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Rancilio Rocky burrs

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  • Randy_G.
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Originally posted by griffster link=1211481729/15#18 date=1212074369
    Randy: Not sure what you mean but I doubt Ill have the tools which you mentioned but thanks anyway.
    Lets see if I can explain this:



    The screwdriver need to be long enough to protrude above the top of the grinder. Of course, the bit has to be a good fit to the slot. I sometimes hone a screwdriver for a precise fit in such cases when necessary.

    The wrench can be a locking style, and this is necessary if the screwdriver has a round shaft. This makes it easier to properly position the wrench once the screwdriver is engaged wit the screw.

    NOTE: The position of the wrench is critical! it must be just below the centerline of the burr for this to work as effectively as possible.

    In the above image. the right hand is grasping the handle of the screwdriver and the left hand is holding the wrench. To loosen the screw you will SLOWLY apply force to the wrench, pulling it towards you as indicated by "2." At the same time, you are pushing DOWN firmly on the screwdriver to hold it in the slot, you are also applying a pulling force on the screwdriver in the same direction as the wrench, but with far less force.

    The idea is that you are counteracting the rotation of the burr and transferring that energy to turning the screw. The burr wants to turn anti-clockwise, but you are applying a clockwise force to balance that so that the burr does not turn at all- just the screw turns.

    If your hands are not up to the task, have someone else push down on the end of the handle of the screwdriver to keep it in the slot.

    An alternate tool can be a 1/4" drive socket wrench with extension using a 1/4" socket and appropriate screwdriver bit as used in a drill/driver. The screwdriver as described above is easier to use.

    Remember to slowly increase the amount of force that you are applying... its a Zen thing!


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  • griffster
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Thanks for all the many replies. The Rocky is still relatively new bought in mid-Feb so I was in contact with the seller.... unfortunately for me the seller only has one repairer and it seems that the repairer is probably away on holidays - which I only found out as all week Ive been trying to contact him! >

    With no timeframe as to when the repairer is going to return Ive purchased a new set of burrs to see if that fixes the problem. The only other problem is that I still cant remove the bottom burrs. Any ideas on where I could bring the Rocky to just get the 6 screws for the burrs removed (Im in Melbourne)?

    Randy: Not sure what you mean but I doubt Ill have the tools which you mentioned but thanks anyway.

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  • GregWormald
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    OK--so your zero sounds right.
    Dial it down (without the hopper) until the burrs just touch, and then rotate the bottom burr by hand. Do you get a consistent noise or is it off and on? If its off and on your burrs are wobbly and wont give a consistent grind. The teflon tape mod might help, as might the surgical rubber spacer ring mod.

    If its a relatively constant scraping sound then at least one point on the burrs are touching all the way around. If the grind still wont do, you will have to check that one burr isnt tilted by using squish plastic to check the gap at 3 or 4 places. There has been a thread recently about how to do this.

    Im still having trouble trying to figure out what could have gone wrong from a disassemble and clean! Rocky isnt fragile. Did you remove the top burr plates--or only screw off the brass carrier?

    Greg


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  • Dimal
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    While it isnt something that youd want to do using significant force, allowing the burr-plates to touch lightly with the motor running is quite ok as a means to establish "true zero". Probably cant be done with conical burr grinders but flat burr-plates have a polished mating surface at their periphery that will slide over each other.

    Mal.

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  • warmtone
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Calibration on my Rocky grinder appears to be accurate.

    Heres how mine it is set up:

    With the plastic hopper removed and adjusting the burrs slowly by hand where the burrs just touch lightly this corresponds to MINUS one small division.

    Backing off the burrs slightly so the motor is free to turn and no mechanical inteference sound is actually the ZERO point

    The zero point is set using a fairly crude  self tapper in the hopper "bent" (by the factory) to  limit the burr adjustment and eliminate mechanical interference.

    This measure  is presumably done to avoid the potential damage that could result from a novice running the machine on or too near to "true zero" where burrs come in contact.

    In essence the MINUS ONE small division setting provides good insurance.

    I hope this helps!

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  • GregWormald
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Originally posted by griffster link=1211481729/0#12 date=1211729496
    *snip*
    Greg, I would assume that the grind is too course as I am grinding one above the true zero (I assume that the true zero is where the motor isnt just whirring but making this other noise as well) and the shot is just about right.  What do you mean about the top holder being in the right position?  Can you screw it in wrongly and stuff it up?  If so, maybe I should check it more carefully.
    I dont know if YOU could get it wrong--I sure did, although the metal-on-metal noise should indicate a true zero with the burrs touching. I dont like that sound so I do the zero-ing manually.

    In the end I screwed the top burr holder down until it was tight against the bottom burr and I could not turn the rotor by hand. This is my absolute zero. I backed it off by about two inches and then mounted the hopper so it gave me a reading of 10 on the external scale. On my machine the 10 is about 2 inches back from zero.

    Good luck.

    Greg

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  • Randy_G.
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    The screws are (were) all standard- loosen anti-clockwise.


