craftydeer Senior Member Joined: 29 Nov 2011 Posts: 7 Location: Montreal Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Moka Pot Grinder: Hario Mini-Mill Drip: Chemex, Aero-Press, Single...
Posted Fri Dec 2, 2011, 8:34am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
Just a quick note on my findings while performing this mod (correctly).
I found I had to be very specific when wrapping the tape around, so that it started and stopped (was cut) in the same place to create a perfectly even distribution of added girth on all sides. For example, if I just arbitrarily wrapped the tape around (so, say, starting at point X on the shaft, wrap the tape around twice, and the tape cuts off or finishes 3mm past X, it created some uneven sway and pushed the center burr ever so slightly in a direction when assembled and grinding.
Using clear packing tape, here is the number of wraparounds of tape that I found worked perfectly for me (any more and the tape would bunch up while reassembling).
The shaft: 3 wraps on the bottom bushing, 2 wraps on the upper.
Outer burr: 3 wraps (around the lower part of it where it is a perfect cylinder, not where there are the 4 indentations)
Inner burr's plastic insert: 2 wraps around the part that is a cylinder, 4 wraps around the lower, rectangular-ish part
These mods made a very trued, accurate grinder.
Happy modding!
--- BREW BABY! Chemex w/ Able Kone v3 & Aeropress w/ Able Fine Disk
santunoo Senior Member Joined: 5 Mar 2008 Posts: 63 Location: Hong Kong and Ithaca, NY Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Anfim Milano and Hario Mini... Vac Pot: Hario TCA-2 Drip: Nel-Drip
Posted Sat Dec 3, 2011, 9:07am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
Good point, Bob! The tape I used wore away in 2 weeks. I didn't even realize that it most likely went into the grinds. I didn't taste a difference at the time, but I'm sure I now will, knowing that the plastic bits of tape are in there!
Posted Mon Dec 5, 2011, 6:47am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
I've tried HMW tape, it's the right size and great low-friction and anti wear, but the adhesive is a bit gummy. I then used scotch tape. It lasts about 12 weeks.
Now, I've gone to aluminum peel-backed duct tape. Excellent feel, takes up the slop very well. So far so good.
Additionally, I noticed a wobble I hadn't seen in the center cone before. Disassembled it and found the center shaft about 1mm off center, very slightly bent.
I don't know if this was always there, or if it happened a while ago and I never noticed. It's back "on center" and operating better than ever.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- Le café doit être noir comme le diable, chaud comme l'enfer, pur comme un ange, et doux comme l'amour.
"There is no right answer with coffee. There is only the elixir in your cup at the moment you partake."
"...I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind;..." - Lord Kelvin RECIPES thread => http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/585708
Posted Wed Dec 7, 2011, 7:38am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
I noticed the same bend in the shaft of my mini mill. I contacted the seller and they weren't able to help. No response from Hario either. The bend in the end of the shaft where the inner burr attaches seems a bit more dramatic than the one you are talking about. No amount of modifying will help it. It's to the point where modified at 8 clicks, the burrs rub together for a second and then stop for each turn of the crank. It grinds off center, making decently consistent grinds impossible.
I have purchased another mini mill that should arrive sometime in the next 7 days. My hope is that the central shaft shows up without this same issue. If the issue remains, I will return it and find another hand grinder.
My first mini mill came about during my introduction to the coffee world, but ended up being broken... I'm an idiot. My second one is described above. I was purchasing an aeropress yesterday and decided to buy a new mini. I liked the original mini mill that I had, which is why I bought a new one when I accidentally busted the burrs and part of the plastic housing. My hope is to use the mini mill/aeropress as a travel coffee kit. I am on the road quite frequently and would love to utilize the portability of both tools.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- Le café doit être noir comme le diable, chaud comme l'enfer, pur comme un ange, et doux comme l'amour.
"There is no right answer with coffee. There is only the elixir in your cup at the moment you partake."
"...I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind;..." - Lord Kelvin RECIPES thread => http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/585708
That happened to me with my first mini slim as well. It all seemed to work well until that point. I was able to get them apart, but then broke the burrs on accident. That is why I ended up with my current one. I guess you get what you paid for - $35 hand grinder - not without its cons.
Posted Tue Dec 13, 2011, 11:20pm Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
Hello,
I got a mini mill just in the past few days and this thread has been very helpful. Huge thanks to you, Netphilosopher. However, I've also noticed a bend in the shaft that causes the centre burr to turn off centre. I returned the first one I got, but the second one has the same problem. Given that other are describing the same thing, it sounds like it might be a weakness in the build/design. It looks as though the tip with the treads bends at a very slight angle, right where the threads begin. I've virtually eliminated any wobble by doing the mods you've described and while that improved the performance, but there is still some inconsistency in the grind and a fair bit of dust.
When you said 'It's back "on center" and operating better than ever' it sounds as though you were able to fix the problem? If so, how did you do it?
Posted Wed Dec 14, 2011, 6:59am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
iHaveFeet Said:
Hello,
I got a mini mill just in the past few days and this thread has been very helpful. Huge thanks to you, Netphilosopher. However, I've also noticed a bend in the shaft that causes the centre burr to turn off centre. I returned the first one I got, but the second one has the same problem. Given that other are describing the same thing, it sounds like it might be a weakness in the build/design. It looks as though the tip with the treads bends at a very slight angle, right where the threads begin. I've virtually eliminated any wobble by doing the mods you've described and while that improved the performance, but there is still some inconsistency in the grind and a fair bit of dust.
When you said 'It's back "on center" and operating better than ever' it sounds as though you were able to fix the problem? If so, how did you do it?
Yes, I had similar - I just found the metric nut that fit the shaft, put it on and stuck it in a vice and worked it straight with gentle tweaks and taps.
------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- Le café doit être noir comme le diable, chaud comme l'enfer, pur comme un ange, et doux comme l'amour.
"There is no right answer with coffee. There is only the elixir in your cup at the moment you partake."
"...I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind;..." - Lord Kelvin RECIPES thread => http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/585708
Posted Wed Dec 14, 2011, 11:37am Subject: Re: Hario Mini Mill Slim
Thanks for the speedy response!
Just want to make sure I'm envisioning this correctly. Do you mean you stuck the shaft in a vice so that only the threads were sticking out, and then tapped the threads with a hammer or something to straighten them? And, you would use the nut as a guide to tell if it's straight (when the nut is laying flat against the vice)?
I live in an apartment and so don't have a vice or any tool kit to speak of, but I'm sure I could find a friend with one I could use.
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