Brilliant Cut Grinder

MoltenTiger

Well-Known Member
@pxl_jockey, I did lose my mind. Haha :mad::bang:

Red and purple are in the works. The anodizer said he would try a different brand of red to see if that corrects the problem. We haven't tried it yet though. The purple definitely needs to be darker than that prototype we made.

I'm going to set up an experimental anodizing setup and start playing around with it. :science:

I'll be mixing my own colors. It should be fun. It should give us a deeper understanding of the anodizing process. There's a lot to learn, but it will be worth it.





@Roth nailed it.

That clearance between the center cylinder on the middle and the teeth on the top is definitely there for functionality and performance. We experimented and tested a bunch of different dimensions. This clearance was as tight as we could get it before you would start feeling restriction from buildup in that area. Any restriction from buildup was unacceptable to us.

The cutting edge on the center cylinder is to clear any herb that finds its way into that area. We were somewhat inspired by end mills and flat bottom drills.

Here's the backstory:

We started this grinder as a side project. We just wanted to make a grinder with a unique exterior for personal use, so my dynavap and I spent a weekend looking at images of geometric patterns on Google. We designed a few different variations and when the first diamond cut pattern emerged from the machine, we knew that this was it, but it still required tweaking. It just didn't look right. The proportions were off. Here are some pictures of those grinders. These were 3" grinders.

x38vhu.jpg

Our first grinder prototype

ae7jt2.jpg

First Diamond Cut Pattern Grinder

The first prototype's mechanical design for grinding was loosely based on a heavily used 15 year-old 3" Space Case. Over the years, we've had some incredible battles trying to open that SC. It would just get jammed shut. With torture testing, the prototype would get jammed shut as well. It was centered conventionally and had tight clearances. This just wasn't going to cut it.

At this point, my brother and I decided to make a go at it and try to solve all the problems we could find in herb grinders and sell them commercially. We moved to a 2" grinder design in order to rapidly-prototype and iterate on the mechanical design.

With our personal experience and by reading the FC herb grinder thread, we decided to solve these problems:
  • Jamming and binding caused by buildup
  • Herb getting stuck on the magnet
We didn't really even know if these problems could be solved, but it was worth a shot. We decided to try to solve jamming first. After 2.5 weeks of prototyping every day and failing over and over, we made the first prototype that was centered and constrained by a cylinder on the middle plate and the teeth on the top instead of being centered by the outer walls. We torture tested it and we couldn't get it to jam. :D This idea came up during a discussion with my two brothers and it was the answer.

We then made a bunch of prototypes with the intention to solve the problem of herb getting trapped over the magnet. Eventually, we came to the idea of having a cutting edge over the face of the magnet. We torture tested it and it cleared everything. :D

ajxvnp.jpg

The breakthrough for jamming happened with this prototype

fdt213.jpg

Another early, dirty, and ugly prototype. It's washer is 3d printed. It has many of the features that makes our grinder different and better, but they aren't refined.

At this point, we were still just making 2-piece prototypes. We read the FC herb grinder thread some more and quite a few people were looking for a 3-piece grinder, so we started making 3-piece prototypes. We naturally gravitated towards a thread-less design. We also decided to make a fine grinder as well and we moved to a 2.2" medium size design.

The thread-less quick-connect mechanism took the longest to come up with and perfect. We spent months and we made many, many prototypes. It wasn't easy, but we made it happen.

During all this, we were also experimenting with different plastics for the washer. We ended up with a food-grade, low-friction, and abrasion-resistant plastic. It's one reason why it's so buttery smooth. The 3d printed washers were rough and the other plastics we tried just didn't feel as good.

After we felt like we were close to a production model, we posted a few pictures and videos on Instagram. @lazylathe saw our grinder and we started talking. He created this thread and eventually we offered him a beta grinder set to test out. We sent him a fine grinder and a medium grinder. He reviewed it and it created a discussion on here. He became our frontschwein :D and he was invaluable in the development of this grinder. He really got things going for us on here and gave a lot of feedback.

w2n32w.jpg

The medium grinder design we sent lazylathe.