    If you can get a square-shafted screwdriver, or one of the professional screwdrivers with a hex area up near the handle, you can put a wrench on the screwdriver for torque Align the driver so that the wrench "crosses" over he center of the lower burr carrier. In that way, the turning (loosening) torque will counter-act the lower burrs want to rotate on the motor. if that is not clear and if it isnt, I dont blame you), E-mail me and I will send you an image illustrating it.

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  • griffster
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Thanks for the advice Chris, Randy and Greg.

    I might try getting my wife to help me with it... I tried doing it myself the other time & it was a handful trying to hold firmly with the adjustable wrench as well as trying to turn with the screwdriver. I was beginning to think Id have to be some form of octopus to be able to remove the screws! Does anyone know which way I should be turning the screws? It wont help much if I end up tightening them instead!

    Greg, I would assume that the grind is too course as I am grinding one above the true zero (I assume that the true zero is where the motor isnt just whirring but making this other noise as well) and the shot is just about right. What do you mean about the top holder being in the right position? Can you screw it in wrongly and stuff it up? If so, maybe I should check it more carefully.

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  • GregWormald
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    If the bottom burr is that tight, then it probably hasnt moved just from being cleaned, and your problem lies elsewhere.

    When you are grinding now, how fine does the grind feel? Fine enough, or too coarse? If it is too coarse either the top burr is crooked or the holder is not aligned with the scale to give a true zero.

    Are you sure you got the top holder in the right position with regard to the scale? There are 3 screws, giving you two chances to get it wrong. I know I got it wrong once and had to re-assemble.

    Greg

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  • Randy_G.
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Originally posted by Talk_Coffee link=1211481729/0#9 date=1211693765
    Suggest that you pop a shifting spanner on the centre hex nut and get someone to hold it. Give the screws a tap with a hammer and screwdriver and hopefully, they will come loose with a little brute strength
    under NO circumstances should you use a hammer to give any sort of tap on teh screws holding the burrs in place, particularly the lower burr. The alignment of the burrs is precise, considering that one "click" of the adjustment is about 0.001" even a slight tap can misalign the burr carrier or damage the motor bearings.

    The trick is hard to explain, but you need to apply the turning force with a proportional force to keep the burr from turning until the screws come free. No, it isnt easy.

    It is important to have a screwdriver that fits the slot of the screw tightly, and one with a knob at the end of the handle helps. The knob is meant to rest in the palm of one hand so that a downward force can be applied t hold the driver in the slot while turning the driver with the other hand.

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  • TC
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Originally posted by griffster link=1211481729/0#8 date=1211689409
    Thanks for the explanation Greg.... may try that out later when I can get the Rocky working again!

    I tried removing the bottom burrs for cleaning but the screws seem to be in pretty tight.... not helped by the fact that I have the wedge the burrs from rotating at the same time.  Would you happen to know which way do the screws turn to remove them or an easier way to remove the bottom burr?  Thanks.
    Hi Griffster,

    Suggest that you pop a shifting spanner on the centre hex nut and get someone to hold it. Give the screws a (very gentle) tap if required with a hammer and screwdriver and hopefully, they will come loose with a little brute strength (seems they are assembled with battery drills and no thought to the torque setting :)

    On reassembly, tight is plenty tight

    Chris

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  • griffster
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Thanks for the explanation Greg.... may try that out later when I can get the Rocky working again!

    I tried removing the bottom burrs for cleaning but the screws seem to be in pretty tight.... not helped by the fact that I have the wedge the burrs from rotating at the same time. Would you happen to know which way do the screws turn to remove them or an easier way to remove the bottom burr? Thanks.

    Leave a comment:


  • GregWormald
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Hi Tim,
    Im not really surprised you havent heard of the surgical rubber mod--I think I invented it! )
    Pics will be hard cause Id have to disassemble Rocky to take them and Im lazy.
    Word pic: When I take the bean hopper off and look at where the top burr carrier screws into the main body, there is a gap of about 1/4 inch between the two (when my grinder is set for espresso).
    This is where I put the strand of surgical tube--it gets squashed between the burr carrier and the body, and sits above the threaded part of the carrier.
    I put some nylon string through the rubber and tied the whole thing in a circle around the carrier.
    Greg



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  • griffster
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    Hi Greg,

    Thanks for the assistance. I also thought that I must have reassembled wrongly so Ive tried reassembling it 3 times with no success. The next step I was going to try was to remove both top & bottom burrs fully and clean everything properly before reassembling to see if that makes a difference.

    The first time I cleaned the Rocky (a few weeks back) I did the teflon tape mod. I havent heard anything about a mod using surgical rubber tubing and am having trouble picturing it. Would it be possible to get a better description or a picture if you have the time?

    Thanks again,
    Tim

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  • GregWormald
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Rocky burrs

    I reckon something has gone amiss in the reassemble. I suggest you take it apart to the same level as last time, give it another clean, and then put it back together again.

    When you do that I also suggest you pad the threads of the upper carrier with plumbers teflon tape to eliminate any play. If you feel ambitious Id also put a layer of surgical rubber tubing at the top of the threads to provide a spring that pushes the carrier up evenly all around. It can be tied on to the carrier by threading the tubing with a bit of wire or strong string.

    When I did these two mods to my Rocky the grinds were much more even and I could actually taste the improvement in the coffee.

    Greg

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