Since I acquired my 1999 La Pavoni Europiccola over four years ago I have been annoyed daily by the way that the double spout sprayed water all over the table top when I bled the group with the portafilter attached. It also seemed silly to have a double spout on such a machine in the first place!

The image below shows this portafilter and the one from my 1978 machine. (They are quite different, but interchangeable between all 1974-2000 group machines.)



The upper portafilter is the one that came with the 1999 machine, the lower with the 1978 one. Now they do not spray water all over the table top, and the water goes directly into the cups! They have what I regard as more sensible spouts! I did have one problem: the 3/8 inch BSPT tap (tapered) I used needed to be screwed a very long distance into the part being threaded to get the diameter that matched the thread on the portafilter body. I was careless and managed to turn down the first one so that the i.d. was larger than the o.d. trying to deal with this! (That is the hole is on the outside!) i.e. I had cut off the tip. Instead of discarding it, I smoothed off the tip and tried it as a spout.

I made a second one the way I intended for the first one to be, note the tip on the lower one.

I have now tested both several times and think I actually prefer the one I thought I had ruined!

This morning there was not water all over the table!

Robert,

Good work as always.

Was there a reason other than aesthetics that you put a spout on the PF? I just took the double spout off of mine and it has been working great. Never thought about how the double spout would likely spray with an empty basket since I've never used the double spout. Who want's 1/2 a shot of espresso anyway!

Now there's an odd coincidence. My little adapters just arrived today from the PRC. I cut the barbs off, sanded the flats round and polished on a cloth wheel...voila!! I was just sitting down to post the pic and saw your thread.

Anyway, here's my version:

That also looks nice. Same question... Do you notice any difference in function or was this an aesthetic choice for a single spout over the PF threads showing?

That barbed connector gives me an idea. Now I'm going to have to get one of these that fits the PF, get a high pressure gauge and test my pulling strength too...

I made the single spouts in part to prevent the threads on the portafilter from being damaged with no spout at all. I also made them in preparation for another project--a straight spout with a thermometer well in the side. I have a stock of brass rod, but I discovered I do not have any round rod that is 25mm or 1 inch, that I need to do this right. I think this type of spout will also have to be made in at least two pieces.

Thus when I get some brass rod ofthe right diameter I intend to make a spout like this with a thermometer well in the side. The brass rod that I used for these first projects is too thin for this.

Oh to have at least a mini lathe in my garage!!!

My portafilter has been damaged by torching it to death to remove the stud, which was rusted solid when I got it. I guess I don't feel the same way about my PF as people that have pretty ones. Mine has a plain steel bolt for the handle, sealed with o-ring and locknut to keep moisture out. LOL It still works though!
One of these days I'll handle it right, but the industrial look on my blistered portafilter suits me fine.

I think I will rig up a pressure gauge eventually so I can know my pull strength. Might be very interesting to see.