OKTOBER SL1 Homebrewer Can Seamer Machine User Manual
OVERVIEW
Setup
To get started, assemble the Seaming Lever into the Pivot Block. Use a 7/16 in wrench to lightly tighten the lever as
shown. If the lever backs out during seaming, it can bend the threads and break! The SL1 comes set up for 16oz cans. To seam 12oz cans, place the 12oz lower adapter (white plastic cylinder) onto the 16oz lower adapter and press it into place. You seamer comes PRE-CALIBRATED, so you don’t need to make any adjustments before getting started.
Seaming
Seaming is simple, and after a few practice cans it should be a smooth, continuous process. It helps to go through the steps without a can a few times to get a feel for it. The force required to actually seam a can is not much more than it takes to run the seamer without a can.
- Rotate the Seaming Lever to position 0 as shown. The black knob should be somewhere near centerline of the seamer.
- Place an end (can top) onto the can to be seamed.
- Set the can onto the lower adapter, and lean the can back against the Can Guide.
- Raise the Base Lever until it is locked into place.
- Turn the Power Switch to “on”
- Turn the Power Switch to “off”
- Rotate the Base Lever down to release the sealed can.
After Every Use
Keeping your seamer clean from sticky beer residue is key to keeping everything working properly. Warm water and a rag is all that is needed to keep residues from building up. Make sure to dry everything off after wiping it down.
The upper chuck and rollers are made of hardened steel. After every use, clean them with a wet rag and dry them thoroughly. Use a dry rag to rub a thin layer of food-safe grease or oil onto those surfaces to minimize surface rust.
Lift the 16oz lower adapter off the Lower Bearing and use a rag to clean the Wave Spring and Washer with water. Dry them and apply some grease. Apply a small amount of grease to the bearing as well before re-assembling them in the same order. Remove the Quick-Release Pin from the Base Lever and pull the Base Shaft up and out of the housing. Clean the bore and shaft, and apply a layer of grease to the shaft. If the shaft becomes jammed due sticky residue or lack of grease, the Base Adjuster can bend and break.
Seam Inspection
Inspecting seams periodically will ensure the quality of your seams over time. It’s a good idea to inspect a seam after
every 500 cans or so. If they remain in-specification, you can inspect them less often. Our method of seam inspection requires a “tear down tool”, some nippers or wire cutters, and a set of calipers. The tear-down tool and calipers are available on the Oktober website. When measuring the seam thicknesses, the calipers should be parallel to the inside taper of the can (as shown below), rather than the straight sides of the can. If the calipers are parallel to the sides of the can, the measurements will be incorrectly large. Make sure to not squeeze the calipers too tightly when measuring. Use the lightest pressure possible to allow the calipers to close against the seam. If too much pressure is used, the seam will appear smaller than reality.
- Complete the first seaming operation ONLY, and remove the can from the seamer.
- Using calipers, measure the thickness of the seam as shown. The first operation seam thickness should be between .074 and .078 in
- Complete the second operation ONLY, and measure that thickness as shown. The second operation seam thickness should be between .046 in and .048 in.
- Using a tear-down tool, cut the top of the can off.
- Using nippers or wire cutters, cut all the way through the remaining seam
- Pull the seam down and out of the can body as shown.
- Measure the “body hook” and “cover hook” as shown in at least 3 places around the perimeter of the seam. The Cover hook should be .053 in-.065 in, and the body hook should be between .055 in and .075 in
Base Force
The base force is critical to a good seam, and can have a strong effect on the hook lengths, particularly the body
hook length. Generally, a short hook length, particularly body hook, can be caused by insufficient base force.
- To adjust the base force, first loosen (counterclockwise rotate) the “upper” Base Adjustment nut until
there is no clamping force when raising the lever with a can loaded onto the lower chuck (the handle will no longer stay up on its own). You will need to snug up the lower nut before checking to make sure there is no clamping force - With a can engaged in the chucks and the base lever held up by hand loosen the bottom nut, and tighten the top nut in sequence until the base lever no longer has any “play”. The lever should stay up on its own at this point, but just barely.
- Loosen the bottom nut 2 full turns, then rotate the upper nut approx. 1 3/4 rotations clockwise to raise the adjuster to the correct position.
- Finally, adjust the lower nut so that it creates a light resistance when rotating the lever horizontally.
- Load a can and confirm a solid clamp when locking the base lever into place. Seam a can, and confirm the hook lengths are sufficient. If they are still low, adjust the nuts ¼ turn or so, and re-check.
Maintenance/Troubleshooting
Greasing Roller Axels
After every 1000 cans or so, the seaming roller axles need to be greased. Remove the seaming roller retaining nuts and remove the rollers and washers from their axles. Clean the rollers and axles with warm water, dry them, and apply a thin layer of grease to the axle shafts. Reassemble the rollers, washers, and retaining nuts in the order they were removed. Tighten the retaining nuts only enough to take up the vertical play, but also allow free rotation of the seaming rollers. For further cleaning, it may help to remove the seaming roller axles from the pivot block by loosening the locking screws and pulling them down and out of the block.
Motor Won’t Turn On
If the motor does not turn, it is likely that the thermal overload switch has tripped. It can be reset by pushing the
red button located under the motor.
Rough Sound/Clicking
If the seamer makes a loud clicking noise during the seaming operations, it is likely that the timing belt is slipping.
Remove the belt cover retaining screw and pull the belt cover off the machine. Loosen the (4) screws located on each side of the frame (8 screws total). Slide the motor back to tighten the belt and re-tighten the screws. The belt only
needs to be tight enough to take up the slack.