At some point @Hogni suggested that an interchangeable grind plate design would be better. We thought so too. That opened up a :worms:. We then spent a few months refining that and all the other features. We did a deep-dive on tooth geometry and hole size and placement trying to perfect the different grinds. Grinders are more nuanced and deep then we ever thought when we started this project.
Awesome post. This is so cool to see, the design process and the ideology, all on point.

I think that's what annoyed me most when VC quipped about making money off your, by contrast, extraordinary hard work. Grinds my gears, but it is what it is. This affiliate bullshit cost the GH a really terrible first review and badly hurt that young company. Not that that was their only problem - but still. Be careful out there.

The endeavour to create true quality is what deserves support.


Anyway, I gotta say I am incredibly thankful for the work you did for me out of the blue! Utmost respect to the G4L team. You guys will do very well by yourselves.

PS. I really want a yoyo stylised off your first prototype, about as much as I want AusPost to up their game!

Can't say how keen I am for this:

dbqgie.jpg


:o
 

NizzyJones

Well-Known Member
Honeymoon continues. Can't emphasize enough how slick and smooth this thing is. To recap I have the fine plate, and the BCG is at least as fast and probably faster than the Super Weapon which to my mind is a medium-coarse grind (I checked with antispleen since he's also used SWs and he thought that the SWs are similar to the medium BCG plate)

@Grinders for Life my only question in case folks here in the States ask is do you plan to get these out to retailers and what kind of ETA would you expect for that?
 

Prophecy

Well-Known Member
This grinder has wake my attention since I have seen this thread, the threadless design is very cool.
I'm struggling with myself if I should order one of this grinders, but I have last year buyed a new 4 piece grinder on my old smoke days.
Why not buy a last one good grinder for life and this one would very good match to my omnivap :)

The only thing that worries me is that it is only a 3 piece grinder does not know if I can get over it.
This much good reviews and impressions make it not really easier :)

If which plate would you recommend for the use with vapcaps, any expiriences?
 

pxl_jockey

Just a dude
I am now mentally doing the ants-in-my-pants/gotta-pee dance every freakin time I come to this thread and read about this (literally)Brilliant grinder that is blowing everyone’s minds with its performance. Oh it’s on the way. I’ll know that feeling soon enough, but right about now that can’t come soon enough. :mental:

On a less obsessive note, I am so grateful that GFL came into the industry with a revolutionary 3-piece! I’m so glad that they looked & listened and were willing to change & refine their design along the way. I’m sure they will eventually produce a 4-piece design and it will probably better somehow and it’ll do very well in the marketplace. But I’m glad they began with what the industry was lacking while bringing a new, adaptive mentality to an industry that was kinda stagnant and becoming more of the same-ish, year after year.

There’s just a lot of 2 & 4-piece grinders out there and I believe that this 3-piece with its 3 plates is going to make some serious waves. I’m so happy that GFL has a strong connection to FC and hopeful that maybe through IG & Intersearches, even more cannabis lovers and patients will fuck combustion with their BCG.
:myday: Love you all, goodnight! Perhaps tomorrow I’ll be doing my happy dance? :brow:
 

Grinders for Life

Grinder Manufacturer
Honeymoon continues. Can't emphasize enough how slick and smooth this thing is. To recap I have the fine plate, and the BCG is at least as fast and probably faster than the Super Weapon which to my mind is a medium-coarse grind (I checked with antispleen since he's also used SWs and he thought that the SWs are similar to the medium BCG plate)

@Grinders for Life my only question in case folks here in the States ask is do you plan to get these out to retailers and what kind of ETA would you expect for that?

Speed of flow-through was one of the things we tested after making every prototype. It was a priority for sure. We found that adding an additional set of teeth on the outside wall of the top really sped things up.

As for an ETA, we're still working on scaling this up. We'll see how things go.

abhtow.jpg

A top during production. The additional teeth on the outside rim really speed up the grinding.


Thanks @Summer and @Dynavaper for this informations, than I will wait until they offer the 4 piece design, hope soon :)

The 4-piece will be also offered as an upgrade for the 3-piece grinder. You'll be able to buy the 4-piece bottom that is compatible with the current middle grinding plates. We like the idea of being modular.

