted as a nice stiffener.
I read that a lot of other people have gotten by with a 1/2 hp with an MM3, but the Monster mill website recommended a 1 hp... So I opted to split the difference and get a 3/4 hp capacitor start motor. I chose the "tool replacement" enclosed version because it is made to standup to saw dust, so I figured grain dust and other junk wont cause it to start having problems. I mounted the motor on a type 56 base so that I could easily adjust the tension of the v belt.
To keep the budget somewhat under control I went with sheaves instead of a gear reducer, but I opted to go with the tool replacement grade Martin Sheaves so it would be a smooth as possible. I've seen other cast iron sheaves, and they look like junk. Cheap casting, poor machining, and just eyeballing them they appear out-of-round. The only problem is that Amazon only had the Martin sheaves up to 9.25" in stock with a 1/2" bore. So the mill will turn at approx. 240-250 rpm, which is a little on the high side, but should work ok. I used my dremel to put a small indentation in the shaft of the MM3 to accommodate the lock nut. For the smaller sheave, the smallest I could find was 1.75" OD, which already has a key way for the motor's shaft.
Other misc. stuff I used included a 14 AWG tool replacement cord, rated for 15 amps (the motor draws 10.3 amps on 120v). A magnetic start stop button, a 40" 4L profile v-belt, and wire glands, hardware, etc to finish it off. Here is a complete list, most everything can be purchased off Amazon:
Monster Mill MM3 Pro
Service Cart
9.25" Sheave
1.75" Sheave
Type 56 Motor Mount
3/4 HP Grizzly Motor
Switch
Belt
Cord
My general thoughts about the operation of the mill and motor are very positive. Its spins extremely smooth, with absolutely NO vibration or other issues. In fact I'm really surprised at how little tension the belt needs to process even rye and wheat. The startup of the 3/4hp motor is strong, and handles a full hopper from a complete stop without an issue.
After a good amount of use, I'm almost convinced that most users could even get by with a 1/2hp without any issues at all. One other obvious observation is that the cart isn't the best quality, but it does the job like champ. I cut a piece of plywood to sit across the lower shelf, which helps push my 6.5 gallon bucket up under the cutout in the cart. This keeps the grain contained really well. All-in-all I'm extremely happy with the MM3 pro, I don't know if I would change that much about my build, other than maybe getting a smaller motor and building a belt guard...
I just finished motorizing my Monster Mill MM3 and thought I would share a few pics and a build list in case anyone wanted to emulate or improve upon my setup...
I chose to mount the mill on a service cart because we only have a one car garage, and that is stuffed full of tools and other stuff. So instead we have a storage area just inside our garage, and its easy to wheel the mill outside or in the garage to process the grain. Furthermore, in light of the fact that I was going to store it inside, I wanted something a bit les conspicuous than a bright red service cart, so I did a once over with gloss white enamel so its easy to wipe down. The only other modifications I made to the cart was inverting the top shelf so it created a flat surface to mount the mill and motor.
The monster mill base was great because it acted as a jig to drill the mounting holes and make a cutout for the grain to pass through. After it was mounted it also acted as a nice stiffener.
I read that a lot of other people have gotten by with a 1/2 hp with an MM3, but the Monster mill website recommended a 1 hp... So I opted to split the difference and get a 3/4 hp capacitor start motor. I chose the "tool replacement" enclosed version because it is made to standup to saw dust, so I figured grain dust and other junk wont cause it to start having problems. I mounted the motor on a type 56 base so that I could easily adjust the tension of the v belt.
To keep the budget somewhat under control I went with sheaves instead of a gear reducer, but I opted to go with the tool replacement grade Martin Sheaves so it would be a smooth as possible. I've seen other cast iron sheaves, and they look like junk. Cheap casting, poor machining, and just eyeballing them they appear out-of-round. The only problem is that Amazon only had the Martin sheaves up to 9.25" in stock with a 1/2" bore. So the mill will turn at approx. 240-250 rpm, which is a little on the high side, but should work ok. I used my dremel to put a small indentation in the shaft of the MM3 to accommodate the lock nut. For the smaller sheave, the smallest I could find was 1.75" OD, which already has a key way for the motor's shaft.
Other misc. stuff I used included a 14 AWG tool replacement cord, rated for 15 amps (the motor draws 10.3 amps on 120v). A magnetic start stop button, a 40" 4L profile v-belt, and wire glands, hardware, etc to finish it off. Here is a complete list, most everything can be purchased off Amazon:
Monster Mill MM3 Pro
Service Cart
9.25" Sheave
1.75" Sheave
Type 56 Motor Mount
3/4 HP Grizzly Motor
Switch
Belt
Cord
My general thoughts about the operation of the mill and motor are very positive. Its spins extremely smooth, with absolutely NO vibration or other issues. In fact I'm really surprised at how little tension the belt needs to process even rye and wheat. The startup of the 3/4hp motor is strong, and handles a full hopper from a complete stop without an issue.
After a good amount of use, I'm almost convinced that most users could even get by with a 1/2hp without any issues at all. One other obvious observation is that the cart isn't the best quality, but it does the job like champ. I cut a piece of plywood to sit across the lower shelf, which helps push my 6.5 gallon bucket up under the cutout in the cart. This keeps the grain contained really well. All-in-all I'm extremely happy with the MM3 pro, I don't know if I would change that much about my build, other than maybe getting a smaller motor and building a belt guard...
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