# remember to check your burrs - even brand new ones...



## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

These are made by Compak, brand new burrsets. I guess we can all agree this is far from perfection:



















It's stupid but I would advise anyone to check their burrsets in brand new grinders as well, you never know if the factory haven't fitted one of their "good enough" burrsets insides. Shame on Compak...

T.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Always disappointing when a brand new item arrives damaged!


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Quality control


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

I will never understand why burr manufacturers don't seem to give a crap about the quality of their products. Coffee grinding mostly boils down to burrs, so why go through the trouble of machining a burr precisely only to cock it up in the post production phases? It seems like there's a massive misundestanding or simply not carring in the industry, otherwise stuff like this wouldn't happen on two different burrsets.

T.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Depressing.


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## malling (Dec 8, 2014)

Mahlkonig/ditting dos seem to care more about this then their Italian competitor. I have never seen a damaged burr from these, but it's unfortunately not the case with the ones made in Italy and Spain ! But then that is to be expected, Italians or spaniards have never been renowned for their quality control.

Fortunately mine where perfect


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

Nice photography.

Macro lens?


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Tokina 100m macro on a D800 with two strobes on the sides (through tracing paper). This was a tiny crop from a pretty massive original, quite handy to have 36mpix for studio work (less than ideal for lugging around).

T.


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## themartincard (Feb 22, 2015)

It'd be interesting to see how brand new burrs vs resharps compare at this magnification.


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Haven't got any resharps to do a photo comparison.

T.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Wow! That is pretty bad! Compak after sales service is pretty good - have they replaced them.


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

I've had a third set sent over to me from the seller which looks good, I'll need to inspect then further as they are not free from dinks, but don't have any massive bits missing.

The other two will go back to Compak I think.

T.


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## ItalianBrew (Feb 15, 2016)

Blimey, it would never have occurred to me to inspect the burrs on a new grinder, appreciate the heads up on this matter, will inspect my grinder thoroughly when it arrives.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

So, I have just recieved a set of redspeed burrs, and they are a mess too! Terrible for a brand new set, especially when they cost £130.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Guess they will be going back then


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Hard to get a picture with iPhone

lots of small dinks on edges and one big one


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)




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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

The little nicks along the edges mean nothing, but the large one at the end may well affect the grind slightly.

If you worry about the little nicks, you would have to totally panic about the 3 large holes!

Someone also said earlier in the thread...why don't manufacturers care. They don't because they are used to commercial customers (who tend not to care)....not grind obsessed coffee geeks like us.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Thanks Dave

Would you send these back? The seller has very kindly offered to let me try them and make my mind up.

To be honest, the rest of my coffee production is sub par at the moment, so this might not make any difference ha


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

aaroncornish said:


> Thanks Dave
> 
> Would you send these back? The seller has very kindly offered to let me try them and make my mind up.
> 
> To be honest, the rest of my coffee production is sub par at the moment, so this might not make any difference ha


I would because of the damage at the very edge of the burr...I wouldn't if it was only nicks along the breaking edges...


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

DavecUK said:


> I would because of the damage at the very edge of the burr...I wouldn't if it was only nicks along the breaking edges...


Ditto, I'd return them based on the fact that it's got a bigger chip on the very edge. I'm 90% sure this is done in production as most of the time it looks like metal that's been ripped off with a cutter or something similar.

T.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Very frustrating how some manufacturers seem to pay so little attention to the quality of such an important part of the process.

I have changed my opinion of Compak and certainly their customer service. I have tried 4 times now to get them to explain to my how to best align the bottom burr to the top burr on my e8, and not one single reply


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## Dan430 (Apr 29, 2016)

yup my new Fiorenzato burrs set has some chip too!! and its was shipped without a box? is this common for new burrs set? no box or any form of protection against knocking/rubbing between both burrs during shipping? which may cause the chipped off sides? idk if it will affect the shots or not!! what do you guys think?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Dan430 said:


> yup my new Fiorenzato burrs set has some chip too!! and its was shipped without a box? is this common for new burrs set? no box or any form of protection against knocking/rubbing between both burrs during shipping? which may cause the chipped off sides? idk if it will affect the shots or not!! what do you guys think?


