"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Saturday, 18 June 2011

Refurbishing an ugly duckling into a swan

I have been looking for a coffee grinder to use as a herb grinder - for ages.


A couple of weeks ago I saw this:
I wasn't particularly impressed, because it didn't look in such great condition, but, beggars can't be choosers :-)  It had this weird pattern on it...
And it looked pretty rusty...
But the grinding receptacle / drawer looked OK...
... and my on-line bid won it on the auction...


So, when it arrived I set to work - well, with the help of RMan.


The painted pattern came off quite easily, but they had put a chalky white layer below the pattern - that took forever to remove (and that's where RMan's help came in.)  60 grit sandpaper - and it still took about an hour to clean off. RMan said it was a bit of a grind... LOL


The grinding mechanism was stripped out and wire brushed - there was even old dried ground coffee in the grinding cogs.


Then we sanded with a finer sandpaper, and gave it a coat of food-friendly wood preservative.


What am I left with...


... an absolute beauty :-)
The collection bowl is polished bright and sparkling on the outside - I didn't want to contaminate the inside of the bowl with wood ash, so I gave that a good wipe and just a whisper of olive oil...
... the grinder works perfectly, thanks to a grinding adjuster (it's visible on the first photo - it's the nifty little lever thingy below the grinding handle which slots into a tooth on the tensioner according to how fine / coarse you want to grind things ...
Here is a view of how finely it ground coriander seeds...
Don't you just love it :-)


The ugly duckling became a swan - and all it took was about 2 hours of TLC.  It just shows you - if one can see the potential in an ugly duckling, then the results are limitless...


One for coffee and one for herbs - now I'm all set!


And best of all it's re-using something which is in perfect working order.  In place of buying the latest electrical appliance which will needlessly drain our (currently) limited power I have something which will allow me hours and hours of quiet contemplation whilst I work...


I can't wait to try it on my dried home grown herbs.
Posted by Dani at 14:22:00
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17 comments:

  1. Jane @ Hard Work Homestead18 June 2011 at 15:29

    I love it! It came out so nice.

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  2. Dani18 June 2011 at 15:36

    Jane - LOL - thanks - I think so too :-)

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  3. African Bliss18 June 2011 at 16:19

    Its a beaut! well done..

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  4. Dani18 June 2011 at 16:59

    African Bliss - Thanks :-)

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  5. Mr. H.18 June 2011 at 17:34

    It is beautiful, what a transformation....good job.:)

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  6. Dani18 June 2011 at 18:08

    Mr H - Thanks - I am totally happy with it :-)

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  7. Anonymous18 June 2011 at 19:07

    Nice job!! That looks very much like a Zassenhaus. The only thing that would harm the burrs is a small stone. I carry one of these grinders when I travel so that I can make perfect coffee.

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  8. Dani18 June 2011 at 19:19

    Fallerya - Welcome :-)

    Ah now, a Zassenhaus is the creme de la creme of grinders - maybe I'll own one in my next life... LOL

    I will always check the spices for small stones - thanks for the tip.

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  9. Gillie@LivingSimpleFrugalityBlog18 June 2011 at 23:40

    Wow- That looks great!! I have an old second hand cabinet in my bathroom that needs some love- you have reminded me and provided me with some much needed motivation!!

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  10. Barb.19 June 2011 at 01:11

    That's lovely. I bought a plastic one from the op-shop that works but would love one like that. Not sure I would have seen the potential though...

    Barb.

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  11. Tami19 June 2011 at 02:43

    The transformation is amazing! I would never have thought it was the same grinder. Good Job!

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  12. Dani19 June 2011 at 08:14

    Gillie - Thanks - and very glad to have been of inspiration LOL

    Barb - Keep you eye out on the site I gave you - you may find another one on offer...

    Tami - Thanks - promise you, it is :-)

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  13. wickets19 June 2011 at 15:12

    effing stunning You should send pic to seller!!! hahahahaha

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  14. Dani19 June 2011 at 16:40

    wickets - LOL reckon you should be called wicked.

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  15. Anonymous19 June 2011 at 18:50

    Lovely! That is a great transformation. Job well done! Emily

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  16. RobynLouise20 June 2011 at 00:32

    You and Rman did a brilliant job on 'restoring' this! Wishing you many hours of contemplative grinding as a reward for your labours :).

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  17. Dani20 June 2011 at 06:48

    Emilysincerely - Thanks and thanks LOL

    Stitchin' Time - Welcome. You're right - RMan was a g-r-e-a-t help! :-)

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

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