Modding a Turbo oven: busted bolt - anyone have a spare?

[Tex]

This is from a Galloping Gourmet turbo oven. It's one of three for the fan shroud. I've tried Fastenal & McMaster-Carr and struck out. I could just use a piece of 8/32 threaded rod and some nuts, but thought I'd try here first.  If someone has an extra maybe we can come to an arrangement?

BTW: This is why I used to never let someone else work on my stuff! It's just that the tremors make it difficult to manage sometimes. Anyone want a fairly worthless son-in-law - cheap?

[ButtWhiskers]

I'll take a look, I think I have a GG carcass I can cannibalize.

[Tex]

I'll take a look, I think I have a GG carcass I can cannibalize.

 

[Tex]

So, while I look for a replacement for a busted stud, here's what I've done so far. Disassembling the Galloping Gourmet oven top is simple; remove the fan shroud screws, and then the screws shown in the picture.

Once everything is loose, lift the glass ring and remove the 2 leads to the tstat. The glass ring is now free; remove it carefully and set aside. Remove the tstat and toss. Likewise remove the microswitch for the handle and toss. Now splice the 2 leads to the tstat, then splice the 2 leads to the microswitch. I left the timer switch as a safety device, in case I'm ever stupid enough to walk away and leave it turned on!

Reassemble, being careful not to bust the long hex studs as I did!

What you now have is a turbo oven top with no switches or thermostats - it's wired directly. I plan to run mine through either a router speed control or a variac.

[peter]

Please, oh please, send me the T-stat!

For that busted part, I don't recall exactly where I've seen them, but at better hardware stores in the specialty hardware drawers, they have pieces of hex material an inch or two long that are hollow w/ threads on the inside.  I know the pieces you are referring to, there's three of them right?  I think the hardware I'm picturing would work perfect for your fix.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

my t stat just stays on full hot setting and I use the handle to manually control the roast profile...  I did separate the an and heat so the fan stays on when I lift the handle or when the PID turns the heat off

[Tex]

my t stat just stays on full hot setting and I use the handle to manually control the roast profile...  I did separate the an and heat so the fan stays on when I lift the handle or when the PID turns the heat off

Even with the handle down and the power fully on, I was getting erratic roast profiles. The hope is that by using the router speed control and a direct wired heating element, I can smooth those out.

I'm looking for a profile that coasts at 300° to dry the beans and reduces the heat just before 1st crack. I'll be using a more aggressive profile to 300°, then a less vertical approach to 400°. I just couldn't get the control of the element that I wanted with the stock setup. Maybe if I'd practiced more?

What I really need is the much-fabled milowidget, but fairy tales don't get the beans roasted.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

my t stat just stays on full hot setting and I use the handle to manually control the roast profile...  I did separate the an and heat so the fan stays on when I lift the handle or when the PID turns the heat off

Even with the handle down and the power fully on, I was getting erratic roast profiles. The hope is that by using the router speed control and a direct wired heating element, I can smooth those out.

I'm looking for a profile that coasts at 300° to dry the beans and reduces the heat just before 1st crack. I'll be using a more aggressive profile to 300°, then a less vertical approach to 400°. I just couldn't get the control of the element that I wanted with the stock setup. Maybe if I'd practiced more?

What I really need is the much-fabled milowidget, but fairy tales don't get the beans roasted.

LOL.. that's mean

maybe I just got a gooder t-stat.. I dump at 400 it drops to around 200ish (depending on bean) then at 270 around 3:00min I cut the heat till it peaks and drops a degree or two.. heat back on, hits 300 around 6:00 min 350 around 8 min, heat off again till it peaks and drops a degree or two (usually 360ish) heat on again.. 375 around 10:00min dance the handle after 1st crack to slow down the climb.. throw it in the bean cooler at your favorite stopping point..

[Tex]

my t stat just stays on full hot setting and I use the handle to manually control the roast profile...  I did separate the an and heat so the fan stays on when I lift the handle or when the PID turns the heat off

Even with the handle down and the power fully on, I was getting erratic roast profiles. The hope is that by using the router speed control and a direct wired heating element, I can smooth those out.

