Accessories Old Mate Designs

[LesPlenty]

Would mineral oil work?

Yep, I was just thinking of what most people might have on hand. That said, it should not be a problem for any new buyers (I have the OG) as the redesigned post has pretty well fixed the problem so I have found out.

but I need a fine plate

The grind of the OM seems slightly finer than a medium grind Large BCG.
Ben is also going to offer a full ceramic bearing if you want one, the benefits I have found with full ceramic,
1. You can soak the whole grinder in ISO to clean it without removing the bearing as the ceramic bearing has no lube.
2. To make removing the top grind plate a one-handed job while the grinder is sitting on your vape bench.
3. Longer spin times.
Edit, Ben has acknowledged the issue and has more ideas to completely eliminate the wear by making the post from PEEK and even suggested a special bearing that has the pros of ceramics without the hardness that we original owners could swap to also fix the problem.
From Ben,
Maybe pressing in a post of a different material will 100% eliminate this issue.
We machine peek for a lot of high demanding applications and it's quite awesome stuff! I know it would work well because its self lubricating and i have used it as a dry slide for a nickel plated aluminium bush to run it. It blew my mind how well it worked.
This is what im thinking.

Also guys, they make PEEK bearings. (that's how good the stuff is)

PEEK BEARING

This could be offered as a retrofit if you guys have any concerns with your current aroma-3?

 

[Tincandtoke]

Are we over thinking it....

 

[LesPlenty]

Are we over thinking it....

I could not go back to scissors or finger pulling apart as I did for decades while blazing.
The OM grind size seems about perfect for most vapes, consistent and fluffy which I would rarely get using scissors.

 

[Tincandtoke]

Its the accuracy I worry about

 

[LesPlenty]

I need to iso wash a heap of mason jars so I thought I may as well use the iso in a water bath in my ultrasonic cleaner to clean my OM first. I did it in a way to show how peeps with a standard bearing can do the job as the iso level did not reach the bearing,

And then the bottom plate with the post out of the iso even though I q-tipped it clean first,

The grinder was still free-spinning but the build-up on the teeth was making starting the grind harder as the teeth were 'dull' due to the coating. This happens with all grinders to be fair, not just an OM thing.

 

[LesPlenty]

My cheap bastard equivalent to the above PEEK (but still PEEK) bearing is now on order to try...for less than the price of a beer, why not!

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32833334751.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.503918026AHakI

The site guff about PEEK,
PEEK is a special performance of special engineering plastics, compared with other special engineering plastics have more significant advantages, resistance to high temperature 260 degrees, excellent mechanical properties, good self-lubricating, chemical resistance, flame retardant, peel resistance , Wear resistance, impatience strong nitric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, anti-radiation, superior mechanical properties can be used for high-end machinery, nuclear engineering and aviation technology.

 

[Planck]

Machining my first batch of Titanium 6al4v Aroma-3 Herb Grinders PART 1​

 

[LesPlenty]

Someone said the dishwasher was great for maintaining their OMD, I think it does a shit job myself.
Before,

After the dishwasher,

I also tried just water in the ultrasonic cleaner at 70C/160f for 30 minutes, quite a bit better but still needed iso for that 'new' look. I will also add here that my ABC 9 higher grade full ceramic bearing is only spinning for just over 50 seconds even after the deep clean so it looks like the slightly cheaper version I first ordered is better in this job!
This one for now but Ben is getting some custom made PEEK that would be even better,

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001305143660.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.29.77231802NYdegJ

 

[McScruffy]

While I'm not necessarily advocating the dishwasher it could be down to the detergent you used vs the others. Dishwasher detergent contains abrasives and some more than others which is why glasses can get scratched up and polished stainless pots and pans like All Clad D3 are dishwasher safe but not recommended because it will remove the polish and make it more dull matte.

The right detergent should break it down but likely will affect the outside finish to some degree and make the teeth less sharp over time.

I got one of the titanium ones and looking forward to it, but I'm sticking with ISO ultrasonic baths myself.

 

[Baron23]

Hi @MCH, et al - bit late to the party but I did just read the thread and looked at the vids (well, reasonably short one haha).

