Do-it-Yourself Ceramic Pepper Grinder

Prepare the Wood

• 1

  Cut a 3-by-3-inch solid cherry or maple wood block, also known as a blank, to a length of 12 inches using a table saw.

• 2

  Mark a line with a pencil 2 inches from the top of the 12-inch block of wood.

• 3

  Attach the block to your wood lathe, scrolling along the pencil line until the top of the block is cut away. This piece will be the top of your pepper grinder.

• 4

  Create the base of your pepper grinder by making it 8 inches long with a 3/8-inch tenon on each end.

• 5

  Secure the base section of the pepper grinder to the scroll chuck on your wood lathe. The bottom part of your pepper grinder should be facing the end of the wood block.

Drill the Holes

• 6

  Drill one hole in the bottom of the wood block with a 1 5/8-inch Forstner bit in a Jacob̵7;s chuck. This first hole should be 3/8 inch deep past the tenon. Drill a second hole in the bottom of the wood block with an 1 1/16-inch bit, 5/8 inch beyond the first hole.

• 7

  Secure the base top to the lathe and drill as far as you can into the base of the pepper mill with a 1-inch bit. Go back and forth with the bit to remove the shavings.

• 8

  Remove the base section. Turn it over so that the top is facing the tailstock. Center the block and make a finishing cut across the top end of the base section and then finish drilling the 1-inch hole through the base.

• 9

  Attach the cap of the pepper mill into the chuck and turn a 1-inch tenon that will fit approximately 1/2 inch into the base.

• 10

  Drill a 1/8-inch recess in the end of the tenon with the 3/4-inch Forstner bit, and drill a 1/4-inch hole through the cap section that will eventually allow the metal shaft of the grinding mechanism to pass through.

Finish the Pepper Grinder

• 11

  Shape the mill to the desired design by turning the cap and the base on your wood lathe separately. Sand down the mill with different grits of sandpaper until the desired smoothness is reached.

• 12

  Finish the wood with several coats of urethane oil until the desired level of shine is reached. Let dry.

• 13

  Assemble the grinding mechanism by attaching the turnplate to the bottom of the peppermill cap by pressing it into place. If your model requires screws to secure it in place, drill 3/32-inch pilot holes in the appropriate spots. If your mechanism is a snap-in model, no pilot holes are necessary. If necessary, finish by screwing the turnplate into the cap.

• 14

  Slide the female end of the spring bar into the bottom of the pepper grinder, followed by the male end.

• 15

  Add the retainer bar, slide the cap over the top end of the shaft and press or screw into place.