by jmc on Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:15 am I was THIS close to getting the sight gauge tube out when it broke. Fortunately I hadn't put in my seal kit order with Orphan Espresso yet so included a new one. As usual, brilliant service.
I had a professional plater look at the base and boiler and he seemed to think that polishing out the rust on the base would be a big task ( i.e. it would lose a lot of it's thickness in some areas)
. So I asked my mate who owns an engineering shop what he thought and he sent me to one of his contacts who specialises in Harley Davidson chromework. He took one look at the parts and said "no problem", and quoted me a very good price. 
The lever arm turns out to be mild steel / brass plated which has rust spots so it will be replated ( Brass ).I should have the parts back from them later this week so am polishing up the brass parts ready for reassembly of the machine at the weekend.
I still can't get the pressure gauge apart so I can fit a new glass, but haven't quite given up yet. I'm pretty sure that it will come down to either getting it apart or wrecking it. I hate to think what a new one would cost.
Pictures to come next week.
John
