Automatic Pepper Grinder!

In this instructable, i will show you how to make a drill powered pepper grinder. My inspiration for this instructable came from the show "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. This pepper grinder can grind a tablespoon of pepper in about 5 seconds, with no trouble at all. Try this easy project and you will be impressed with the results.

Step 1: Gather Materials

To make the automatic pepper mill, you only need three materials.

1) A drill (cordless) set between 150-500 rpm (if your rpm is set too high, the pepper grounds may come out too coarse)
2) A salt shaker/pepper mill
3) Peppercorns
4) A saw
5 A tollerance for sneezing (not really)

http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=6149 This link is of a cordless screwdriver that would be smaller and make this peppermill more compact. The only problem is that this screwdriver has no chuck to hold on to the peppermill, so it might need to be epoxied or glued on.

Step 2: Preparing the Pepper Mill

Take your peppermill, and open it. Do this the same way you would to refill the peppermill. Discard the salt shaker portion of the peppermill.

Step 3: Trimming It Down!

To make the peppermill look more proportioned with the drill, we'll need to take off about 2 inches. Don't worry, the peppermill will still be able to hold plenty of pepper. Measure roughly two inches from the top, and clearly mark it. Cut the peppermill at the line you just made. A band saw would come in handy here, but i'll use a little saw, like a hack saw. Remember when cutting to only cut through the wood, not the metal rod in the center.(we'll talk about that later) it should look like the last picture below after completing this step. Discard the piece you cut off.

Step 4: Cutting the Rod

You should be left with a little peppermill with a rod sticking out of it. This will act as your drill bit, but it is far too long to attach now, because the peppercorns will fall out when it's set down. Insert the rod into the drill to see how much you need to trim off, I need to cut off 2.5inches so that the drill head will also act as the peppercorn's lid. After you make the cut (a band saw would come in handy here), and re-attach the "drill bit," it should look like the last picture below.

Step 5: Trying It Out

loosen the chuck to release the peppermill, and fill it with peppercorns. Reattach the mill to the drill (no rhyme intended) and firmly hold the peppermill while you pull the drill's trigger. If you don't hold the peppermill, all you'll have is a spinning peper holder. When you pull the trigger (and hold the mill with your non-trigger hand), you'll notice a shower of freshly ground pepper pouring from the mill. Expect to sneeze within the next 5 minutes.

Step 6: Other Things

Many people don't know that you can put other spices in a peppermill. Dried basil and parsley are good choices. Hey if you don't like pepper, now you have no excuse for not trying this instructable. haha. Anyway, have fun making this and im not responsible for your injuries or sneezing. Of course you can take out the peppermill when you need your drill for other things....like drilling.