# Iberital MC2 Grind Adjustment Mod - In progress



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

So I have an excessive amount of free time at the moment and I decided to mod my MC2 to allow for faster grind adjustment. I went through a couple of ideas before setting on this one, previous attempts had not felt secure enough as there is quite a lot of force to deal with. Its still in progress but it works a treat already, below is what I have done so far.

this is the modified top I made, its not totally necessary for this mod, but meant I didn't have to butcher my existing top if I want to go back. (and yes it looks like a miniature toilet seat )



















I then secured a metal shaft across the top of the beans inlet hole










And made corresponding slits in the hopper (My grandmother dropped this on the floor and snapped it clean in two the other day, which is why its a bit of a state)










...continued in next post due to image limitation


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

This shows the worm drive in its 'locked position'










And then this shows it pivoted away, allowing the top burr to spin freely










Here is a video of it in action, sorry for the quality and angles, it was a bit of under-chin filming with my phone I'll get a better vid when the project is complete.






It still needs a bit of modifying, the hole that the hopper fits through needs a tiny bit more clearance, and I am going to make a nub that lifts the locking bolt and spring it below so it feels a little nicer to use. I am also going to stain it a dark oak and varnish it, and possibly make a matching bottom.

I am fairly confident that the worm drive wont slip or come loose, but it goes without saying that if it does my grinder will eat its own teeth, so consider that fair warning to anyone who wants to do the same.

This can be done by just removing the left bolt ont he worm drive and nothing more, the worm drive will hold relatively steady even when grinding. Once the worm drive pivots you can replace the top and just turn the hopper to make the adjustment, without the metal shaft i fitted it wont be terribly accurate and the vibration of the grinder can move the hopper, and I would suggest always holding the worm drive steady when grinding if you have no securing bolt.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

im clearly missing something here.. but why did this need a modified top?

surely this would work just the same with the standard lid?

I guess the really hardcore route, would be to get a collar like on the mazzer with a locking pin, so that this can be done without applying huge forces to the hopper itself. Must be a way to physically attach a nice solid rotating collar like the super jolly etc.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

You are basically correct. The real reason for the modified top was because I had started off with a cog system driven from the front, that I didn't trust not to break when grinding, the top was made for this originally.

However even with this system, the locking bolt sits much nicer here on a flat wooden top than it would have on the plastic top, and it is always useful to have the original plastic top in one piece. Plus I like wood ^_^


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

yeah i hear ya.. this shows what potential there is with this grinder.

I think you're on the right path. A nice close fitting wooden top, with a larger collar around the base of the hopper. (you could just have the hopper sit into the collar and have the collar be the part that sits into the top burr). Then you could use the area on the wood to mark off the areas for specific grinds.

it could work very well. If you could get a hold of someone in fabrication, turning a collar for this on a lathe would be dead easy. with a shaft that sits on top of the bur an hits your metal bar, and then a large disc section to allow hand turning.

That said, i'm lazy... i'd probably just buy a mazzer lol. If i wanted to make a mod to the MC2 it would be vastly improving the grinds chute to avoid the massive retention. Whatever fool thoght that putting a flat area behind a dosing chute was a good idea, should be shot. Theres no reason they couldnt have made a nice smooth path from burr to portafilter.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Yup, I had the exact same thought about a collar. I searched for piping but it doesn't come that thin when its that wide, and I don't have anyone I know in fabrication.

My thought on the MC2's worm drive and retention are that it was always intended as a commercial machine, for a coffee shop that only grinds one setting and uses it enough that the grind retention becomes a minor problem. It was never intended to grind once then need to be cleaned.

Dont get me wrong, its still a stupid problem with an easy fix, but I do kind of get their thinking. Every time I grind I remove all the beans, tap out the chute, give it a quick on-off spin to free the grinds that are still under the burrs and then tap it again, its far from ideal.

edit: hmmm, you have got me thinking a bit, It may be possible to fabricate something similar to what your thinking of but with less of a collar. I'm thinking two flat bolt that lock onto the metal shaft, and rise up to lock into a collar that holds the hopper and can be used for grind adjustment...


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

yeah see i cant be bothered with all that. I just grind for a few seconds each time and throw it away. Then grind fresh.

