Auger pin wear on a Weston #22 pro

[airmec]

I am curious about others auger pin wear and if there might be a stainless replacement for the OEM black steel pins. Have called Weston about it been real good and sent me a new auger every time but can't seem to call it normal wear and tear. Are others finding the pins a normal replacement part with a limited life they are after all riding in a hardened stainless die

 

[crazymoon]

AM, I've never changed my pin in 10 years BUT mine isn't a Weston. Is your retaining ring always tight when you grind?. Maybe a food grade silicone or a dab of food grade grease would help? Don't know about SS replacement pins Sorry

 

[daveomak]

If you greased the pin then there's a burr in the bushing...

 

[airmec]

By the lack of others not responding I decided it had to be something out of the norm. So out come the Mics and dial I found the hole in the die used as my primary grind was not only off center but also not straight and out of round being harder it just ate the pin. Well the bad thing is I now have a #22 die to hold my magnetic flashlight up but on the other hand Weston sent me two augers and a few pins trying to fix the issue. Since changing the die after grinding about 60#of meat there is no wear on the pin as it should. The die in question came from one of the larger suppliers but did come from China and is the third I have had issues with the others had ripples on their faces and were returned .

 

[daveomak]

Good revue to not buy a Weston grinder.... Sorry you were the guinea pig on the deal....

 

[airmec]

Dave the grinder was not at fault it was the aftermarket die that was a mess Weston went out of their way trying to fix the issue

Good revue to not buy a Weston grinder.... Sorry you were the guinea pig on the deal....

 

[daveomak]

Thank you for clarifying that... MY MISTAKE..... Dave

 

[mickey jay]

Did you notice the black coating on that auger pin wearing off and getting into the meat and creating almost like a grease spot? I ground my first batch the other day and kept finding dark spots in the meat.

 

[daveomak]

Grease it from now on... I use this food grade grease on any contact areas in my grinder and stuffer... It's made from a food grade mineral oil... It's about a tooth paste consistency....

 

[mickey jay]

Thanks Dave; good to know.

Man now I’m thinkin do I need to toss that batch? What is that black coating anyway? (And why is it on a $400 grinder at a known wear point where it’s going to contaminate a batch? Grr)

 

[daveomak]

Maybe they added a teflon coating or something... The reason you need a lubricant..... Like metals wear badly... some can even gall and lock up... as an example... SS and Bronze will wear for a Loooooong time... SS on SS may last a day... even had a SS nut gall on a SS bolt ??? On the first time you tightened it ??? I have, more than once...
Anywho, the aftermarket part is junk... I'm gonna check my plates and knives.... I may have to braze the holes closed a bit and resize them....

There can't be much stuff in the meat.... If you want, pitch it.... Or feed it to that neighbor, as a peace offering, for all the times he's bitched about the smoke you create... As he drives his 700 hp Mercedes down the street...

 

[airmec]

It is a oxide coating to prevent rust harmless just looks ugly when it comes off in fat. Mine was concentrated around the center hole and I just toss that away you can use a fine emery cloth and dress that area off just remember it rusts quickly and needs a coat of what ever you use. I asked Weston why the pin was not made of stainless and was told engineering felt steel was better myself I think as close as the auger is to the feed rifling in the housing if the auger is drooped they want the pin to shear and the auger not to bend and chew up the housing.
My trouble was a after market die that had a off center and not straight hole ordered a new die off amazon with a hub I was sad to see it was of the same manufacture and while the hole was good the finish on the face was about 36grit made a great fingernail file and after half an hour on a finishing plate a decent die. Where do we go when even the China parts are ugly junk.