Hand Mill

[Anonymous]

Need advice on making a hand mill from anyone who has undertaken such a project.<br>
<br>
Thanks in advance for your help<br>
<br>
Sam <p></p><i></i>

[Hibernicus]

Hey Sam<br>
<br>
Haven't made one yet but I have experience with stone...<br>
<br>
Sandstone is relatively easy to work.... you can use an angle grinder with a coarse disc to shape it... use a concrete or ceramic drill bit to bore a hole<br>
<br>
You can also use concrete or mason's chisels to shape it, tools available at most hardware stores.<br>
<br>
Work deliberately and slow.<br>
<br>
Hibernicus<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks Hibernicus.<br>
<br>
I understood that the Romans used "volcanic rock" for there hand mills and that a rough texture is essential to the grinding process.<br>
<br>
For this reason I selected a couple of pieces of columbia River Basalt for shaping and was thinking of using an angle grinder and drill to rough out the shape of the quernstones and finishing them off by hand.<br>
<br>
Sandstone would be easier to work with but will it stand up to use.<br>
<br>
The only quern reconstruction I know of is in Marcus Junkelmann's "Panis Militaris".<br>
<br>
Any additional advice is welcomed and I will keep you abreast of my progress once work commences on the project.<br>
<br>
Sam <p></p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

Hi Sam,<br>
No doubt that volcanic rock was the preferred one by Romans, but it was not always available, even in spite of the excellent Roman trading routes.<br>
Local stones like sandstone, granite or even conglomerate were also used for handmills. Maybe pre-Roman local tradition in their use played something in it...<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>