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jooky posted:I have a Hario Slim Mill, and while it's a pretty decent grinder for the price, the grind is fairly inconsistent. The conical portion of the burr isn't held steadily in the center, so I invariably get some bigger chunks of beans along with some finer dust at the end of a grind. Is there some sort of modification I can make in order to get a more consistent grind (for a french press), or should I just be looking for a better, electric model? A little spring and paair of washers will fix that. Take it to a good hardware store, explain your need, pay less than $2, and walk out with a fixed grinder.
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Nov 3, 2011 22:06
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strangemusic posted:I just did this as well. It's very effective. I had this hacked on my Skerton, but I didn't use a washer on one side and had a spring that was wound opposite whatever direction you turn the handle, so the spring unwound over time. So use two washers if you at all can! I need to take mine to a hardware store again and re-do this. Bob - the hand grinders with this simple hack are SO GOOD. The grind is way better than anything under a few hundred bucks (like, Rocky quality ish)
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Nov 3, 2011 23:05
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nm posted:Actually, the slim mill, unlike the Skerton, already has a spring. It certain holds a lot better than the Skerton, but isn't perfect. Perhaps a stronger spring? I don't mean to say something obvious, but go to a hardware store, take your spring, and say you want a stiffer one?
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Nov 6, 2011 01:58
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nm posted:Word is that the mini is actually better than the skerton as it is spring loaded. It is just smaller. If you "hack" your Skerton with a spring and 2 washers then it is fabulous, I think much better than the mini and easily better than many electrics costing twice as much or more. Without, it's fine for french press or other brewing methods tolerant of particle size variation and better than electric burrs at the same ($40) price point, but nothing special and certainly not an equal to the couple of quality $100ish burr grinders available.
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Dec 2, 2011 00:29
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yokken posted:would you guys advise going to a hardware store with my Hario after i get it and find some washers and a spring to mod it with? does anyone feel like writing a mini-tutorial on hacking the grinder to be better? i have absolutely no idea where to start but i want a good grinder while i save up for an electric one. Do this. It's super easy, you don't need a guide. Take the Hario apart (this is easy, if you can't figure it out some dude at your hardware store can). Find the bit that is where the burr is spaced, and put 2 washers and a small spring in here. Hardware store bulk bits, preferably clean them. You will have to take it apart and clean this bit out sometimes, but it's not a huge pain for the increase in consistency you get. There is this post, though http://www.roaste.com/CoffeeBlogs/EricBNC/Hario-Skerton-Modification as well as this one http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/some-mods-to-hario-skerton-t18178.html as well as this one http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/grinders/500430 as well as this one http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/hario-skerton-open-top-hand-grinder-lid-t10472.html so maybe one of these will help. I have tried some of the more extensive mods and found them more trouble than worth, but a simple spring and 2 washers is super easy, and produces great results. The other stuff is kind of fun in a geeky way, but I drink more tea now anyway.
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Dec 9, 2011 00:19
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If you want a quick and dirty fix, there are commercial grinder cleaners, otherwise you can try minute rice. You will have to disassemble it to properly clean it, though. Try running some cheap coffee through to see if the grind is even or not. If it is at least kind of even, it should be worth cleaning up properly. The below link has detailed instructions. http://www.orphanespresso.com/Vintage-Hand-Grinder-Restoration_ep_546-1.html Looking at the grinder, I would try to clean it properly. It's a sub 1 hour job if you focus on the functional parts only, easily doable in a weekend otherwise - and most of the time is waiting.
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Dec 9, 2011 02:55
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AriTheDog posted:Wow, I love the look of that thing. Bob_McBob, post more about this if/when you learn more, please! This is exactly what I thought. I've put it in my calendar to check a few times over the next, err, 38 days!
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Dec 13, 2011 00:11
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