I got some burrs from France for rossi rr45 - 63mm - they were loose inside a plastic bag, banging around and damaging the surface - sent them back, next set better but still loose!!! - I then convinced myself that they were pre seasoning them for me by sending loose - fail


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## Dan430 (Apr 29, 2016)

jimbojohn55 said:


> I got some burrs from France for rossi rr45 - 63mm - they were loose inside a plastic bag, banging around and damaging the surface - sent them back, next set better but still loose!!! - I then convinced myself that they were pre seasoning them for me by sending loose - fail


haha "pre-seasoning" i like your idea!! i wonder why they do that? its just weird!! a box and something in between the burrs and some tape wouldn't cost a shot of espresso!!


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah I can't understand it myself. The cost of a minimal amount of packing to stop the 2 burrs chipping each other ( a bit of bubble wrap or a cheap box) would be better than dealing with the returns you'd think - unless it really is a handful of enthusiasts sending them back while coffee shops just apparently chuck them in with nary a care?


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Don't think the chips are done through lack of packing, it looks like mechanical damage during machining, but feel free to correct me. Dinks and knocks are from handling but so far all the chips I've seen were simply chunks of metal missing which looked like they were ripped from the burr by a rather large force.

T.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

I've sharpened the damaged edges of mine up with a fine diamond file - just a few careful strokes to each face working around them (diamond nail files work well - but don't tell the Mrs jimbojohn55)


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## Oaky (Jan 9, 2013)

Hi jimbojohn

Could you share a few more details on the file used and a photo if you have time, please?








Here is a photo of my 3 day old steel blades. Look ok but don't feel sharp when running my finger over the blades. I decided to grease up and reassemble. Caught out in the act by Mrs H "what are you doing with your new grinder" etc&#8230;

BB has kindly offered to buy in some 83mm 'red speed lucidate' coated burrs. I can share a photo of those when they arrive in about a months time.


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## @3aan (Mar 2, 2013)

Those 83 needs several kilos before the grind is 100%


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Here is the file type http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRANDED-PROFESSIONAL-DIAMOND-DEB-FOOT-CARE-SKIN-AND-NAIL-FILE-STEEL-8-YNR/330653907308?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D3ca9c6d7ec874ecdb59573b1c3aa8008%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D141905778702

- the one I used was a number of years old , but 180 grit - 240 grit (even better) - the width of a nail file makes it easier to hold the file at the correct angle. If you look closely at the angle of the cut of the teeth of the burrs you realise that they have been cut with a large circular grinding wheel and then tempered, its not possible to match the curve exactly but you can flex the file to get it pretty close.

My attempts with a diamond file were able to hone the edges, removing any rough burrs - its not for the faint of heart but it worked for me . If your brave nip down to Boots nail section!

I laughed at getting caught greasing the grinder - I got caught in the middle of a full stripdown of my rossi rr45 on the kitchen worktops - I said "I'm just cleaning it - its very important a bit like servicing your car"


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## Dan430 (Apr 29, 2016)

dsc said:


> Don't think the chips are done through lack of packing, it looks like mechanical damage during machining, but feel free to correct me. Dinks and knocks are from handling but so far all the chips I've seen were simply chunks of metal missing which looked like they were ripped from the burr by a rather large force.
> 
> T.


Metal with metal rubs and knocks during shipping. idk what will happen but when you received it loose and see some chipped off parts is not good sign too. if u received it well packed and see chipped off parts then we can confirm its the machining and QC problem. i prefer it well packed to take my mind off it comes from "mishandling".


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Oaky said:


> Hi jimbojohn
> 
> Could you share a few more details on the file used and a photo if you have time, please?
> View attachment 21916
> ...


My terrible burrs were red speed ones from compak

Hope you get lucky and get a decent pair


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Dan430 said:


> Metal with metal rubs and knocks during shipping. idk what will happen but when you received it loose and see some chipped off parts is not good sign too. if u received it well packed and see chipped off parts then we can confirm its the machining and QC problem. i prefer it well packed to take my mind off it comes from "mishandling".


Mine were pretty well packed. They were packed back to back and cling wrapped to cardboard to stop them moving


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