So I added a wood handle to my europiccola portafilter - Page 2

[bobby yarrow]

That is punk rock, carving your own handle. Looks tremendous. Well done.

[Gatewood]

I'd be impressed at an eagle, too! You're a sculptor, right? I'm a painter, but that doesn't help with an eagle.

[mogogear]

I'd be impressed at an eagle, too! You're a sculptor, right? I'm a painter, but that doesn't help with an eagle.

He also cast the main part of his portafilter- happy- I had to give you credit

[kbuzbee]

Be sure to post when you make it. You may have a new line

Nicely carved handle BTW.

Ken

[happytamper]

I will get started on it this week. Thanks for the encouragement. I took a look at the la Pavoni one and I think I would like to do something a bit different.

Kbuzbee, What does BTW mean? I see it all the time and can not figure it out.

[bobby yarrow]

Knowing nothing about casting, do you destroy the form in the process? In other words, is it viable for you to make more than 1?

(Myself, I have a chrome machine, and I don't know what I'd think of a bronze-colored anything. Tho I am dead impressed with you handle.)

BTW: btw means "by the way." Ya rly. (Yes, really.)

Most useful internet meme: TLDR. (Too long, didn't read.)

[Gatewood]

I'll bet bronze would be fairly nice with the chrome. You'd probably need a little bronze doo-dad somewhere else to balance it. Drip tray cover, maybe?

[happytamper]

Knowing nothing about casting, do you destroy the form in the process? In other words, is it viable for you to make more than 1?

(Myself, I have a chrome machine, and I don't know what I'd think of a bronze-colored anything. Tho I am dead impressed with you handle.)

BTW: btw means "by the way." Ya rly. (Yes, really.)

Most useful internet meme: TLDR. (Too long, didn't read.)

When I make the original in wax, I can cast directly without a mold, When I do multiple casts of the same work, I make a flexible mold out of rubber and pour new waxes for each bronze that will be cast. The portafilter (thanks for the credit mogo) was a one off and cast directly from a wax I worked on. no mold was made. For the top of the boiler if I manage to do something I will definitely make a rubber mold for a limited amount of castings.

Hi Gatewood, Glad to see another artist on the Forum. I have also started to paint after 15 years as a sculptor. It is like a whole new world. Now I spend the day sculpting at the studio and the night trying to learn how to paint.

[kbuzbee]

Mitchell, I like the idea of changing the style. Something about that one never quite did it for me (else I would likely have found the ridiculous price they are asking)

Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Found these on the net, but they aren't quite right either... Just for imput.

Eagle 1


Eagle 2

Per Gatewood's comment above, how are you thinking to mount these?? Seems like it should go over the boiler. I suppose a drilled and sealed mounting could be done into the cap but that seems tricky. Maybe a set over (like I think the current dome works)?

Domed Machine

Anyway, very excited!

Ken

[Gatewood]

I'd like the top to fit like the domed top does, too. Mine has the domed top. Mitchell, are you going to maybe do something kind of funky for that eagle? I can imagine an abstract take on the eagle or something like that. This is getting very interesting!
I am not surprised that there are artists on this forum. After all, the lever machines are definitely an aesthetic pleasure as well as good coffee makers. I'll bet there are lots of us getting ready for world domination!

[bill]

Sounds like you want something unique, but if you're interested you can borrow the eagle from my Elektra to make a mold.

[Gatewood]

And you can borrow my domed cap if you want a model for that fitting.

[happytamper]

I have an old La Pavoni Europiccola and an Old La pavoni Ambassador. Both have Plastic type black screw tops for the tank. I will have to drill a hole or something to get the sculpture to sit. I don't like to take a molds of an existing work.

If it were to go on a domed top I would need to know the threading that is at the top of the dome. It seems like there is a little cap on top already. But all this is details, the work will have a convex base that can be adapted to fit on anything. I hope to start it today and will post progress when it is on its way.

great pictures Kbuzbee, If the work is an eagle they will be super helpful. Whats up with the eagle for the top anyway? It seems it is so ingrained into our minds that I am having a hard time imagineing anything else on top. An angel might be nice too, a coffee angel lol. Anyways I have to get some work done to afford myself the time to do this little project. maybe I can do a small portrait bust of ..... and move the steam release so it comes out the ears.


Thanks again for the encouragement.

[Gatewood]

Mitchell, the domed top isn't threaded. There's a little bitty ball on the edge that holds it on there when you push it down. If you have to drill a hole in the boiler cap, you are running into major problems, at least as far as mine is concerned. It has the pressure release valve up there, and any other hole would be sort of a mess, I would think. I'm not in very good shape today, but can take a picture of the domed top later if you would like. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it fits on the boiler with pressure, rather than with threads.

[happytamper]

I got a chance to work on the wax. The bird image was seared into my mind. I could not imagine another more interesting subject to place on top of a pavoni. So that is what I decided to do, when I manage to design my own lever machine maybe something else will come to mind. Still like the idea of incorporating the steam release to come out of a sculptural element. I left the work a bit textured to give the feel of feathers without actually sculpting feathers, I prefer works that are not too representational. I may work on it a bit more around the chest area and at the base. And maybe a bit on the legs. Hope to cast it in bronze in the coming weeks. A light brown patination with highlights on the edges of the wings.







Gatewood, hope you are feeling better.

[Gatewood]

It's super, Mitchell. Thanks for your concern. I'll be better if the doctors can get their act together. For now, I'm just enjoying the web. (did manage to pull a shot tonight; yum!)
Are you going to market your eagle? Put my name on the list!

By the way, my domed top has a screw in the very top that holds a little doodad on it. The eagle would be able fit there, perhaps.

[kbuzbee]

Awsome Mitchell! I had trouble getting some of the details. As the project moves forward, please post some more 'close up' photos? Thanks - And Nicely Done!

Ken