Grinding Mill:
Ron researched grinding mills and came up with this one by Country Living Products.
I spoke with the creator of the “Grain Master”. His name Jack (360-652-0671). I was especially concerned about grinding sorghum. He has never tested his machine with sorghum and suggested sending him some to test. There is an added auger to grind corn.
He did warn us about many of the claims of hand mills on the market. Many cannot live up to the their claims. The grain must be very dry, free from moisture and oil for the mill to work.
If properly cleaned and maintained, and with no stones in the grain, Jack said his mills can last for 5 to 10 years. There is a kit of extra that can be purchased for insurance against minor problems, like ball bearings
Costs are as follow: New with cosmetic blemish - $325 (-$ 75 ), kit $40, corn auger - $35and shipping in US about $ 35, for a total of $435.
Installation & maintenance requires (2) crescent wrenches and a hammer (I added the hammer). You also need bolts or clamps and a table on which to attach the mill.
Here is the Manufacture’s selling points:
Country Living Products
- Premium Hand Grain Mill: The Country Living Grain Mill is a high capacity hand operated mill that can easily be adapted to powered operation because its design incorporates a handle-flywheel which doubles as a v-belt pulley. Construction of the Country Living Grain Mill is strong cast metal alloy with super tough powder coat finish that won't chip or peel from anything short of severe abuse. It's a very nice mill to use and a handsome piece of equipment with clean, functional lines and beautiful raised wheat heads on the side panels.
- Motor Option: A motorizing kit is available below or you can construct a motor drive of your own design. Some owners have adapted their Country Living Mills to drive off their exercise bikes.
- Engineered for Quality Grinding: The grinding burrs for the Country Living Mill have extremely long life. They are precision-engineered, made of high carbon steel and are a massive 5" in diameter (see below.) Flour remains cool in the Country Living Mill, so nutrients are preserved. Turning effort is very easy for a hand operated mill, particularly with the optional handle-length extension. Produces 1 cup of wheat flour in about 1-1/4 minutes (grinding rate is a little slower if you use the optional Power Bar handle extension.) The grind is infinitely adjustable, so you can crack grain at a loose setting or crank it down and get extremely fine whole grain flour in a single pass. The Country Living Grain Mill is one of very few mills on the market that combine reasonable turning effort with the ability to grind very fine flour.
- Built to Last: The Country Living Grain Mill represents the ultimate in strength and durability, and the fit and finish are outstanding. The handle is hardwood, 7" long, and very comfortable to use. You must bolt the Country Living Grain Mill to a table or large board or use clamps to hold it to a table or counter. (Bolts are not included. Bar clamps with plastic no-mar guards, available at hardware stores, work great.) Grain mill has double sealed industrial ball bearings that are widely spaced to prevent shaft runout and minimize wear. (The shaft and bearing assembly is pictured lower on this page.) Even with regular use, the Country Living Grain Mill is the kind of machine that will still be providing trouble-free service in your great grandkids' day. The mill stands 13.5" tall and measures 12" wide and 10" deep, excluding handle.
- Easy to Clean: No hand mill is easier to clean than the Country Living Mill. Just spin the large adjustment knob on the nose of the grinder off, and the outer grinding plate slides off for total access to the grinding area of the mill. You can brush the flour off the plates and have them reassembled again in one minute.
- Highly Versatile: The Country Living Grain Mill is, as its name implies, designed primarily for grains (and beans.) But many of our customers use their Country Living Mill to grind various other materials that are dry, flowable and not excessively oily. Even small amounts of dry herbs can be ground.
Wells:
We saw many places where women and children centered around wells provided for them. The women would do laundry and the children swam in the pond created by the well just beyond.
We will provide a well for our project. Present estimates are 13 to 15 thousand dollars.
Sanitary Systems:
Sanitary systems we have discovered is a very sensitive area. We cannot propose a system that the community is not willing to embrace and implement. Even if we provide well designed ventilated composting systems, if our users are not willingly and able to maintain them, our system could cause worse sanitary conditions than more primitive systems or simple trip to the brush.
standby for more………..
Buildings for Storage, Staff & Kitchen:
Here is a meaningful picture of a work room near our area in Sudan (near Bor). I enjoy the “joy” on the faces as they work. Also, note the traditional thatch roofing on the wood structural system and the light from the close windows. It must be a more pleasant environment than a tin or plastic roofing system. We will maximize our windows while still providing wall backing for shutters (and blackboards for classrooms). Our design calls for a higher roof, with a continuous linel beam on the top, and another line of open window/vents all around. This will help the cool air in the shaded eve circulate into our interior.
Brick Making Machines:
While in Sudan we research the making of block: We still have a dilemma yet to be solved on how to find aggregate for block. The Clinic building technician tried to make some brick but failed.
I noticed some brick in pictures from Malakel, near the Prebyterian School built by Pastor Steve’ s contact Bill. They seem to have similar terrain as Duk Payuel. I believe there are roads opening up to our area from there. I hope to explore possibilities by contacting and sharing information with Bill….