Looks like a very nice design evolution. I have been using a BCG since they came out and I'm also partial to Cannabis Hardware band version of their fine grinder.

But I'm a bit confused as to the current design wrt to the bearing.

My first thoughts early on when reading the thread were:

1) is that bearing sealed? If not, then is not powder from the botanicals getting in there and gunking it up a concern?
2) is the bearing easily removable so the rest of the grinder can be plopped into a bath of ISO....maybe in a US cleaner?

Then I saw the version with the circlip and thought this was wonderful (and yeah, you need a tool....Harbor Freight for $5 and there must be a similar type company in AUS, right?

THEN (haha), I saw vids/pics of later iterations and no circlip.

AND THEN (LOL), I saw on his site the bearing puller which was just 20 each prototype and is now sold out and I presume that's that.

- So, how is the bearing retained in the current version?

- Which goes to how to get the dang thing out for replacement (bearings do wear but...maybe not much in this application) or cleaning (and no, I dump my stuff in ISO and will not sit there with a qtip trying to clean it. If an item can't take that cleaning routine, it not for the Baron household. I'm rough on equipment! haha​

​

I guess that's really it. I very much like the scalloped design as grip is an issue with turning a grinder full of very sticky legal med weed here in Maryland. And I don't mind magnets holding it all together but I must say that when it gets a bit dirty even my BCG is hard to get open on occassion. @momofthegoons have you gotten down with the magnet in the top yet or still frustrating.

Best of luck to MCH and their grinder initiative. Looks like really nice machining work.

Cheers

​

 

[LesPlenty]

1) is that bearing sealed? If not, then is not powder from the botanicals getting in there and gunking it up a concern?
2) is the bearing easily removable so the rest of the grinder can be plopped into a bath of ISO....maybe in a US cleaner?

The bearings offered are sealed, just some ceramic versions don't have seals as they do not have lube so the whole unit can be submerged in iso. Ben is also offering a PEEK bearing that can also be chucked in iso and these will be available with the dust seals.
The bearing is easy to remove/replace with caveman-type tools if needed, a drift, hammer, and a couple of lumps of wood are all that is needed.

it could be down to the detergent you used

The detergent works fine on all my other pots/pans/etc.
I only tried it facing up on the top shelf where more delicate items are meant to be washed, I will place it face down on the bottom shelf next time and see if better.
Pretty sure Ben dropped the circlip retained bearing for interference fit again as it looks much neater.
The teeth on the OND are so much sharper than any aluminium grinder I that I have actually drawn blood and needed band-aids twice now (I suppose you do not see many aluminium knives )
It sliced thru these tight mids like butter,

 

[momofthegoons]

I guess that's really it. I very much like the scalloped design as grip is an issue with turning a grinder full of very sticky legal med weed here in Maryland. And I don't mind magnets holding it all together but I must say that when it gets a bit dirty even my BCG is hard to get open on occassion. @momofthegoons have you gotten down with the magnet in the top yet or still frustrating.

There's no doubt that it grinds well. I've 'mastered' the magnets after using it a while. But for me, the heaviness of the grinder and the strength of the magnets is a bit much. I find the 'mating' of top and bottom to be a bit clumsy because of it. My go to grinder is still my BCG.

 

[Baron23]

The bearings offered are sealed, just some ceramic versions don't have seals as they do not have lube so the whole unit can be submerged in iso.

But as I look at his site, I don't see ceramic bearings as an option....options shown for bearings are color or NTN, right?

Ben is also offering a PEEK bearing that can also be chucked in iso and these will be available with the dust seals.

Again, I don't see this ^^ offered on his site???

The bearing is easy to remove/replace with caveman-type tools if needed, a drift, hammer, and a couple of lumps of wood are all that is needed.

Aaaaah, my view and my view only, if the device is going to have a bearing, then a very easy way to pull, replace, and insert it should be part of the design which I don't see at the moment. Just me I guess but I liked the circlip design best for this aspect of the grinder.

