DIY Knock Box $14 or less

[wannabesnob]

Im hoping that there are others out there who are into DIY and/or saving money. I got this idea from a fellow Coffee Snobber today when I had an espresso with NewToEspresso. He had one, and I found it irresistible so I went out and got the bits and built one. I dont know if this has been shown before but a search for DIY and Knock Box did not turn up anything. Forgive me if this is old news  :-/

The parts required all came from the big hardware down the road. The cost there was about $14 but it will be cheaper if you have any of the bits laying around. It consists of a 100mm pvc pipe end with a screw on cap plus an irrigation riser of the appropriate length and two suitable screw on caps to hold it in place.

A mod Im thinking of is to hacksaw a beveled chunk out of the front so that it is angled down and will not interfere with my stroke.

N.B.

Gday wannabe...... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Can you keep image size to a maximum of 640(W)x480(H) pixels please mate? Larger images can slow down page loading considerably, especially for people with limited bandwidth connections.....

If you are unsure about how to easily resize your images, this link will hopefully assist .

Thanks,
Mal.

[caffeol]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Looks great.  

If the riser is pvc maybe put a length of dowel down the middle of it ?
-For those days when the puck is recalcitrant or something just needs to be pounded.

[wannabesnob]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Yes, that would stiffen the riser, but it is surprisingly stiff as it is. Another thing about the knock bar, NewToExpresso wrapped his in black electrical tape to protect his filter basket a bit. Im thinking of using some old handle bar tape I have kicking around in my cycling spares box, It is foam padded tape. Just the shot! 8-)

[Bullitt]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

I have something similar that Rayzurhead made for me at least 12 months ago.
I think they are great value for money.
Havent had to to worry about making anything stronger, have never had to knock that hard to get a puck out.
RHs design already had the cut down front to make it easier to knock out the puck, and yes it is a good idea.
Also you can make up a lid very easily to reduce the aroma of spent pucks if you have need to.

Bullitt

[coffee_mum]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Very nice [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

1000% better than my butchered beetroot tin & platic curtain rod job.

I could do it myself, but showed hubby the picture and placed an order (have to get him involved at every opportunity)  ;D ;D

[Dimal]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Clever thinking Coffee Mum 8-)

Mal.

[wannabesnob]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Well Ive used mine 2 days now and I dont think Ill bother beveling the front. It works just fine as it is. 8-) I may glue some cork board on the bottom to save the finish on the counter top.

[redzone121]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Thats what its all about, nice job !

[pip]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Hi Snobs,
             Ive got a commercially manufactured knock box that uses a 19mm length of wooden dowel (old 3/4 inch) and radiator hose over the the dowel. The hose is a fairly good grip on the dowel , and prevents the dowel from moving around - so there are no retaining bits on the outside of the tube.
It  works really well - and  catering shops have lots of nice shiny stainless steel containers of all sizes and shapes !
fire up the drill press ...
ciao, pip.

[wannabesnob]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Yes, that would work too, But youd need to drill your holes more carefully than I did. The big retainers hide the mess a bit. I actually like the chunky look of them, but maybe most wouldnt. But then I unapologetically drive a 4wd (Im a bush walker, yes it does get off the bitumen!) so my taste cant really be trusted

[Hooked]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Nice one wannabe. Your bang bang was inspirational! I quickly whipped one up this morning before some guests arrived. Total cost $12.40 and took around 10 min.

I used a large galvanized bolt and 2 rubber hoses (old car parts)- with the smaller hose acting as a sleeve for for larger hose. I also used a 100mm pipe to make the opening a little larger. Shaping was done using a hacksaw, then the wire wheel on a bench grinder was employed to smooth out the rough hacksaw cut and to shape. Finally i used a steel rule to neaten up the edges. Looks a bit rough but it works quite well and was quick to do. ....

[wannabesnob]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Very swish. I guess Ill have to get out my hacksaw ....... Not sure I can emulate your nice smooth curves. :-[

When I grow up Im going to have a workshop with lots of tools!

[Hooked]

Re: DIY Knock Box $14 or less

Yeah, I am a little tool crazy! Problem is you end up thinking you can take on anything and all of a sudden you realise that you have about 20 things in various states of repair on the go......