Posted Wed Jul 11, 2007, 2:31pm Subject: I need to up my GQ (Geek Quotient)!
Okay, so I'm not exactly technically savvy. I'm not a dummy either - I actually have a physics degree, but didn't get much experience on the experimental/lab side of things. So I'm not so good with hardware. The problem is, I have a non-standard portafilter that I want to make bottomless, and a machine with a thermoblock that I could add a thermocouple to (someone did this as part of a PID on their identical machine)... and I have no idea how to get started.
I'm not looking for someone to walk me through everything. Typical mod threads that I've seen go over my head very quickly (no, I don't even know what a thermocouple is yet). What I want to know is, what's the best way to gain the knowledge/skills I will need in order to be able to tackle projects like this without great fear and trembling? Library books, Home Depot classes, community college, Leisure Learning, or none of the above?
As a little more background, I have replaced my computer's hard drive & RAM, refinished a couple pieces of furniture (but only with water-soluble stuff), and as for car stuff, I can check my oil and put air in the tires. Jumper cables make me nervous, because I never know which way to connect them and I think something catastrophic will happen if I get it wrong.
Jasonian Senior Member Joined: 8 Aug 2005 Posts: 3,816 Location: Lubbock, TX Expertise: Professional
Posted Wed Jul 11, 2007, 10:30pm Subject: Re: I need to up my GQ (Geek Quotient)!
Do you have a drill? If so, you're close to having everything you'll need for a bottomless portafilter.
Take your portafilter to the hardware store. Find a hole saw (it's a drill attachment) that will fit inside your portafilter (where the filterbasket would normally go).
Basically, you want to drill through the bottom of the portafilter until it falls out, leaving a hole (hence, hole saw).
A thermocouple is basically the "probe" part of a thermometer. This requires a multimeter that can read its output. Just do a google for K-type thermocouples and you should get an idea of what it is.
It's not a PID control system. It's just a way to very accurately measure temperature, though it does not control temperature.
People will tend to hook them up to the boiler to read boiler temperature, or to at least get a ball-park idea and associate a temperature reading with a result in the cup.
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