Fullsack wrote:I pick up the pieces Monday and will post pics.

Original chrome vs. nickel plating.

Is the piston cylinder replated with nickel too?

timo888 wrote:Is the piston cylinder replated with nickel too?

Just plated what you see. After I got it together I noticed some exterior nuts and bolts I wished I would have gotten plated. The lever pins and clips would have been a nice touch also.

Wow... "Wolf-Whistle"... It really adds a deep luster to the look. Very nice!

It looks deep golden in the pic. Is it the color of a satin faucet?
Regards
Timo

timo888 wrote:It looks deep golden in the pic. Is it the color of a satin faucet?
Regards
Timo

It is a deep color and a darker chrome, but with a tinge of blue. The golden hue is from a reflection from my kitchen. Yes, I've seen faucets with this coloration.

timo888 wrote:Is the piston cylinder replated with nickel too?

I thought you were kidding about this until I read your brass boiler thread. What internal parts of a Cremina would you nickel plate? I drink a lot of coffee from this machine and the hot water comes in contact with a lot of its brass.

I've seen some discussions of the potential for metals to leach into the water from brass. I recall someone suggesting that current EU standards would require that manufacturers use brass that does not leach, but I did not see this substantiated, or know whether it is even possible. The new Creminas have steel boilers if I recall.

PC

I don't know that much about leaching, but keeping the boiler completely empty, (turn it upside down over the sink to get rid of the last few inches of water), when not in use and only having water in it during the 15 minutes or so of use, I would think, would minimize the problem.

Fullsack wrote:I thought you were kidding about this until I read your brass boiler thread. What internal parts of a Cremina would you nickel plate? I drink a lot of coffee from this machine and the hot water comes in contact with a lot of its brass.

With regards to Timmo's question remember back in this thread- you seal off the area of the internal cylinder from the stripping chemicals and the plating process. So no food contact areas are plated in the process...... I asked this question of my plating company, too so I DID NOT have my PF's replated since they would be food -contact surfaces....