34ffxtz.jpg
 
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MoltenTiger

Well-Known Member
Holy FuckCombustion, it arrived and it has blown me away.

The quality is beyond top notch. It is beautiful, and feels great in hand. The way the light bounces off the brilliant cut faces is very, very nice, and the colours are full and look really, really great. I have emerald, saphire, sky blue and dark hematite (but it might be black unsure?). The food grade plastic is insanely smooth. The magnets are powerful, but the thing can be pried open one handed, though I will have to work on technique. The size is brilliant.
A custom engraving is a nice finishing touch. I feel like this is almost too saturating of a good time, I mean I don't drive a sports car, wear fancy watches, this feels exuberant. This is a premium bit of kit and it screams it.

Now, on to testing.

11kl4ch.jpg


Well, still haven't posted but now I've finely ground some buds from the bottom of my jar. Due for a refill this weekend.
So it's become clear that untwisting a grinder is ingrained circuitry for me, my muscle memory kicked it and I tried to twist it open. No dice. Going to take a bit to get used to that. But it's so much better.

And man, the fine grind is looking really good to me.

It's nothing like the MFLB Finishing grinder, but it's basically as consistent and fluffy and perfect, just a bit coarser than the pixie dust from the finisher. The size seems really uniform and the SLX is going on the back bench already without question.

I can see that there is kief build up in the through holes, something the ceramic SLX finish combats exceptionally well. But, without threads for the kief to end up in, it'll just fall off.

Unsure whether dry brushing is the go, or if build up should be washed off infrequently.

Bloody stoked though, thanks G4L

Honeymoon continues. Can't emphasize enough how slick and smooth this thing is.
Yep, can't help but think after so little time, this is the right tool for the job.
And I really agree, couldn't over emphasise how slick and smooth it is. I mean, yeah it's brand new, and my 3 year old SLX still churns, but it feels like grinding sandpaper together compared to the BCG. It was never anything like this smoothness.

The only thing that worries me is that it is only a 3 piece grinder does not know if I can get over it.
Yeah, I do like kief bombs, a bit of kief goes a long way, and harvesting it is worthwhile.
That said, my SLX has been suffering a partially blocked screen for some months. Kief will just build up on top of the screen, and generally my last hits of the grind is where much of the potency lies.

Check out @szai's instagram pic for a relevant pic
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsI1vi3jnMq/

and to quote "this is actually just the herb chamber not a kief one. the purpose would be to limit plant material thereby increasing the quality of kief collected."

So, a screen and the eventual modular 4th piece will filter the kief but the grinder by itself should still be as workable for kief bombs. I do like sifted kief, to look at, but I'm not fussed when it's in my lungs. The screen spec to catch the trichs, like the SLX has, gets blocked pretty easily and you need tools to keep it in service. It's a fairly moot thing, I doubt I'll be massively missing the 4th piece. Time will tell.

I've actually found the BCG coarse grind to the be the best for everything basically but I do tamp. I get great vapor production and flavor too!
This makes me so happy. I've had one Sub hit of a small pinch of fine grind, and I'm solidly baked.
It felt so fluffy in hands, pinching is pretty easy,

there's 2cm width between pin and sidewall.

Not sure if I was just imagining it, but using fine ground in the sub, it seemed to give off a more terpy smell, and it clouded up instantly and with solid white cloud. I'm ripped, and super happy about it all.

I am now mentally doing the ants-in-my-pants/gotta-pee dance every freakin time I come to this thread and read about this (literally)Brilliant grinder that is blowing everyone’s minds with its performance. Oh it’s on the way. I’ll know that feeling soon enough, but right about now that can’t come soon enough. :mental:

On a less obsessive note, I am so grateful that GFL came into the industry with a revolutionary 3-piece! I’m so glad that they looked & listened and were willing to change & refine their design along the way. I’m sure they will eventually produce a 4-piece design and it will probably better somehow and it’ll do very well in the marketplace. But I’m glad they began with what the industry was lacking while bringing a new, adaptive mentality to an industry that was kinda stagnant and becoming more of the same-ish, year after year.

