Dan, I've seen that posted before. Crazy looking thing. I tried to make something similar but for some reason my PF's threads don't fit 3/8 NPT. Did you do something special or could it just be a different design I have? Any suggestions?

They use metric BSP threads, but they are very close to NPT. Give the portafilter stud a good heavy coating of Teflon tape and it will seal up.

It's the opposite problem. The male PF threads are too large to fit in the female coupling. Next stop I make at the hardware store I think I'll pick up a 7/16". Is that even readily available? I'll just have to take my PF and test fit a few different sizes I guess.

oofnik wrote:It's the opposite problem. The male PF threads are too large to fit in the female coupling. Next stop I make at the hardware store I think I'll pick up a 7/16". Is that even readily available? I'll just have to take my PF and test fit a few different sizes I guess.

Hi Oofnik -

There is no such animal as 7/16" pipe threads. You have the wrong size coupling. Taking your PF to the HW store will solve the problem - just hunt down a 3/8" NPT brass coupling but if you're trying to duplicate Bob R's wonderful device, you'll need a 3/8" NPT brass tee plus a couple of 3/8 to 1/4 brass bushings.

By all means, get a 0-300 psig glycerin filled gauge as Dan pictured - about $25 delivered.

To use a naked PF, you could drill a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom of a blank basket, and then install the pressure gauge directly to that with two washers and two 1/4" nuts. Use teflon paste.

Ideasite wrote:To use a naked PF, you could drill a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom of a blank basket, and then install the pressure gauge directly to that with two washers and two 1/4" nuts. Use teflon paste.

mmmmmmmmmmmm....................

good idea I just might do that one thanks

Whoa -

Lets stop for a second. Ideasite has good intent but I don't think its a doable adventure. First off, a 3/8" hole won't quite be large enough for even a 1/8" pipe thread and a 1/4" pipe thread would need something like 17/32" or 9/16". The way, or rather, a way, to seal pipe threads in a situation like this is to use pipe thread nuts which you would obtain from the lamp repair department of the HW store. I know 1/8" pipe thread nuts are available and I suspect 1/4" but I'm not too sure of that one. I would seal these nuts with copper washers and that is a separate adventure all by itself.

But, most important of all is the fact that this section of pipe thread that is either part of the gage or a separate pipe nipple to which you will attach the gage WILL PROTRUDE into the blind basket such that your dispersion screen will be bent out of shape.

If you want to sacrifice a regular basket - maybe that singles basket that's gathering dust in the drawer, then it's a doable idea after you drill the right size hole and epoxy up the remaining area of the basket.