Osama_Bin_Bakin_Beans Senior Member Joined: 9 Sep 2004 Posts: 136 Location: Seattle, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Brewtus II, Estro Profi Grinder: La Cimbali Jr., Virtuoso,... Vac Pot: Bodum Santos manual Drip: PrestoScand, Newco OCS-8,... Roaster: UFO/TO, I-Roast Pumper,...
Posted Fri Oct 28, 2005, 2:11pm Subject: LaCimbali Junior grinder doserless mod
Just received my Junior from Chris Coffee today and am wondering if any owners have removed the doser assembly? It looks like the whole unit comes off easily from what I can see. Two screws on the bottom and I imagine two screws up top inside? (can't see any top screws - internal?) I actually would just like to remove the internal fins, etc and leave the outside case intact. Anyone done that? Does the internal assembly come out intact or in pieces? I would then fabricate a chute down to the already existing exit hole on the doser. This would leave the doser cover intact to cover up the modification.
Posted Fri Oct 28, 2005, 2:29pm Subject: Re: LaCimbali Junior grinder doserless mod
Why? I mean seriously, why do you want to make it doserless? To be quite honest, the Cimbali doser is one of the best there is, and leaves almost no coffee behind, plus it drops straight down, without the annoying "throw to the left" that the mazzers have. The only mod that is really necessary is removing the finger guard so that you can brush out the path from the burrs to where it exits. This can store several grams of coffee if it's not brushed out regularly. The mod that you are thinking about would store LOTS of coffee in it, with no easy way of brushing out the grind chamber exit.
Having had my grinder completely disassembled, I don't really think there is an easy way to do this mod, especially if you want it to be reversible. That doser assembly attaches to the front face of the grinder. You would have to remove the entire shell, and then see what you could do otherwise. From what I remember, it wouldn't be all that easy.
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Osama_Bin_Bakin_Beans Senior Member Joined: 9 Sep 2004 Posts: 136 Location: Seattle, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Brewtus II, Estro Profi Grinder: La Cimbali Jr., Virtuoso,... Vac Pot: Bodum Santos manual Drip: PrestoScand, Newco OCS-8,... Roaster: UFO/TO, I-Roast Pumper,...
Posted Fri Oct 28, 2005, 2:38pm Subject: Re: LaCimbali Junior grinder doserless mod
Haha.. I knew the first response would be why. :) Why? Why not? :) I know it's supposed to be the cleanest of all the dosers, but it still seems to leave alot of grinds behind and I really don't feel like vacuuming it all the time. I have in mind something like a recent poster did on their Mazzer Major. (I think it was a Major anyway...) Where they fabricated from sheet metal and had a top lid over the exit shoot on a hinge, so it could be raised up for easy cleaning of the exit shute. Looks like it worked great and with the Junior it looks like it could be done with leaving the outside of the doser intact, thus covering up the work.
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,761 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Fri Oct 28, 2005, 2:43pm Subject: Re: LaCimbali Junior grinder doserless mod
Honestly, it makes no sense. I can (kind of) understand modifying one of the Mazzers given their crappy dosers. But I don't see the value of doing so with the Cimbali.
Not to be harsh, but if you wanted a doserless grinder, it would have made more sense to buy the Mini and modify it. It's a cheaper grinder and 90% of the problems with it (as compared to the Cimbali) have to do with the doser.
BTW, how did you remove the finger guard? I don't want to snap it off. Do you have to loosen the whole doser assembly first? I kind of tried to just pry it up, but am afraid it will snap off.
Posted Fri Oct 28, 2005, 4:05pm Subject: Re: LaCimbali Junior grinder doserless mod
Osama_Bin_Bakin_Beans Said:
BTW, how did you remove the finger guard? I don't want to snap it off. Do you have to loosen the whole doser assembly first? I kind of tried to just pry it up, but am afraid it will snap off.
Yeah, you can't just pry it out. There are two screws holding it in that you can only access by removing the hopper, then removing the adjustment ring. It was easy for me, because my grinder was already completely dissasembled. I had bought it off of ebay, and had to have the bearings replaced, as they were totally worn out. So I had the entire face off of the grinder in order to remove it. Basically you have to start by removing the hopper, then the ring with the numbers on it. Below this is the actual adjustment ring, with gear teeth, that is moved when you adjust the dial. Then you will see one screw, iirc, that holds on a plastic piece with two prongs. This needs to be removed. From there, it may be possible to now pry it out.
To be honest, this isn't an easy job, since it basically requires that you strip the entire grinder. I had forgotten how difficult it was, starting from scratch. I think I recall it being a pain to pry that piece out, even though I had the entire face of the grinder, separated from the rest of the grinder. You have to remove wires to be able to do this, as two of the large capacitors are attached to this front piece.
Chris
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I would not do this, especially to a new grinder in perfect condition. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, you can easily clean the chute behind the finger guard without removing the guard. Secondly, why modify a brand new piece of equipment that does not need to be modified?
Chris is correct, in that the doser chute from the grinding chamber collects grinds. This is no different than any other grinder and is explained by the natural tendency of grinds to clump. In order to clean this chute all you need to do is to use a chop stick and come in from the sides. I clean this chute at least weekly and it takes about 45 seconds total to come in once from one side and then the other. You can use the chop stick to sweep around and to fully clean the chute. The grinds will end up in the doser. You can then either vacuum them up with a small hand vac or you can use a grinder brush to encourage their discharge through doser action.
I have been doing this for years with my Cimbali Jr. grinders. I can think of no reason to risk damaging one of these grinders as I sincerely doubt that removal of the finger guard will allow significantly better chute cleaning than I can do within half a minute with the doser guard in place, using a chopstick.
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