There’s just a lot of 2 & 4-piece grinders out there and I believe that this 3-piece with its 3 plates is going to make some serious waves. I’m so happy that GFL has a strong connection to FC and hopeful that maybe through IG & Intersearches, even more cannabis lovers and patients will fuck combustion with their BCG.
:myday: Love you all, goodnight! Perhaps tomorrow I’ll be doing my happy dance? :brow:
:peace:

We like the idea of being modular.
Winning. Thanks again for making this thing, it's basically perfect.
The idea of being able to stack the spare sifters/mid pieces is a good one, and it doesn't seem like it would take more than a slight taper to the protruding central drill/scraping pin/blade, or small material removal from the 3 extending hex grip pins.

Any idea how durable the anodised finish is?

Speed of flow-through
Yeah, this grinder is properly engineered for performance.

After initially grinding some small nugs, I opened it up and saw there was a piece stuck between the middle teeth ring. Clapped it back together and within a few twists it was in the base perfectly blending with the rest. The grinding pieces were clean apart from a few sprinkles of kief.
This is the right tool for the job, for sure. And I love that it's modular, so it's the right tool for the job no matter what. Can't wait to try all the other parts!

291iyhl.jpg
 
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szai

Well-Known Member
Holy FuckCombustion, it arrived and it has blown me away.

The quality is beyond top notch. It is beautiful, and feels great in hand. The way the light bounces off the brilliant cut faces is very, very nice, and the colours are full and look really, really great. I have emerald, saphire, sky blue and dark hematite (but it might be black unsure?). The food grade plastic is insanely smooth. The magnets are powerful, but the thing can be pried open one handed, though I will have to work on technique. The size is brilliant.
A custom engraving is a nice finishing touch. I feel like this is almost too saturating of a good time, I mean I don't drive a sports car, wear fancy watches, this feels exuberant. This is a premium bit of kit and it screams it.

Now, on to testing.

11kl4ch.jpg


Well, still haven't posted but now I've finely ground some buds from the bottom of my jar. Due for a refill this weekend.
So it's become clear that untwisting a grinder is ingrained circuitry for me, my muscle memory kicked it and I tried to twist it open. No dice. Going to take a bit to get used to that. But it's so much better.

And man, the fine grind is looking really good to me.

It's nothing like the MFLB Finishing grinder, but it's basically as consistent and fluffy and perfect, just a bit coarser than the pixie dust from the finisher. The size seems really uniform and the SLX is going on the back bench already without question.

I can see that there is kief build up in the through holes, something the ceramic SLX finish combats exceptionally well. But, without threads for the kief to end up in, it'll just fall off.

Unsure whether dry brushing is the go, or if build up should be washed off infrequently.

Bloody stoked though, thanks G4L


Yep, can't help but think after so little time, this is the right tool for the job.
And I really agree, couldn't over emphasise how slick and smooth it is. I mean, yeah it's brand new, and my 3 year old SLX still churns, but it feels like grinding sandpaper together compared to the BCG. It was never anything like this smoothness.


Yeah, I do like kief bombs, a bit of kief goes a long way, and harvesting it is worthwhile.
That said, my SLX has been suffering a partially blocked screen for some months. Kief will just build up on top of the screen, and generally my last hits of the grind is where much of the potency lies.

Check out @szai's instagram pic for a relevant pic
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsI1vi3jnMq/

and to quote "this is actually just the herb chamber not a kief one. the purpose would be to limit plant material thereby increasing the quality of kief collected."

So, a screen and the eventual modular 4th piece will filter the kief but the grinder by itself should still be as workable for kief bombs. I do like sifted kief, to look at, but I'm not fussed when it's in my lungs. The screen spec to catch the trichs, like the SLX has, gets blocked pretty easily and you need tools to keep it in service. It's a fairly moot thing, I doubt I'll be massively missing the 4th piece. Time will tell.


This makes me so happy. I've had one Sub hit of a small pinch of fine grind, and I'm solidly baked.
It felt so fluffy in hands, pinching is pretty easy,

there's 2cm width between pin and sidewall.