Now, it may be that these sealed bearings will remain fine and functional after a couple of years of use and trichomes and plant material dust gets into everything. And maybe I can drop the top with the sealed bearing into ISO to soak without any detriment...but again, I don't see this as being clearly established by the manufacture though it may just be me being a bit more dense than usual. But the bearing remains a bit of a concern to me.


Cheers

 

[LesPlenty]

But as I look at his site, I don't see ceramic bearings as an option....options shown for bearings are color or NTN, right?

Ben is still in the process of sourcing/stocking bearings. He could also make you the bearing puller if you asked for it ($5 extra currently out of stock) if wood and drifts are not your thing. Ben welcomes any direct messages for input/questions and will bend over backward to help with any inquiry.
He would make the Circlip version too if you really wanted it as part of a steampunk design.

Bearing fitted open side up for easy cleaning,

 

[Baron23]

Ben is still in the process of sourcing/stocking bearings. He could also make you the bearing puller if you asked for it ($5 extra currently out of stock) if wood and drifts are not your thing. Ben welcomes any direct messages for input/questions and will bend over backward to help with any inquiry.
He would make the Circlip version too if you really wanted it as part of a steampunk design.

Bearing fitted open side up for easy cleaning,

Hi Les - let me first say that I'm certainly not bashing Ben, his company, or his grinder. I do understand that this is still in development to a large extent. And I do very much appreciate vendors who engage the community in this type of discussion during development. But with that also comes honest feedback which is hopefully accepted as such and not just bashing criticism.

My concern is still the bearing....no matter what kind of bearing he chooses to use. I'm not saying this is an unsolvable problem or a killer of this product. But it does not seem to be solved and settled at this time.

Its not so much what "I" would want. Its not whether "I" would want him to make/sell a bearing puller or a circlip type design. But rather I presume that he wants to sell a number of thousands of these to end users who have a wide variety of expectations wrt to maintainability and a wide variety of maintenance capabilities and tools at hand. And IMO, for this Ben needs a shrink wrapped design that works for the majority of people.

Wrt to the bearing, I sort of see it this way.

1. Is the bearing sealed sufficient that botanical residue will not gunk it up after years of use. Years...of use, right?

a. If so, that's good and there should be no need to have an easy way to pull/replace the bearing.​

​

b. If not, then the design def has to allow the end user to easily replace this bearing (along with any sort of puller that's needed) and no rely on the end user having a tool box.​

2. Is the bearing able to be soaked in ISO for cleaning?

a. If so, that's good and there should be no need to have an easy way to pull/replace the bearing.​

​

b. If not, then the design def has to allow the end user to easily replace this bearing (along with any sort of puller that's needed) and no rely on the end user having a tool box.​

​

​

Its not really a matter of what I want so much as just giving some feedback from just one potential user (me). Others may view this quite differently.

But it is my opinion that to be successful with this grinder, Ben needs to finalize a design that addresses these concerns wrt to the bearing and reflect that design clearly on his website.

Just my view and I do wish Ben the best of luck with this very interesting design.

Cheers

 

[LesPlenty]

2. Is the bearing able to be soaked in ISO for cleaning?

This is possible with the PEEK or full ceramic bearing if you choose one of those options...that is one of the reasons he will offer them.
Edit, The bearing size in the OMD is the same as skateboard wheels use so many people will have bearing pullers and many bearings to play/toy with.

 

[LesPlenty]

I just received my latest Ali PEEK bearing that spins for 2:21, no tools are required to swap except something to poke it out (and a piece of cardboard over the teeth for safety when you do it),

Again, skateboard size...608,

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32833334751.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.28.77231802JyDSUi

Not as easy to install/remove the top plate as the full ceramic but may get easier with wear(on the PEEK) and not sure about the looser press fit but will advise after a bit of use.

 

[LesPlenty]

A new bearing swap tool has been developed to make life easier,

Bearing Press/Puller

This tool makes for an easy job to remove and install bearings. How to use this tool: https://youtu.be/jh3rPL7GP6o Installation animation: https://oldmatedesigns.com/pages/videos#using-bearing-tool-installation Uninstallation animation...

oldmatedesigns.com