Gaggia Gilda rebuild

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
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kaldi61
Posts: 266
Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by kaldi61 »

Hello all

Am back home in NY after a long overseas assignment and am now digging into my Gilda project. Picture shows both my 'good' machine (top left) and in front is that wacky one I bought from the 'bay for parts. The boiler cylinder of my good machine is quite pitted, you see it mildly in one of the pictures, but it's worse in some other areas. I know with Gildas and microCimballis there is considerable experience among us with pitted aluminum boilers, and I have read many threads, found few answers. What do you think I should do to make this safe and serviceable? I am considering this http://www.aluminumrepair.com/f-a-q/. I did read one thread where someone said Doug G. recommends chrome plating, while some others say anodize. Francesco told me to leave on the scale, but that was after I had already removed most of it, thinking that like iron rust it would propagate underneath and get worse. I have it scrubbed clean and protected temporarily with a light coat of oil.





Parts machine boiler way worse, has holes poorly patched, so I can use it to practice on. Thoughts appreciated.
-Nelson

LMWDP #506 "It's not just for breakfast anymore."

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kaldi61 (original poster)
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#2: Post by kaldi61 (original poster) »

Gilda fully stripped down.
-Nelson

LMWDP #506 "It's not just for breakfast anymore."

nuanced
Posts: 136
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#3: Post by nuanced »

......... if the boiler is a perfect cylinder , you might check out the possibility of insertion of a thin brass sleeve ......

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kaldi61 (original poster)
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#4: Post by kaldi61 (original poster) »

Good idea, but a bit challenging as I don't currently have a lathe. I thought about a sleeve. I also considered replacing that segment with stainless, and trying to do so in a way that could still incorporate the decorated aluminum piece for show. Without a lathe I would have to have a machinist do it, and that's both costly and logistically complex.

I ordered the 1 pound starter package from that aluminum repair site and will practice on my parts Gilda. Someone either drilled two holes in the boiler base of that machine or decided to patch holes with drain tubes that look brazed onto standard Moka pressure limiters. It will give me good substrate to work on my aluminum brazing technique.
-Nelson

LMWDP #506 "It's not just for breakfast anymore."

nuanced
Posts: 136
Joined: 9 years ago

#5: Post by nuanced »

............ alum. repair kit will work but the application of getting a flat and even cover surface will be tricky ; alternatively a small piece of 1/16 brass sheet material could be cut and shaped with large hose clamps and solid hard cylinder material of appox. size of boiler , this could then be silver soldered ; no need of a lathe ....

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UltramaticOrange
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#6: Post by UltramaticOrange »

kaldi61 wrote:Good idea, but a bit challenging as I don't currently have a lathe.
check with your local hackerspace. NYC Resistor is the most well-known one in the NY area, but doubtless there are others. Pay a weekly/mothly/yearly/whateverly fee and get access to all sorts of fun toys. A few different lathes are likely to be among those toys.
If your tiny coffee is so great, then why don't you drink more of it?

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Bluecold
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#7: Post by Bluecold »

you could try to install a stainless inner kettle heated by a band heater(cheap from aliexpress). I'm in the process* of doing that to my La Peppina to save the kettle from rust and the kettle base from deteriorating further. You don't need a press fit for this to work. The piston area is still susceptible, but the water contact is more intermittent in the piston area.

* i have the parts (kettle from a stainless flask and a band heater from aliexpress), but haven't gotten round to it.
LMWDP #232
"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death I Shall Fear No Evil For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."

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Paul_Pratt
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#8: Post by Paul_Pratt »

I can't add anything to help with your task, but somewhat incredibly I have a completely New Old Stock Gilda still in the original box. I have not taken it apart or switched it on (and probably never will) but am now intrigued by the condition of the kettle inside.