Building the Ultimate La Pavoni Europiccola - Page 7

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
Seth Hensel
Posts: 21
Joined: 10 years ago

#61: Post by Seth Hensel »


Seth Hensel
Posts: 21
Joined: 10 years ago

#62: Post by Seth Hensel »



This tool can be used to seat the heating element if said element has not been beaten or chiseled. I have one machine that was abused like that hence the second more robust tool.

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14347
Joined: 14 years ago

#63: Post by drgary »

Very nice. Mine was so jammed I believe only the punch and hammer solution would have worked on the brass ring. I like your heating element tool.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

skyboltone
Posts: 65
Joined: 9 years ago

#64: Post by skyboltone »

Here's the one I put together on the fly. It's for the '74 to 2000 models. Half inch cabinet grade plywood and a half inch bolt double nutted on the back side. The 6-32 screws pass through the washers on both sides and tightened down with nuts. One really needs to tighten the bolt and first nut to the point of crushing the ply for it to hold taking the ring off. Unfortunately my Tig welding machine is 500 miles away temporarily. When it returns home I'll make up a few of these for those who may need one. I'm tooled up to make them out of stainless or mild steel.


Bean me up dude!

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14347
Joined: 14 years ago

#65: Post by drgary »

PM Dan if you want one of these! :D
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14347
Joined: 14 years ago

#66: Post by drgary »

That won't be a problem, because it won't come out, and that shouldn't be a problem, because it appears to be screwed in all the way. Sometimes parts become inaccessible in a restoration and are better off left alone. Because my machine has a removable shower screen I was able to get at the snap ring, brass ring and piston rod gasket. Someone had replaced these not long ago because mercifully the snap ring is stainless. The piston rod gasket is silicone.

Today I also stripped and painted the base. I'm aiming at restoration of the hammertone paint unlike Franco, who's leaving his as polished aluminum. (I've checked with Franco and he's okay. He'll post photos of his completed restoration if he has a chance.)

I started by trying to burn off the paint. This old paint is very tough and wouldn't burn away. I also applied heat to the boiler flange to try and burn off the gasket. I still had to pick it off.



I got into scouring away paint using wire brushes on a rotary tool and drill. It probably took longer than if I'd used paint remover. But I had a leisurely day and just kept at it.



I found that the bottom of the base seemed to have cracked during the casting unless that occurred when I used the torch. Fortunately the crack doesn't go deep and the bottom edge still seems to be solidly attached. My paint will seal that up well. There was also a small crack in the drip tray that doesn't go all the way through. This may have happened when I clamped the base when removing the boiler flange.



Then I washed the base in soap and water, read the primer instructions, which were to use mineral spirits to clean off any residual grease. I did that and applied three coats of primer to the bottom, then three coats to the top, with 2 minute intervals between applications as instructed on the can.



You may notice pitting under the primer on top of the boiler flange. There's minimal pitting underneath and more on top. This tells me I must create a waterproof seal when mating of the boiler to the top of the base. I may apply a bead of high heat silicone or gasket maker to accomplish that in addition to the upper boiler gasket.



After that I waited 30 minutes and used wet, fine sandpaper to rough up the primer. It was starting to get cool outside, so that revealed bare metal on a couple of edges. I had to hit it with more primer. It was then I tried to remove the brass cylinder in my workshop and only succeeded at stripping the grip holes. After giving the primer enough time to set I applied sandpaper again. Then I gave it the first two coats of hammertone paint (pix tomorrow). The hammertone is tricky. The instructions don't tell you that the hammertone effect is created by getting close enough to the workpiece to achieve the uneven distribution. In my first pass I applied too much paint and had runs I smoothed with my finger before applying the second coat. I may need a third coat to cover that defect.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14347
Joined: 14 years ago

#67: Post by drgary »

There is a new development. I ordered the replacement flange from Germany on September 22. The site says shipment is 3 - 4 days. I took that to mean it takes 3 - 4 days to get the item out the door, but I received no tracking data. I just wrote to them and received an immediate response that it is backordered with not ETA. Fortunately I paid via PayPal, so I have recourse. Make sure they're not backordered before ordering one yourself. Added: They immediately refunded my money when I cancelled after finding another solution. Perhaps one of the machinists reading this can tell us what's required to make one of these to spec.

Meanwhile the restoration is proceeding. An alternative to getting that boiler flange and using a new heating element and PSTAT is getting a rebuilt element that fits the thread from Gabor in Hungary at resistenza dot 60 at gmail dot com. I ordered one from him for another machine and it came very quickly after I supplied him with one needing a rebuild. I will ask him whether there is a way to get one of those rebuilt to allow a PSTAT and will post here. If not, it would be easy to attach a thermocouple to the element plate and wire the machine with electronics to power it on and off. Rather than attempt a Ray Johns masterpiece of putting a PID into the base itself, I would attach a plug where the PID would work from an external project box. I already have the PID and project box for my Caravel, when I choose to use it that way.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

nuanced
Posts: 136
Joined: 9 years ago

#68: Post by nuanced »

..... might refer for custom p-stat , / VINTAGE LP P-STAT / posting on site ; threaded hole in HE brass plate is half the size of regular p-stat , should work in small area > total cost $65 ...

User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14347
Joined: 14 years ago

#69: Post by drgary »

Good idea, as I try to generate options in these threads. Earlier today I sourced an old stock fine thread flange that will work with the current heating element. Stay tuned!
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

User avatar
crazy4espresso
Posts: 677
Joined: 14 years ago

#70: Post by crazy4espresso »

Has anyone ordered these precision, wear resistant, SS pins out of Germany (available on ebay.de)? I'm thinking of ordering these for my '72 Europiccola. A solution like this would complement the "Ultimate Europiccola" well.

EDIT: I've ordered these. I'll report back.

"I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless." — Napoleon Bonaparte
LMWDP #427