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Post by sugaralchemy on Sept 28, 2006 17:55:20 GMT -5
Well, so far I have ripped my Santhas to bits in a lot of ways. But this is a new one...
Did you know that the plastic center bearing unit can separate from the granite/metal cylinder? And quite unexpectedly.
I found out the hard way. After running the Santha, I was carrying it and... bam... it just fell out. What a mess. You are left with a granite/metal cylinder with a large hole in the center.
The good news is that after a slight sanding and cleaning of the surfaces (both the portion that fell out and the bottom of the cylinder) and good bit of 3500 psi epoxy have probably fixed the Santha to be better than new.
The epoxy used on the Santha is nowhere near as durable as the new stuff I have used, so I suspect this will hold. If not, well, this epoxy isn't expensive...
Interestingly, there has been discussion about the cylinder using epoxy that is only heat stable to something like 180° F or so. If this is really a problem, why not just melt the current epoxy and replace it with something more durable? Epoxy and/or sillicone can be had that will tolerate a lot more heat. I suppose I'm already half way to this goal...
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Post by Alchemist on Sept 29, 2006 13:27:50 GMT -5
Interestingly, there has been discussion about the cylinder using epoxy that is only heat stable to something like 180° F or so. If this is really a problem, why not just melt the current epoxy and replace it with something more durable? Epoxy and/or sillicone can be had that will tolerate a lot more heat. I suppose I'm already half way to this goal... The stated limit from Santha is 160 F. Interestingly enough, I was actually TRYING to get one apart as you suggest and had it to 250 F for an hour and it was rock hard. I don't know if it needs wet heat (they say not to use a dishwasher for it) or if the bond will not eventually weaken.
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Post by angioplasty on Sept 29, 2006 20:09:30 GMT -5
John I can't see a dishwasher getting much over 130 maybe 140 degrees which is the water temp hitting it.... now if you leave it in the dry cycle it might get more but well... granted I am not a dw expert and I have taken stuff out of the washer mid cycle and well, 140 seems about what the water temp is. some commercial dishwashers might get hotter but its interesting they say not to DW it... perhaps the heat and the abundance of water is the problem? me be curious but thats a lot of money to kill experimenting. aaron
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Post by sugaralchemy on Sept 30, 2006 3:32:19 GMT -5
I would bet you the problem with the dishwasher is related to the bearings... hot water + greased bearing + potent surfactants (from dishwasher detergent) = bad news. There is the possibility that the bearings might even rust! While I would imagine the dishwasher's heat maybe could cause issues, I would bet you the water is far more likely the problem.
The good news is the new epoxy seems to be holding up wonderfully.
I take it I'm the only person to have done this to their Santha? [Not the dishwasher - I know enough not to try that, but separating the center bearing unit.]
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Post by Alan on Sept 30, 2006 8:02:44 GMT -5
I think that Brad had dishwasher issues and that indeed it was due to the bearings rusting. I think that he had to break everything apart and re-epoxy it. I don't recall the exact details though.
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Post by angioplasty on Sept 30, 2006 17:26:10 GMT -5
Im remembering a thread I seen somewhere else in this forum about that happening, the rusting bearing.
and yes you are correct, the bearings mostlikely would not take too kindly to the soap and water, though they are probably sealed, I bet the damage will happen.
Hopefully I don't end up doing something stupid to mine and causing any problems of this sort.
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Chad
Neophyte
Posts: 11
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Post by Chad on Apr 23, 2007 3:21:48 GMT -5
These comments about the Santha's bearings rusting bring up a question for me. I find that the Santha is a bit on the noisy side to run at night, and it is a bit to big to fit into my oven. One of my thoughts had been to set the Santha pot on top of a pot full of water and have this over just enough heat to keep the chocolate soft overnight. Would or could this rust the bearings? Would the lower heat, and lack of soap make a difference, or am I grasping? Is there anyother way to keep the chocolate in the Satha soft overnight that anyone has found?
Thanks so much!
Chad
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