Zeb,

That was a beautiful restoration of a Faema President I saw on your blog, and inspired me to purchase the one I own now.

I installed an LED kit for the glass panel lighting rather than finding an old neon light for it, but I was curious which kit you used and how you insulated the wires inside the cover.

Paul_Pratt wrote:Ernt's method looks great

zeb wrote: And then I use the same method than Ernst to remove the pieces of bolt

macgaggia wrote:no, the new things you see are just some nuts that i used for distance pieces to press the bolt out, the inner ring that faces the boiler is casted for a hex bolt head, see picture 98 so dont try to turn the bolt, it will break the cast. first you have to move and force the bolt backwards, than you can try to turn it and get it out.ernst

What, exactly, is the red tool/vise/press that is being used? I certainly don't have it, but I will.

@ Phillip: That is a standard, fairly large, benchtop vise. You're looking at it upside down in the photo.

@ Everyone: I'm really enjoying watching these serious restorers of classic machines offering help on this thread.

Ah! Okay, I kind of thought that, but... now I know.

I've been thinking likewise, Gary - so much experience in this thread. I'm one lucky guy right now.

As for progress, I have one nut that I made into a nice cirle, and I'll need a chisel to get rid of it. I've never stripped a nut to this point - I should have been patient. Oh well.

Otherwise, I'll going to try the double-nut method before buying a vise that I could use on the boiler. The boiler is in good shape as far as rust and corrosion, but the design leaves a lot to be desired - at least in my knowledge. I don't know why the bolt heads are so recessed that they can't be accessed with a socket or wrench.

-phillip

I have a small and near 100-year old vise that I thought was too small, but it is just barely large enough to work - at least for 1 of the three bolts I tried it on - yay! I'll need a larger vise for the others, but at least I know it works in principle. Oh which, any reason NOT to soak these in penetrating oil for a day or so?

I don't know why the bolt heads are so recessed that they can't be accessed with a socket or wrench.

nice italian engeering, when you put it together again, you need only one wrench.

As for progress, I have one nut that I made into a nice cirle, and I'll need a chisel to get rid of it. I've never stripped a nut to this point

wait till the rest of the bolts are out, than you can easily use a hacksaw and cut where the gasket is.

I have a small and near 100-year old vise that I thought was too small

that is 10 times better than the one i used. if it works for one, than its big enough for the rest.

Oh which, any reason NOT to soak these in penetrating oil for a day or so?

of course you can, but the 3 different materials made a kind of electrical reaction and formed a kind of a weld. this weld just smiles about WD40.
better way to get them moving is tapping the bolts with a hammer, but put c-clamps on both sides close to the hex head, otherwise you brake the aluminum rings.
take your time
ernst

macgaggia wrote: of course you can, but the 3 different materials made a kind of electrical reaction and formed a kind of a weld. this weld just smiles about WD40.
better way to get them moving is tapping the bolts with a hammer, but put c-clamps on both sides close to the hex head, otherwise you brake the aluminum rings.
take your time
ernst

Good advice - the hammer wins! Well, the hammer lost three times, but banging away on them was much easier than using the vise. However, I now have three "welded" bolts that I am unsure of how to remove. I smashed them well enough with a hammer that I can't fit a nut on it. Is my only choice to cut and drill?
Oh, and also here is a shot of the well broken heating element that has been locked inside the boiler for who-knows-how-long?

Do you own a welding torch?

Is my only choice to cut and drill?

thats what i would do, than support the backsite where the hex head is and strike them out with a tapperd pin.
good work so far.
ernst

Out of curiosity how goes the restoration?