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Date: 15 Jan 2007 11:37:30
From: DavidMLewis
Subject: how do you align grinder burrs?
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OK, I'm about to throw a new set of burrs in my modified NS Grinta. The
Grinta, bless its heart, is not made to Mazzer standards of precision;
the burr carriers are pot metal. What I've been doing is to put in the
burrs, then put a bit on Prussian Blue on the edge of the upper burr,
run the upper burr down to get a slight touch, and see where it touches
the lower burr. Then I try rotating the lower burr on the carrier
and/or tightening the nearest screw down a bit more. At some point, I
switch to the upper burr for all of this. As might be imagined, this is
a PITA on quite a large number of levels. So I have two questions: is
there an easier or more reliable way of testing the burr alignment, and
is there anything besides rotation, tightening, and foul language I can
use to adjust the alignment? I've considered using a bit of
valve-lapping compound on the edge of the burr, but that seems like it
would be pretty drastic and would be even harder to completely clean
out than the Prussian Blue is. Thanks in advance.
Best,
David
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Date: 17 Jan 2007 15:22:30
From: DavidMLewis
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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Jack Denver wrote:
> Is it possible that the carrier was not built to be loaded in this way and
> that is what is putting it out of parallel ? It really sounds to me like
> what you need is a Mazzer because you're never going to make a silk purse
> out of this sow's ear no matter how much you try to embroider it. It
> appears just not to have been built with the level of precision that you
> have in mind.
>
You'd be correct in that, but I'm trying to hold out and save my
sheckels for when the LM is released or various other projects come to
fruition. I'm ready to make the "I only want to do this once" leap in
grinders. As I alluded to, why NS feels the Grinta in its stock form is
worth almost $300 is a bit of a mystery to me, but if I can make it
work for this year I'll be happy.
Best,
David
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 14:46:32
From: I->Ian
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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On 15 Jan 2007 11:37:30 -0800, "DavidMLewis" <DavidMLewis@mac.com >
wrote:
>OK, I'm about to throw a new set of burrs in my modified NS Grinta. The
>Grinta, bless its heart, is not made to Mazzer standards of precision;
>the burr carriers are pot metal. What I've been doing is to put in the
>burrs, then put a bit on Prussian Blue on the edge of the upper burr,
>run the upper burr down to get a slight touch, and see where it touches
>the lower burr. Then I try rotating the lower burr on the carrier
>and/or tightening the nearest screw down a bit more. At some point, I
>switch to the upper burr for all of this. As might be imagined, this is
>a PITA on quite a large number of levels. So I have two questions: is
>there an easier or more reliable way of testing the burr alignment, and
>is there anything besides rotation, tightening, and foul language I can
>use to adjust the alignment? I've considered using a bit of
>valve-lapping compound on the edge of the burr, but that seems like it
>would be pretty drastic and would be even harder to completely clean
>out than the Prussian Blue is. Thanks in advance.
>
>Best,
> David
Does the burr carrier flex?
Do the burrs flex?
If not, then perhaps rotating the burr on the carrier will adjust the
alignment.
How much slop is in the upper carrier? If the upper carrier wobbles
all over, then adjusting the screws is never going to solve your
problem.
On my Isomac Gran Macinino drip grinder, I add three wraps of .004
Teflon around then upper burr carrier mounting threads to remove the
slop. Works an absolute charm.
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 22:06:39
From: David Lewis
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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On 2007-01-15 14:46:32 -0800, "I- >Ian" <someone@nowhere.com> said:
> Does the burr carrier flex?
> Do the burrs flex?
> If not, then perhaps rotating the burr on the carrier will adjust the
> alignment.
No, no, and it seems to. It's just the measuring that's the royal pain.
>
> How much slop is in the upper carrier? If the upper carrier wobbles
> all over, then adjusting the screws is never going to solve your
> problem.
Too much slop. What I did was to add three tubes to the outside of the
carrier/motor housing, attached with JB-Weld. Those tubes are loaded
with fairly stiff springs pushing on hardwood dowels. The dowels, in
turn, push on a disk of brass shim stock under the upper burr carrier.
The result is sort of duplicating what Mazzer does: the springs always
load the play out of the burr carrier threads in the same direction.
This makes it pretty repeatable, even if I come to a given setting from
either direction, which out of habit I don't. Should I have to do all
this? No, particularly for what a Grinta sells for. But it's done.
Best,
David
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Date: 17 Jan 2007 12:43:17
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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Is it possible that the carrier was not built to be loaded in this way and
that is what is putting it out of parallel ? It really sounds to me like
what you need is a Mazzer because you're never going to make a silk purse
out of this sow's ear no matter how much you try to embroider it. It
appears just not to have been built with the level of precision that you
have in mind.
"David Lewis" <DavidMLewis@mac.com > wrote in message
news:2007011522063916807-DavidMLewis@maccom...
> On 2007-01-15 14:46:32 -0800, "I->Ian" <someone@nowhere.com> said:
>
>> Does the burr carrier flex?
>> Do the burrs flex?
>> If not, then perhaps rotating the burr on the carrier will adjust the
>> alignment.
>
> No, no, and it seems to. It's just the measuring that's the royal pain.
>>
>> How much slop is in the upper carrier? If the upper carrier wobbles
>> all over, then adjusting the screws is never going to solve your
>> problem.
