I have an original Pharos grinder from OE, serial number 511. It has only had a small mod done to the handle with split nuts. As time wore on, the rubber stopper kept going further and further into the funnel on the bottom. I noted a week or two ago that the funnel stem (where the stopper goes) is cracked in several places. Upon further inspection, I noted that it is very brittle, and has at least five cracks in it. I do not think it will last long, and the stopper can easily get "lost" in it if one is not careful. Questions:

With no bad intentions/harm meant/etc by saying this, just my experience, asking OE for help has gone no where in the past. I emailed them a few days ago and I have had no response. Given that the funnel is not a part to order on the website, is there an aftermarket one available? Searching the web has not been fruitful. I know several people have modded them, but most of the ones I read about call for you to send them the grinder (it is my only grinder, so this would be a small problem).

Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Here is an attempt to get a pic of the cracks.



Thanks.

If it were mine (could be, I need to look closer!) I would fix it. You could take the grinder apart and attempt a repair, or more simply, use a strong tape to repair the cracked area.

Yeah, if I am going to take the whole thing apart to glue it up, then I might as well put a new one in it and keep the old glued one for a spare, non?

Just my style... if I am going to take it apart, might as well change it out.

I suppose if I have no options, I could think about the glue.

Thanks.

You can retrofit the new style funnel by following these instructions.

Glue is not going to end well if at all. I think I may have one that is near new.

I have one. Sending PM.

PM replied to.

number9 wrote:I have an original Pharos grinder from OE, serial number 511. ... As time wore on, the rubber stopper kept going further and further into the funnel on the bottom.

I found using a slightly larger rubber stopper cured that priblem. I'm pretty sure it was this one:

RUBBER BUNG/STOPPER NO.17 (17MM X 20.5MM X 26MM) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009ZT2L4K/ ... Mxb9KPG7AN

Matt

A couple of things I think the new funnel looks like an easy retrofit and may try it myself. This thing looks transparent. Is that true? Will I be able to see if any grounds are retained in it after grinding, if so I really would like one. Thanks for sharing that info I did not know about it.

According to the instructions on retrofitting you have to widen the holes very carefully but I am thinking if I do screw up and make the hole/holes too big it's probably nothing that can't be fixed with a couple of cheap rubber or silicon O-ring grommets of the proper size, which should give quite a bit forgiveness room to wiggle things into place. I would prefer to get it right in the first place but it's nice to know that O-rings are probably a solid backup plan B.

It looks like that type of de burring tool is widely available at prices like $7.00 (home depot and other)

As for the rubber stop, the new ones are widened on one end and won't go all the way through if you push it in too far like the old ones. I used an OE skitter dot, a byproduct of punching out holes in the rubber base the pharos comes with, and epoxied one to the end of my stopper. That solved the problem once and for all. It holds well to this day as well as giving my a better grip when pulling it out. It also enables the stopper to stand erect on the table (a nice flat wide base) without rolling away.

The funnel is one of very few proprietary parts on the Pharos. it is not essential but very desirable, I would not want to do without one and it's good to see there are still options available.

I just may wind up having an extra inner funnel with outer tube on hand, but I don't know yet. Is this new one piece assembly as rigid as that solid black outer sleeve on the older pharos.

Can anyone tell me ?

Maybe I will just stick to the one I have and keep the new funnel as a spare.

As far as using glue or tape no.

Epoxy would probably work fine to repair but if it is cracking that is a sign of the plastic plastic losing it's elasticity due to age or maybe frequent exposure to acidic coffee oils this may wind up being just a patch so I think replacement is a better option. After seeing this I am going to be extra gentle inserting and removing my stopper from now on.

That stopper plug hole is a little on the thin side.

opother wrote:A couple of things I think the new funnel looks like an easy retrofit and may try it myself. This thing looks transparent. Is that true? Will I be able to see if any grounds are retained in it after grinding, if so I really would like one. Thanks for sharing that info I did not know about it. ...

You're welcome .

I have both generations of Pharoses, and I'd say that the new funnel is translucent, not transparent - the outside surface has a matte finish that makes looking inside "fuzzy," for lack of a better term. I also have to hold the grinder up so that my kitchen overhead light or my kitchen window is 'behind' the funnel to see inside well enough to see if there are a few grounds left. You can see that Mr. Garrott does the same: If one has their emptying technique down pat, then I'd say that the new funnel doesn't offer much of an advantage. For example, on my gen one Pharos, I use RDT, shake out into a small container like Mr. Garrott does in the first method he demonstrates in the above video, followed by two 'thocks' on the counter (with the stopper removed) to get the few remaining grinds, which I then sweep with an old credit card from the counter into the small container. Besides RDT, the tricks are to never shake or 'thock' with the stopper in place (unlike the video above, where thocking is done immediately after grinding - the new funnel's shape diminshes the compression of grounds against the stopper that thocking the old funnel caused), and I always 'thock' with the rubber base held in place (with tape, again simulating the new design rubber base).

In any case, if you order the new funnel, then I'd consider getting the new metal bolt covers, and perhaps the new upper hopper, which you may need for the new bolt covers anyway, depending on the age of your Pharos. Also, if you haven't done the thrust bearing mod, then I'd recommend the $1 nylon thrust washer. The washer works great with the split collar, which was installed on late production gen 1's.