A Mint Mini Gaggia ...that wants to show how she is made

[mogogear]

A fun box arrived today with a lot of care in packaging and even a home roasted package of beans! You know the HB folks are the best! My hat is off to Jon (Jonr10) his care in getting a mint 1970's model Mini Gaggia to me in perfect shape after being in his care for a while! Complete with original shipping box, warranty registration with serial number hand written in, the orange card you see in this opening shot, the PF single, double and a ridge-less Synesso Big basket( I think). If I hadn't seen the photos of this machine from Jon's original LMWDP registration -I would have thought that it had never -ever been used. It is flawless. No scratches, stains or mars.

Scroll down and find his post:

http://www.home-barista.com/lever-espresso-machines/lmwdp-rollcall-t533.html

He also has a link to some other shots on CG


It does leak out through the group head when not in use due to old piston seals- So ( Timoooo!).... I secured a full set of new seals and a thermostat from ASCASO and a back up new element from DEMOKA,SA and will slowly go through this little jewel to see how it really is put together. Measuring as requested ...

If anybody has been here long - they know the "La Peppina Marries Mini Gaggia" thread.. this will be interesting to see what is where..

I have pizza to eat so for now here is the shot before she starts to dis-robe in the near future

Heads or tails




with her travel documents

[peacecup]

No one should be allowed to have so many pieces of functional art from Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Switzerland in their possession

Really that looks like a beautiful machine - you can now expound upon the differences between the 45-mm group and the 58 mm group, both in the open-boiler format. I'm green....

PC

[mogogear]

......I'm green....PC

I knew you were a "tree-hugger" when I met you

[espressme]

What a find!
put me on your list for first dibs on your leavings and sale machines!
Have a great time!
richard

[hbuchtel]

Waaa.... nice!

When you get it apart can you post photos/dimensions of the piston and group gaskets? I'd really like to know if I could buy new gaskets for my Zerowatt- the 20+ year old group gasket is hard as rock...

Henry

[mogogear]

What a find!
put me on your list for first dibs on your leavings and sale machines!
Have a great time!
richard

Not a find Richard,
I give credit to Jon, it was leaking badly and he was not using it, we all know --- levers are meant to be pulled- he had offered it to someone, but they passed due to leaks and new to levers. If the pictures Jon posted of the shots he pulled when he first got it are pretty, I hope with new seals all works out even better.....

[timo888]

... I secured a full set of new seals and a thermostat from ASCASO and a back up new element from DEMOKA,SA ...

Your first extraction video, Greg, should use "O Lucky Man!" for its soundtrack
Are you using your voltage transformers, or were 110V elements available from DEMOKA?

I hope this means you will be selling your Bezzera? [fingers-crossed-eyes-closed-emoticon]

Regards
Timo

P.S. Be sure to heed the critical barista tip printed on the tag: "To function well, I need finely ground coffee ..."

[mogogear]

No transformer needed- 125v -albeit with a Euro style pin plug! I will replace the cord though so I can have a grounded plug. The spare element is 125v too. I bought two sets of hight temp o-rings and seals for it also. So good news for the future all the way around... with now site glass vigilance on water lever is always Step 1!

[mogogear]

So as you lat the machine down on her back, there are two screws either side of the grouphead that hold the front switch panel on. With it removed you find the two screws that hold the lower drip panel in place at the rear of that panel.

Unscrew the four feet and the plastic body piece will slide off in a backwards direction.










You can see the edge of the thermostat to the left side of the picture. It is screwed into the side of the chromed brass boiler. It is in contact with the element on the inside. No gasket or seal, just the old remains of a sealer applied when put together.

[jamoke]

Wow!
Group head built into an open "boiler" that doesn't boil, which means it's immersed in brew temperature water. Given an accurate thermostat, this should amount to spot on temp stability.
Too bad I like Cappuccino so much!
That Mini and a Pavoni with a stuck piston would add up to a nice double boiler machine.

Ed

[Arto]

That looks so great!

I want one to

[mogogear]

So here is the Gaggia with the plastic outer shell removed.




Here is a shot of the screen





And a side view of the simple frame and boiler set
up- the fram is 4 pieces of angle iron welded together with threaded holes in the bottom runners for the feet to screw into.