Not sure if I was just imagining it, but using fine ground in the sub, it seemed to give off a more terpy smell, and it clouded up instantly and with solid white cloud. I'm ripped, and super happy about it all.


:peace:


Winning. Thanks again for making this thing, it's basically perfect.
The idea of being able to stack the spare sifters/mid pieces is a good one, and it doesn't seem like it would take more than a slight taper to the protruding central drill/scraping pin/blade, or small material removal from the 3 extending hex grip pins.

Any idea how durable the anodised finish is?


Yeah, this grinder is properly engineered for performance.

After initially grinding some small nugs, I opened it up and saw there was a piece stuck between the middle teeth ring. Clapped it back together and within a few twists it was in the base perfectly blending with the rest. The grinding pieces were clean apart from a few sprinkles of kief.
This is the right tool for the job, for sure. And I love that it's modular, so it's the right tool for the job no matter what. Can't wait to try all the other parts!

291iyhl.jpg

Great review! One of the best ones so far!
 

MoltenTiger

Well-Known Member
Couple of other things I may as well add;

I left it in my pocket and forgot about it, so it passes the portability test well.
It is quite secure with the strong magnets. The repulsion between like-poles is pretty fun to play with, these things cast a decent size field with about 1cm of levitation possible between the spare mid-plates, fun little toys in themselves and they sing with resonance like wind-chimes.
Due to the design, there is only so many rotational variants to its assembly, and due to the powerful magnets, it's pretty fun to close up. It will snatch the fitting piece from a desk, lift it and spin it into place in an instant.

The lid does rattle like in VCs video, if you purposefully shake it like a baby rattle.
There is a decent amount of play with the top of the grinder/lid with the base of the grinder/mid plate. You can slide it about a little. This can cause a slight ridge on an edge, maybe 0.15mm, so there's about 0.3mm play. This can be shaken back and forth but it takes some force to do so, and the lid feels secure even with a solid rattle. It's just sliding on the magnet so there is no real net force lost to allow it to detach. Even with one hand prying, I'm having difficulty getting the things apart. So although it has musical properties, that's not properly a con in any real way.

The benefit to having a gap between the grinding chamber side walls is the low friction turning (can literally grind one handed, albeit slowly), and the lack of compression that causes oily build up, eventual grime, material damage and it's otherwise always a painful section to clean:

290pggk.jpg


Going to the effort to get the photo, I figured I may as well rattle the SLX.
For one thing, the lid flew off. But, it also has play, about 0.1mm and it rattles if I'm more gentle.
Also, the SLX is a 4-piece with one section nested inside the base. My version is old, and the fit is quite good. The older versions had tighter toleranes, and now with that and herb build up - it is basically fixed in place, friction fit.
The newer SLX have smaller radius trays, and they rattle quite noticeably. You will find every single metal grinder has a rattling lid if it's magnetically connected. It's a non-issue.

Unlike the semi-stackability:
ok7art.jpg


I just busted up what I think is White Widow, saved from a while back, and found the BCG is pretty smell proof when closed.

You can also swap mid-plates post grind and refine the grind by turning upside down.

I've tried out the medium plate, and it was a bit coarser than I expected. I put a nug right on the mid post and it processed it nicely. A tiny bit of residue on the pin from the sticky silver haze, but otherwise quite clean.
I think I prefer a fine grind, so far. But I'm happy to keep testing. The bud really remains top quality through the grinding process, nothing gets compressed or ruined, just cut and diced
 
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Roth

Pining for the Mountains
Very fluffy actually.

No grinder I have could compete with its fluffiness, I hear the SCS or Mendo's do good on that front, but certainly the BCG does well

Yep, both the BCG and SCS are both very nice and fluffy grinds. I like dumping out my freshly ground bud into my bowl and watching the bud slowly sorta fall from the initial pile. Pretty trippy sometimes.

Starting to get a residue building up on some tooth surfaces and the center cylinder, but it has yet to affect performance. Everything is still nice and smooth! And I'm not being gentle with the grinder either, I just throw chunks of bud in the grinder, most often on the center cylinder too!
 
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