Time for a bit of a progress report. The machine did not come with the drip well that mounts under the main drip tray. I found the part online at a number of sites, but I could not bring myself to shell out $45 for a hunk of plastic. After a bit of searching around at Home Depot and Lowes, I assembled a simple collection of parts to build my own for $7. I used an end cap for 4" abs pipe, a right-angle barbed abs fitting, and a pvc adapter (alas, it did not come in abs, but it won't show under the machine). I already had the brass toilet tank bolt and washer. I had to trim the height of the cap to make it fit, but overall it was a simple project. Works like a charm.

Preview
Since I do woodworking as a hobby, I decided to incorporate some wood into my project. The metal control panel was in rough shape, and it seemed like a good place to make a substitution. I think it's going to look sharp.

Ross,

This reminds me why I love amateur restorations so much.

Thanks for letting us join you on your wonderful journey.

I hope that by amateur you mean "first time restorer" and not "Oh, no, he's using duct tape and bailing wire. This is going to be fun to watch."

Ross

Ha, absolutely not the latter. Your work looks pretty professional to me. The wood panel looks quite nice.

Thanks, guys. The portafilter handles would be fun. I don't currently own a lathe, but recently I've been keeping my eyes peeled for craigslist deal for that very reason.

I haven't got to polishing the stainless, but I wanted to get the machine assembled to use during Christmas. The stainless bits are easy to remove, for the most part. The upper section with the steam wand handles requires a bit of extra work to remove, but shouldn't take too much effort.

Here's a shot with the wood panel in place. A couple more coats of poly and I'll be able to drop in the controls and indicator lamps.



Above the panel is my new bottomless portafilter from Great Infusions. It seems to fit correctly, but a little looser than the original. I may need to add a shim below the group gasket to help it lock-in a little tighter. I've only tried it once (prior to assembling all the exterior panels) and I got a generous spray everywhere, including around the gasket. Hopefully, my next attempt will be a little less explosive.


I had to replace the dual gauge because the boiler pressure half was damaged. Since installing the new gauge, I've reduced the pstat so the gauge reads about 1.2 bar at the top of the cycle. My initial attempt to check the group temp with the cup of water and candy thermometer reads pretty low (about 185), so either the thermometer is off, or the gauge is off, or the shot glass lost the heat very quickly. I need to buy a instant-read digital thermometer and check it again. I do get a few seconds of sputtering on the initial flush, so I know it's hotter than 185. Lots of tuning ahead.

Ross

While you are at it, ditch the stock knobs and portafilter handles and make yourself a matching set. If you are using polyurethane make sure to get the back of your panel. There is a lot of heat and moisture around that panel, you may get some warp or bow if it is not sealed up. I use WaterLox gloss Marine finish on wood that will see damp conditions.

Dave,
That's some nice work. Cocobolo? Now I have to get a lathe.

Yeah, I plan to apply at least as many coats on the back side as the front. I used a piece of lauan on the back as a substrate for the plank of bocote that is visible. The lauan will soak-up the poly, so I hope that will be enough to protect it. I also thought about attaching a thin piece of rigid sheet insulation to the back side for extra protection.

Ross

Nope, although I had a set of Cocobolo on a lever machine. That is tight grained stabilized Bocote. Lathes are fun, been spinning my machine most of the day working on a couple of projects.

Dave - interesting that I chose the same wood for my panel. It does look nice.

Ross

I've got the panel installed with new indicator lamps. One of them had been burnt-out, so I replaced them both so the bezels would be identical. It's not so easy finding 220v lamps!

I also determined that one of the flowmeters was bad, because I could program the auto dosing on whichever control pad was attached to one of the flowmeters but not the other. Got one on order from espressoparts.

Both steam wand valves probably should be rebuilt because I really have to crank on them to get them to close fully. That's probably not good. And, I may be heading for a pump replacement (I posted in a new thread). We'll see.

Here's the current state:

I'm not usually a wood fan, but that bezel really looks great! Can't wait to see more.

I've been working on a couple odds-and-ends on my project. I bought a bottomless PF recently, and while it fit the machine, the bayonets were not as thick as those on the existing PF, so I couldn't tighten it up enough to keep it from leaking when in use. I made a thin gasket to go underneath the rubber group gasket. I used a roll of material from the auto parts store. With it in place, I get a nice, tight seal with the new PF.



I also needed to replace one of the flowmeters. I've had some problems finding replacement parts that are shown on the Bezzera exploded diagrams, so I've improvised with homemade substitutes. On the flowmeter, the brass fitting is supposed to tighten against a ptfe tube. This was missing on the original flowmeter (the last person to service the machine used tons of teflon tape to achieve a watertight fit - almost). I punched some disks from a silicone potholder that seem to be working as a substitute.




I still need to do something about the motor. I've looked into having the existing one repaired, but just to have someone look at it will cost me $75. I'm planning to just order a new one.

That's the progress so far.

Ross

Hi Folks,

I thought I'd post an update photo with the (mostly) finished machine, and post a query to the group. The restoration got set aside for a bit while I remodeled my basement workshop. The Pasquini now has its own home in the corner of the workshop, and ready at an hour's notice ( ) to make some brew. It's a little crowded, but less than it would be up in the kitchen. Someday, I'll trade-up to a single group that'll fit in the kitchen. Until then, I'll use this lovely to satisfy my craving. Here's the latest:



Now, I'd like to add a vacuum breaker so that I can put the machine on a timer and have it up to temperature in the morning. The immediately obvious places that might accommodate a retrofit are on the boiler where the steam tube and pressure gauge attach (arrows below on pre-refurb interior). These are male fittings on the boiler. Does this look like a reasonable place to add a vacuum breaker? If not, where else could I add one? I saw one at CC that has a barbed fitting for a drain tube - looks like a great idea. Do the breakers have to be oriented vertically? Thanks for all suggestions!

Ross

GREAT JOB..

indeed a vacuum breaker need to be vertically and on the top part of the boiler.
if that T is from the steam I'd put the VB there..

Juanjo,
Thanks for the suggestion - I'm not sure that would be the ideal place because there's not much vertical space between that fitting an the top tray. However, I did find an unused plug in the boiler face plate that might work. The top of the plug is down roughly an inch from the top of the boiler, so I'm guessing it's above water level. Does anyone see an issue with installing an elbow there with the vacuum breaker on top? There's plenty of room and I wouldn't have to alter any existing fittings. It looks promising to me. After an auto-fill, I'll remove the plug and check to see if it's above the water level.

Ross

Wow, that machine looks beautiful. Ive never even seen any machine by pasquini, besides the Livia 90, let along a two group. Really awesome looking... The wood Bezel is superb. Im a BIG fan of woodwork... Juanjo turned me a handle which fits on my La Marzocco portafilter, and I love using it. Wood is such a natural product.. Idk what it is about it that makes me like it so much, but what I do know, is nicely grained wood matches anything, and looks great on everything

Enjoy the 'spro my man!