The design of this little machine is as we have all suspected prone to some contamination of the boiler from espresso residue being introduced on the up-stroke . I can imagine that to be safe and avoid this - 1 pull is all that you get for pre-infusion and the shot. Maybe lingering on the initial downward pull so the water can seep into the puck as much as possible will be the possible best remedy. Who knows. The next shot is of the opened boiler. It is all brass. The later models were switched to aluminum to cut costs( this is a statement from the manufacturer DEMOKA SA in a posting on TMC)

A little dirty but not too bad for 30 or so years



Finally the top with the spring and plunger- a pretty hefty spring!





If you notice the substantial piston rod yoke that protrudes from the top , this really keeps the piston lined up and in the center of the well that forms the cylinder in the bottom part of the boiler.

So now it is time for a Blank basket in the PF , lock 'er in and fill the boiler with boiling water and Caffiza- BATH TIME!

[timo888]

...
Finally the top with the spring and plunger- a pretty hefty spring!
...
So now it is time for a Blank basket in the PF , lock 'er in and fill the boiler with boiling water and Caffiza- BATH TIME!

Good pikchers, G.

Curious to know the gauge of the wire and the O.D. of the spring.

Do I misremember seeing in some parts list (Ascaso?) a stainless steel replacement boiler for the MiniMoka?

Regards
Timo

[mogogear]

My ASCASO list shows no boiler- or spring replacement either. The rod is serviceable and the seals and thermostat.I will gauge the spring and let you know. The boiler is pretty hefty and thick. Chromed inside and out.

[espressme]

Hello Mo,
Just how big is the basket on that beauty?
richard

[mogogear]

The Mini Gaggia sports a commercial size PF and basket- 58mm. The ears on the PF are a little smaller than a regular LM PF. I have a naked PF that just won't quite fit. I may have to work on an extra regular PF and modify the ears to see if I can get it to fit so I can add a "Nekkid" version to the armament for the Mini...... BTW the Synesso BIG double basket fits in the PF very nicely...

Oh, yeah I forgot to take a good close up of the PF- it is a very nice rig with one othe the most comfortable handles I have ever held. It is kind of heart shaped. Almost pointed at the bottom and broadly curved across the top. It fist well in my hand. It is "clip-less" but the baskets for it are ever so slightly flared just below the lip. This gives the baskets a little bit of a internal "hug" that acts like a spring clip retainer.

More soon. Oh , yeah, I need to go measure the spring for the Smithsonian.....

[mogogear]

Spec's and Measurements:

Cylinder bore- 49.2mm(diameter) X 32mm (High)
Piston diameter- 48.90mm

Piston ring groove:
Bottom of groove diameter- 37.85mm
Groove width- 8.75mm
Depth ( from bottom of grove to piston O.D.)-.6.5mm

Spring- outer diameter-47.75 / thickness 5.15 / 5 "gaps" each 8.7mm wide

Old seal was V type

New seal is Not?

It has a flat inner face like normal- sides are flat also but the outer edge is rounded like standard O-ring
This does not seem right and would seem to be less capable of containing all the pressure down steam...





I am driving to Seattle on Tuesday- a stop at ESPNW is called for to see if they have a suitable V type piston ring.. ! Darn and these seals were the ones I had shipped form Spain / ASCASO..I hope the spare element works better.

[mogogear]

A nice bath it was..... after a long day in the yard doing that "down" side to the arrival of Spring.... made for a tired hand. So here is a quick look at the shiny girl... shield your eyes -Now







By the looks of the spanner holes in the piston head, you unscrew it to remove the spring and then the rod.

[mogogear]

The Portafilter is of almost commercial weight- 15oz. or so






The spout is removable / changeable to a single or another style. I stated it in another post, but the handle is VERY comfortable to grip

[hbuchtel]

Thanks for posting those photos and dimensions Greg! You've inspired me to get off my butt and get a new spring made for my Zerowatt. Should be ready later this week.

The piston and spring seem to be the same size as the Gaggia, except the piston has two "o" rings. Someone also had the clever idea of welding the top and bottom of the boiler together

Henry