It seems wasteful, but it takes much less time than hoovering out chutes etc!!

i think it'd be easier if the plastic chute wasnt actually there!


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

The plastic chute comes off really easily (the clear bit) , just pop the top off, lift and wiggle. But i should note it does like to throw grinds out of the burrs at quite a pace every now and then, so the cute does have its purpose


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

i think something on a hinge perhaps? that directs grinds downwards into your PF, but lifts up for proper cleaning of stale grinds


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Hmm, I may have a think about it. I wanted to cut off the top of it so it was more of a 'slide' but noticed some of the grinds being too forcibly ejected.

Oh and also, if you have never taken off your top burr I would give it a go. I was amazed at the amount of grind that had clearly been there for months the first time I did it. Just mark off your current setting by scratching a mark int he plastic and count the turns it takes to remove it (so you can replace in the same position).


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

so the next pimp my ride mod... is an electronically programmed motor.. attached to the worm drive









it remembers how many rotations for a particular grind

will make an MC2 as big as your kitchen mind you... but my goodness it would be convenient









i think i'll go home and attach a power screwdriver to the worm drive


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Haha, our mind are a bit too much a like you know. That was exactly my first thought of how to do this, my mind got carried away with thoughts of mounting a motor with a little electrical system to count rotations... then I realised it would take me forever... and I would probably fail... so I went with a simpler approach.

It would take quite a heavy motor to drive the worm drive as well, its not an easy turn.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

i agree.... and the rotational forces applied at speed, to the MC2 would likely break it!


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## mompt (Oct 25, 2012)

For me the most difficult part with changing the grind on the MC2 was that there was no reference of how far you've adjusted it. What I found easiest was just to remove the lid and mark numbers corresponding to the teeth on the cog wheel. Then using a mark the front of the coffee grinder body as reference, I was able to adjust between filter and espresso in a matter of 5-10 seconds. No need to inaccurately count turns and then winding up massively off. All I had to do is make sure that I end up back at the same mark as before. Looks ugly though.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

the problem is (and you may not have noticed) when grinding, the hopper frequently rotates with the vibration. Making any reference point, absolutely meaningless. what would be better, would be a small window on the front, with markings on that large cog inside to see where you're at with it.


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

D_Evans said:


> Hmm, I may have a think about it. I wanted to cut off the top of it so it was more of a 'slide' but noticed some of the grinds being too forcibly ejected.


I did cut the top off the chute thinking that it would then be real easy to clean out the grind chamber, easy to clean but grinds fly all over the place so I had to gaffer tape the cut piece back on until I could source a new chute.

Ian


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Yup, I was lucky i noticed this before I cut the chute ^_^

Shrink - I am now seriously considering fitting a meccano chain drive system to the worm drive with a high torque motor at the bottom of the machine, 3 way switch for forwards/backwards/off.

A motorised adjustment would be so purdy 0_0

Anyone know anything about torque and newtons, a 60rpm motor is rated at 30N*cm but that means zilch to me!


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## Jez W (Jul 2, 2012)

Does the wooden top have any marked effect on the grinder noise? After sorting out Grind Retention, reducing the noise would be my next mod!


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I hadn't noticed a marked difference, but I will try them both later on. I had read that the hopper amplifies the noise a fair bit, and you can hear this if you just put beans in neck and place your hand over it whilst it grinds.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

the answer would be to line the grinder with dynamat, like they use in cars. That would add weight, deadening and sound reduction properties to the MC2.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I read this incredibly anti-climatic article about doing such a thing where he said it made little to no difference. I think the vast majority of the noise comes from the burrs, and as they are exposed at the mouth of the grinder dampening the walls makes little difference. My wood top also makes no difference btw Jez, i just checked.

Article - http://www.jpvaughan.ie/?p=86

Try placing you hand or knuckles over the beans as they grind, this makes a marked difference in noise, and about as good as you will get I reckon. So I think the best solution is a kind of in-hopper bean bag to place on the beans...


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## bazschmaz (Sep 2, 2013)

Balls.

Thanks for posting this before I spent money on matting. I will try the bean bag in the top of the hopper over the beans. Perhaps filled with some much denser dry foodstuff with some of those sachets of drying agents you get in things.

I'll post the results.

I know a girl with a sewing machine.


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