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Stuck Black Knob - 2006/01/14 18:44I have always wanted an atomic coffee maker and after years of being out biddered on ebay...my father found one in a junk shop in Geelong (Australia). The only problem is, the balck knob is stuck and I don't want to force it. Does anyone have any tips for unscrewing it?
Thanks
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honcho
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Re:Stuck Black Knob - 2006/01/15 04:26there are tons of tips here..
search..
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Mim
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Re:Stuck Black Knob - 2006/01/15 04:44I have. Maybe I am searching in the wrong area but I can not find the answers that others refer to...
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Post edited by: colin, at: 2006/01/15 14:49Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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Frederick
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Re:Stuck Black Knob - 2006/01/21 09:20One way or another you will have to force it. The aluminum has welded together. The threaded inner part that is, so fiddling with the pressure release set in the knob will do zilch.
The male threads are cast into the molded thermo-plastic knob and are prevented from rotating by two invisible šlugs. There is no bakelite contrary to popular belief.
There are some methods that you can try depending on the length of time that the Atomic has been left with the knob on. You can heat up the neck with a heat lamp, this will expand the metal. You can wrap the knob in an old towel and then secure the assembly in a cabinetmakers vise and then twist. My favorite: I jigsaw a pattern in a 1/4 inch of plywood exactly the size of the knob, tracing all of the ribbings. This piece must be sized long enough for good leverage. I use it after carefully heating the neck with a a propane torch. Don't do this if you are not technically inclined. The Atomic is clamped to a sturdy surface, the base of the boiler part is perfect. I then use the cut up plywood. Never use that wonderful demolishing tool known as vise grips. You will destroy the knob for sure. Once off, oil the damn thing, change the black seal. Make coffee. Have fun. FrEdErIcK.
Post edited by: Frederick, at: 2006/01/21 09:22Frederick Nakos is the Global authority on the Atomic Espresso Coffee maker.
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Alan
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Re:Stuck Black Knob - 2006/05/26 18:51Perhaps I was just lucky. Blissfully ignorant of the propane torch, plywood template, and other schemes I've just read about, I attacked my frozen BigBlackKnob (screwed on for over 5 years) with a pair of long-handled channel-lock pliers (NOT vise-grips). A friend held my Atomic firmly, and I used enough pressure to grasp the bakelite knob firmly without breaking it, gave it a gentle turn, and it was off. A bit of vigorous rinsing and shaking, followed by a brew cycle using white vinegar (with a bit of toothbrush action around the threads) pretty much got rid rid of the aluminum oxide build-up. Works almost as well as the day I bought it (early 70's from Thomas Cara in SF) ---- I think a new set of gaskets from Bon Trading Company will be in order. NOTE: I believe I read somewhere here that someone found Bon Trading' phone number to have been disconnected ---- not so. The phone number given her is just a bit inaccurate. From California I dialled 011 for international, followed by 61 for Australia's Country Code then 2 for Sydney area, followed by 9331-2007 for Bon itself : 011-61-2-9331-2007 (in other words, leave out that zero preceding the 2). I left a message and, lo and behold, got a voicemail reply telling me they'd be happy to help with Atomic parts and that inquiries may be faxed to 011-61-2-9371-8467.
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Frederick
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Re:Stuck Black Knob - 2006/05/28 16:27Well Alan, all is well that ends well. Give my regards to Irene! Please be altruistic enough to mention that you found out about her through these pages.
Something of note, more of it will be in my book. Irene is and always was a purist. Thomas Cara on the other hand was a distributor who also knew the inventor Signor Robbiati. Thomas suggested the brass wand going through the coffee holder. Irene NEVER bought those, so they are quite rare in Australia. As users find out in time the wet coffee serves as a pressure shield and you don't need that wand at all. In fact the knob on that piece of brass interferes with the operation of the frothing knob. To make it work, many wands have a factory done kink in them. Thomas Cara also added a pressure guage. I checked with the laws of California pertaining to pressure cookers and with the kitchen utensils association, no laws or norms exist or existed forcing manufacturers to place one on their apparatus. Thomas' son, Christopher states that his father wanted to securise the buyers....Okay. Still looks ugly and the gauge quickly fills up with fines.
While we are on the subject of design, if anybody knows the purpose of the cast in ring on the boiler surface please let the other readers know. You can find out about it here....or later, in my book....Frederick.
Last note Alan, your water dispersing screen (the plate underneath the head) needs attention also. Remove it and clean out that area. Small flat blade screwdriver, plenty of force, back and forth, back and forth, very small increments. Then change them for stainless.Frederick Nakos is the Global authority on the Atomic Espresso Coffee maker.
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