I'm looking for a profile that coasts at 300° to dry the beans and reduces the heat just before 1st crack. I'll be using a more aggressive profile to 300°, then a less vertical approach to 400°. I just couldn't get the control of the element that I wanted with the stock setup. Maybe if I'd practiced more?

What I really need is the much-fabled milowidget, but fairy tales don't get the beans roasted.

LOL.. that's mean

maybe I just got a gooder t-stat.. I dump at 400 it drops to around 200ish (depending on bean) then at 270 around 3:00min I cut the heat till it peaks and drops a degree or two.. heat back on, hits 300 around 6:00 min 350 around 8 min, heat off again till it peaks and drops a degree or two (usually 360ish) heat on again.. 375 around 10:00min dance the handle after 1st crack to slow down the climb.. throw it in the bean cooler at your favorite stopping point..

Somewhere around here I still have a turbo oven with connections for multiple PID's.

1) When set at 325° it would let me dry the beans for however long I wanted, then I'd flip a switch and go to the next controller.
2) When set at 400° it would cut the power back and let the bean heat take over, until 1st crack is finished, then I flip a toggle switch and finish the roast.

The others could be set to hold temps at any point. The problem with this setup is the operator - get distracted just a bit and you've pooched the roast.

To me it's all about smoothing out the roast profile to get an even distribution of heat. I thought the turbo oven was doing that until I put the probes in and logged the data. Once I get the modded TO done I'll see if it helps.

[peter]

The others could be set to hold temps at any point. The problem with this setup is the operator - get distracted just a bit and you've pooched the roast.

In an earlier post you surmised it could just be a matter of being better acquainted with your roaster.  Knowing how to anticipate the profile settings is the key.

Imagine using two of these, unmodded, simultaneously.  It gets tricky, but once you know the roasters (be the roasters) it gets automatic.

[milowebailey]

What I really need is the much-fabled milowidget, but fairy tales don't get the beans roasted.

Careful or you may be the last one to get one!

[Tex]

The others could be set to hold temps at any point. The problem with this setup is the operator - get distracted just a bit and you've pooched the roast.

In an earlier post you surmised it could just be a matter of being better acquainted with your roaster.  Knowing how to anticipate the profile settings is the key.

Imagine using two of these, unmodded, simultaneously.  It gets tricky, but once you know the roasters (be the roasters) it gets automatic.

I appreciate what you're saying Peter, really I do. What I'm hoping for is a mod that will do for the UFO/CO what the Tex mods did for the Gaggia; make it simpler for the noob to get started by eliminating as many variables as possible.

It may be that removing the tstat & switches gains me nothing, we'll see won't we? But it's worth a try and it costs me nothing - my favorite kind of mod.

[Tex]

What I really need is the much-fabled milowidget, but fairy tales don't get the beans roasted.

Careful or you may be the last one to get one!

The real question is, will there be a first?

[ecc]

Somewhere around here I still have a turbo oven with connections for multiple PID's.

1) When set at 325° it would let me dry the beans for however long I wanted, then I'd flip a switch and go to the next controller.
2) When set at 400° it would cut the power back and let the bean heat take over, until 1st crack is finished, then I flip a toggle switch and finish the roast.

The others could be set to hold temps at any point. The problem with this setup is the operator - get distracted just a bit and you've pooched the roast.

...

Couldn't you automate this using a single PID with a ramp/soak feature instead of multiple PIDs?

[Tex]

Somewhere around here I still have a turbo oven with connections for multiple PID's.

1) When set at 325° it would let me dry the beans for however long I wanted, then I'd flip a switch and go to the next controller.
2) When set at 400° it would cut the power back and let the bean heat take over, until 1st crack is finished, then I flip a toggle switch and finish the roast.

The others could be set to hold temps at any point. The problem with this setup is the operator - get distracted just a bit and you've pooched the roast.

...

Couldn't you automate this using a single PID with a ramp/soak feature instead of multiple PIDs?

It's doable, but multiple setpoints which have to be held for varying periods would be problematic for the cheap controllers I favor.