chute modification on Macap MC4

Equipment, technique, or just drinking the stuff

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Postby dsc » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:47 pm

Hi

Yup SS is to hard to work on when spinning, so it can't be used. I know that steel would be better, but it might corrode and it's probably not food safe. Aluminium seems better, but it is easy to bend, maybe too easy. Hard choice really, I will ask the spinners what thickness to use.

Cheers,
dsc.
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Postby bruceb » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:57 pm

There are many grades of aluminium. Duraluminium in various grades can be spun, is very tough and is not so easily damage.
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re

Postby dsc » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:23 pm

Hi everyone

Ok so today I made a mockup model from cardboard and here's how it looks:

(it's not the most professional model, but it shows how the final product will look and we can check the dimensions)

Overall look (yes I did use a box that once held a Brita filter;)):

Image

Lookin' into the funnel:

Image

Joint between the burr chamber and the funnel:

Image

The funnel will be mounted a bit higher, so that the upper rim is above the main body (I'm guessing it's similar to how the doser is mounted and will allow to add the top cover in the future):

Image

The lower hole of the funnel is 1cm below the cutout on the main body, so it's 1cm lower than the doser on MC5:

Image

We will have to add a plate to cover the hole in the main body. Here's it's covered by a piece of cardboard:

Image

And that's how the grinder looks without the original chute:

Image

I've even tested it out and it works:) One thing I'm thinking about is whether to make the funnel end where the doser ends (so make it 1cm shorter) or leave it as it is? I was thinking of adding a fork under the funnel and was wondering if the funnel is not a bit too low.

If you have any suggestions shoot:) I will try to make the final drawing and send it to the metal spinner this week.

Cheers,
dsc.
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RE: re

Postby Brummie » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:52 pm

Hi dsc,

I guess with the fork you mean the fork the porta filter rests on while filling? Be carefull not to have it too close to the filter (coffee will make a heap on top and you don't want it to hit the funnel. Otherwise when you remove the filter, coffee will spill. On the other hand, it should not be too high either. It will then spread too much and ends up besides the filter instead of in it :) ). On mine it actually does spread quite a bit and making a mess. To prevent that I created a plastic screen (made of a plastic water bottle see picture.)

The distance between my fork and the funnel "output" opening = 68mm on the Mazzer Mini see 2nd picture
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RE: re

Postby dsc » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:08 pm

Hi Brummie,

well now it's around 5.3cm between the funnel and the fork. I can make the funnel 1cm shorter and that way gain some more space for the PF. I'm still not sure if I need the fork anyway, so that might not be a problem.

Cheers,
dsc.
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Postby Belgik » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:26 pm

Thanks dsc and brummie - I do believe we have got ourselves a team here! 8)

Quote---from dsc
One thing I'm thinking about is whether to make the funnel end where the doser ends (so make it 1cm shorter) or leave it as it is? I was thinking of adding a fork under the funnel and was wondering if the funnel is not a bit too low.
Unquote--

brummie's remarks are pertinent. It will always be a compromise. Now, if you will look at the FIRST photo of dsc, you will see that, below, there are two little "plugged holes". THAT's where, on my doser-ful M5, the "fork" is screwed in. It would be nice if I could just leave it exactly where it is, to rest my pf on.
Considering brummie's remarks, and thinking about the "compromise", I would think the bottom of the chute should be just about exactly at the same height as the original M5 doser.
The doser's bottom line is located exactly 5.2 cm above the top of the "fork". That means, when I insert a standard Faema (E61) portafilter on top of my (standard Macap) fork, the distance between the top surface of that portafilter and the bottom of the doser is exactly 2.5 cm.
That means there is, in that case, room for a "heap" of coffee 2.5 cm higher than the pf rim. I would think that is substantially enough...

Would you place the bottom of the chute higher (meaning like 5.5 or 6 cm available space, by making the chute shorter), the available space increases, which should not pose any particular problem.

But definitely NOT make the chute longer than the original doser!

By the way, dsc, your cardboard model looks like a piece of modern art!

I'm definitely in, you can count on my ongoing support!
Paul
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Postby Belgik » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:32 pm

dsc...your last crossed with mine..
:oops: yours is longer than mine: 5.3 against 5.2 cm :roll: :lol:
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Postby Brummie » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:35 pm

5.x should be fine :D (if in cm that is :P). I think I would prefer to have it a bit lower than mine is right now. So I'll join the 5.2/5.3 club :D
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Postby dsc » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:57 pm

Hi guys,

ok I will make the funnel 1cm shorter, so that it ends at the same height as the original doser.

I was just wondering, would it be wise to make the output of the funnel bigger? From the 35mm that it is now to smth more close to 58mm? Do you see any advantage in doing so? I'm guessing that it could make the grinding a bit less messy? we can go further and add a small 5mm vertical collar at the end, but with a thickness of 1mm that could mean that after grinding there's 1mm space around the rim of the basket which is not covered by coffee. With a smaller hole you can always move the basket/PF while grinding and get a pretty consistent distribution.

Cheers,
dsc.
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Postby Brummie » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:33 pm

Hi dcs,

Don't make it wider. I think 35mm is already fairly wide. Mine is 28 mm wide and that works fine. You want the coffee to be fed into the middle of the portafilter. It'll spread autmatically once it hits the filter. The coffee will primarily come out if the "back" of the filter since it dropped there out of the chute. Because of the speed it'll end somwhere in the middle of the filter. If you make the opening 58mm it will end up mostly at the "back end" of the portaflter and it'll spill there big time I think.

So my advice would be keep it somewhere between 30 and 35 mm.
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Postby Muffinresearch » Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:43 pm

This is great stuff.

I'd certainly be interested for one of these for my M4.
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Postby fred25 » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:34 am

Apologies for jumping in late on the ship, but was just wondering if this is still something that is happening - seems like a really fantastic idea! (and also one that (as an owner of an MC4) I'd be very interested in signing for, if it doesn't break my pink piggy too much) :D
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Postby Ordo.dk » Sun Feb 03, 2008 3:25 am

I am still in. I just haven't gotten any "notification emails" with the replies here :(
The exit hole on the side - Can you make it not fit the exit hole on the grinder? I'd like to reshape the exit hole like this: modded m4
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Postby dsc » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:39 am

Hi guys

well things here have come to sort of a halt, as I tried to contact the metal spinners, but they are dead silent and won't respond to my emails. Don't know what's happening, will investigate and let you know asap.

Cheers,
dsc.
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Postby Brummie » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:50 pm

Well I'm not in a hurry :D so take your time
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