>
> Too much slop. What I did was to add three tubes to the outside of the
> carrier/motor housing, attached with JB-Weld. Those tubes are loaded with
> fairly stiff springs pushing on hardwood dowels. The dowels, in turn, push
> on a disk of brass shim stock under the upper burr carrier. The result is
> sort of duplicating what Mazzer does: the springs always load the play out
> of the burr carrier threads in the same direction. This makes it pretty
> repeatable, even if I come to a given setting from either direction, which
> out of habit I don't. Should I have to do all this? No, particularly for
> what a Grinta sells for. But it's done.
>
> Best,
> David
>
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 14:29:31
From: DavidMLewis
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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Robert Harmon wrote:
> Howdy David!
> Don't take this wrong but why the hell are you putting up with this machine?
> Unload it on eBay & buy a used commercial grinder and relax, life's far too
> short to let yourself be aggravated like this.
>
Waiting for one of a couple of things I hope become available later in
the year. If they pan out, they'd be closer to what I really need (or
want; as Lear says, "reason not the need!").
Best,
David
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 13:41:15
From: DavidMLewis
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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Jack Denver wrote:
> I don't think it's the custom to do any of this - normally you just clean
> off the carriers, screw the burrs on tight and hope for the best. Possibly a
> rock has bent your motor shaft so that the carriers are no longer parallel.
> I suppose you could shim underneath the low side with a scrap of paper or
> some such in between the burr and the carrier.
>
Thanks, Jack. I don't think it's bent, I just think it's slightly
cheesy. It doesn't make any difference with most beans, but with things
like Malabar Gold or Don Schoenholdt's blends (what does he _do_ to
that stuff?), where the burrs must be extremely close in order to get
reasonable shot timing, if I don't do it I wind up putting a lot of
stress on the motor bearings.
Best,
David
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Date: 16 Jan 2007 00:48:50
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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On 15 Jan 2007 13:41:15 -0800, "DavidMLewis" <DavidMLewis@mac.com >
wrote:
>Thanks, Jack. I don't think it's bent, I just think it's slightly
>cheesy. It doesn't make any difference with most beans, but with things
>like Malabar Gold or Don Schoenholdt's blends (what does he _do_ to
>that stuff?), where the burrs must be extremely close in order to get
>reasonable shot timing, if I don't do it I wind up putting a lot of
>stress on the motor bearings.
Gotta laugh. Donald's espresso blends were the triggering factor in my
buying a Mazzer. They have to be ground to near-Turkish dust, as you
apparently know. Something unique about the Lilla roasters he uses.
He'll tell you, if you ask him nicely, but then he'll have to kill
you.
shall
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 22:08:33
From: Robert Harmon
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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Howdy David!
Don't take this wrong but why the hell are you putting up with this machine?
Unload it on eBay & buy a used commercial grinder and relax, life's far too
short to let yourself be aggravated like this.
Robert
"DavidMLewis" <DavidMLewis@mac.com > wrote in message
news:1168897274.804284.173860@51g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...
> Jack Denver wrote:
>> I don't think it's the custom to do any of this - normally you just clean
>> off the carriers, screw the burrs on tight and hope for the best.
>> Possibly a
>> rock has bent your motor shaft so that the carriers are no longer
>> parallel.
>> I suppose you could shim underneath the low side with a scrap of paper or
>> some such in between the burr and the carrier.
>>
> Thanks, Jack. I don't think it's bent, I just think it's slightly
> cheesy. It doesn't make any difference with most beans, but with things
> like Malabar Gold or Don Schoenholdt's blends (what does he _do_ to
> that stuff?), where the burrs must be extremely close in order to get
> reasonable shot timing, if I don't do it I wind up putting a lot of
> stress on the motor bearings.
>
> Best,
> David
>
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Date: 15 Jan 2007 15:07:31
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: how do you align grinder burrs?
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I don't think it's the custom to do any of this - normally you just clean
off the carriers, screw the burrs on tight and hope for the best. Possibly a
rock has bent your motor shaft so that the carriers are no longer parallel.
I suppose you could shim underneath the low side with a scrap of paper or
somesuch in between the burr and the carrier.
"DavidMLewis" <DavidMLewis@mac.com > wrote in message
news:1168889850.019768.279810@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> OK, I'm about to throw a new set of burrs in my modified NS Grinta. The
> Grinta, bless its heart, is not made to Mazzer standards of precision;
> the burr carriers are pot metal. What I've been doing is to put in the
> burrs, then put a bit on Prussian Blue on the edge of the upper burr,
> run the upper burr down to get a slight touch, and see where it touches
> the lower burr. Then I try rotating the lower burr on the carrier
> and/or tightening the nearest screw down a bit more. At some point, I
> switch to the upper burr for all of this. As might be imagined, this is
> a PITA on quite a large number of levels. So I have two questions: is
> there an easier or more reliable way of testing the burr alignment, and
> is there anything besides rotation, tightening, and foul language I can
> use to adjust the alignment? I've considered using a bit of
> valve-lapping compound on the edge of the burr, but that seems like it
> would be pretty drastic and would be even harder to completely clean
> out than the Prussian Blue is. Thanks in advance.
>
> Best,
> David
>
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