Part of the charm of the hand grinder is the zen quality of the ritual and peaceful activity of preparing your beans yourself. I really enjoy that. I would also like to have the option of speeding things up when making multiple shots for friends.

Anyway, the gear for the Kyocera has five points as opposed to the American standard six (hex). I tried finding a socket with five points so I could hook it up to a small drill or electric screwdriver, to no avail.

Anyone had any luck with motorizing the Kyocera?

Thanks in advance,
Pete

It would seem that some people tend to use the 5 sided fitting and an electric drill, to actually grind coffee. I've not tried it my self on my porlex but might consider (especially) when shooting in the grinder.

It's demonstrated here:


But it kind of defeats the purpose, as one of the reasons for me to use the porlex handgrinder is that it is quiet compared to my loud-as-a-fighter-jet Mazzer

The attachment on that porlex looked brassy so probably would be durable enough to use... my Hario is aluminiumy - not great for the chuck to grip.

I would say "You could but you shouldn't do it". You could connect your Kyocera with an electric drill, but please don't make it a habit. Not if you don't want to ruin the fitting/top-nut.
I did motorized my Kyocera, almost exactly like the video.
After done it for 6 months, I have changing the fitting/top-nut from a "5-sided" to a "rounded one"
It seems the nut material is made from a soft material, which couldn't stand a high torque drill
(mine is a 300 rpm drill)

But if you want to give it a try, please use a low RPM drill and use a matching coupling nut for the 5-sided fitting.

dumpshot wrote:... I would also like to have the option of speeding things up when making multiple shots for friends. ...

I suspect that the burr size is the speed limiting factor, not the fact that you're turning the handle manually. Motorizing the Kyocera would be like trying to speed up a greyhound by putting a fan on its tail.

kschendel wrote:I suspect that the burr size is the speed limiting factor, not the fact that you're turning the handle manually. Motorizing the Kyocera would be like trying to speed up a greyhound by putting a fan on its tail.

RE: burr size to grinding speed.

Normally, this is good rule of thumb. The Kyocera uses a ceramic burr that acts like more of a grinding stone than a cutting surface. It is freakishly slow and requires several turns to finish a grind. I dreamed of having a small electric screw driver to power mine many a' time. When it comes to hand grinders, I think grinding speed (turns/grams) is mainly dependent on the cut of the burr.

Maybe OE can chime in here as they are the resident hand grinder gurus.

cheers,
~j

I motorised a KYM with a drill and the grinding speed was greatly improved...

Sorry i haven't responded to all the helpful replies since posting my original question. Been away from HB for awhile with work and family and such.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone. Honestly, it seems like the Kyocera isn't really made to handle the torque that a drill would be putting on the spindle, at least not on an everyday basis. However, it would be nice to have the option, since I don't have Popeye forearms (yet!).

So, I would still like to give it a whirl (pun intended!).

I still want to get a snug fitting socket that has five points (hexagonally shaped). I haven't found one. Does anyone know where I can source something like this or have another option that would work with a drill?

Thanks,
Pete

I would recommend searching for the term "pentagon socket" or "5 point socket". They do exist for certain security applications, but they're not cheap and I'm not sure of the sizing.

I had thought about this in the past and also thought about using one of those socket heads with all the pins in them that are supposed to fit any nut, no matter how damaged. Also similarly expensive.

You might also want to check out the search term "hydrant wrench" for sockets with thumbscrews designed to fit multiple sized nuts but they'd probably be way too large. I think you'll have a hard time finding a 5 point socket small enough to fit.

Still, you want to be careful, maybe only use a slower electric screwdriver, because I've heard reports of some people rounding out the shaft of their Kyocera with just the standard handle. I went through one handle already, but the shaft still looks in good shape.

Thanks Chris,

I will see if I can find something that isn't too expensive and fits correctly. Thanks for picking up on my mistake - it is pentagonal, not hexagonal. I'll post results.

Pete