Java Man wrote:Are you running a Wega Lyra? If so, I presume from your post that the thread on the Wega is NOT the same (1/8 NPT) used on the Barksdale?

Do you know specifically what the threads on the MATER are? It shouldn't be that hard to get an adapter to go from the 1/8 NPT on the Barksdale to the (whatever they are) on the Wega . . . but I've been wrong about espresso machine threads before!

Cheers,

Rick

Go for the long ball, Rick, PID the sucker

I'm not sure what the problem is/was finding a fitting for the Barksdale. I was concerned the the 1/8" male Barksdale appeared to get a bit wider the closer it got to the pstat. (don't know the technical term for this type of fitting) So prior to getting what I needed for the installation called and talked to Tomas @ Gimme Coffee, he who had these custom ordered in the first place. Tomas told me to just use standard 1/8" female fitting and it would expand as tightend. So I simply used a standard 1/8" brass female fittings found in Home Depot plumbing department. Still zero leaks. Did of course use tefon tape on all the threaded fittings.

Compass Coffee wrote:I'm not sure what the problem is/was finding a fitting for the Barksdale. I was concerned the the 1/8" male Barksdale appeared to get a bit wider the closer it got to the pstat. (don't know the technical term for this type of fitting) So prior to getting what I needed for the installation called and talked to Tomas @ Gimme Coffee, he who had these custom ordered in the first place. Tomas told me to just use standard 1/8" female fitting and it would expand as tightend. So I simply used a standard 1/8" brass female fittings found in Home Depot plumbing department. Still zero leaks. Did of course use tefon tape on all the threaded fittings.

OK - but that really doesn't apply for the WEGA Lyra.

The threads on the Barksdale are 1/8 NPT (National Pipe thread - tapered)
The threads at the end of the p-stat tube on the Lyra are straight, not tapered, and not NPT.
So it's either BSP (British Standard Pipe) or it's a metric straight thread.

Java Man wrote:It shouldn't be that hard to get an adapter to go from the 1/8 NPT on the Barksdale to the (whatever they are) on the Wega . . . but I've been wrong about espresso machine threads before!

Believe me, I searched. I went to Home Depot and Furrows and Lowe's.
If you're looking for standard compression male thread-to-NPT or BSP-NPT or NPT-Metric then you're SOL.



I already had a fitting that's 5/16 compression - 1/8 straight thread and it fits the WEGA tube fitting.
The plastic 3/8-tube fitting sealed on that, and then I went with the plastic tbe fitting -1/8 NPT.
And since it was getting too tall already, I installed a brass 1/8 elbow and finally the p-stat laying sideways.

If that fits in with "shouldn't be that hard" then you were spot-on.

Both height issue of multiple fittings and fittings match wise is why I built complete new line including tubing from boiler to Barksdale, as pictured start of thread. Plus I followed Tomas advice to use a long tube to keep pstat cooler. Making my own tubing allowed me to position the pstat however it would fit inside the case without touching anything. All the threads on the Bric' and the fittings I purchased are straight not tapered. Like I said per Tomas straight fitting to tapered Barksdale how they install them, and how I installed it no problem. Maybe an issue could be matching the thread pitch on the Wega boiler itself though. (not referring to the existing tube run)

I measured the male threads on the MATER with my vernier. They certainly appear to be tapered, and that makes sense since they seal to the threads on the Wega fitting without the need for Teflon tape. My measurement indicates that the threads are ~0.385 inches at the thick end. The closest match to this measurement I've been able to find is 1/8" ISO 7/1, which is spec'd at 0.383 inches. (Swagelock Thread and End Connection Identification Guide, pp. 12. -- thanks again to Eric S.) I don't have a thread pitch gauge, so I can't make a positive ID.

Maybe this is the adapter Wega owners need?

http://www.mcmaster.com/

See part # 4860K141

The male end of the adapter looks as though it may have the same threads as the MATER male thread. If so, this should fit the Wega female fitting.

The female end of the adapter is 1/8 in. NPT -- isn't this the same as the Barksdale?

Incidentally, Mike, the Wega tube that connects the boiler and the pressurestat isn't very long, but it is coiled (3 full turns) to provide some isolation from the heat of the boiler.

Jon, does the adapter from McMaster Carr look as though it would work for you?

Cheers,

Rick

Java Man wrote:I measured the male threads on the MATER with my vernier. They certainly appear to be tapered, and that makes sense since they seal to the threads on the Wega fitting without the need for Teflon tape.

Maybe you have a different fitting than I do at the end of your p-stat tube, but mine will absolutely not seal onto a tapered male thread. It is a compression fitting that makes up metal-metal seal against the bottom side of the male nipple using a sliding threaded collar to tighten up.

I'll post pics later when I go back and clean the thing up so you can see what I'm talking about more clearly.

Java Man wrote:Maybe this is the adapter Wega owners need?

http://www.mcmaster.com/ See part # 4860K141

You're right that the McMaster-Carr Catalog probably does have the right adapters, but that one doesn't work for me (it's a tapered thread).
Besides, there's no outlet in my little town for them (Houston, TX) so I couldn't find the right part over the weekend. Since I'm not sure what threads I actually DO need (except that they are straight and not tapered). So if I want to buy from a catalog I still need to know more.

Like I said, I went to the local hardware stores with my parts in my pocket, and I was SOL looking for something that worked.

Thanks for the link, I'm sure I can special-order some good fittings for this purpose, once I discover what I really need....
My point was that there was nothing available to me locally over the weekend to make this up.

Mcmaster Carr is blazingly fast with processing orders, Is Houston within the one or two day ground zone for LA or Chicago? If so, you will get the order ground in that time. McMaster Carr always amazes me with shipping times and never disappoints as far as quality... Just dont ask for a catalog, you need a note from God, cosigned by Elvis to get a paper catalog...

solock wrote:Mcmaster Carr is blazingly fast with processing orders...

It only helps if you know what you need.

What I need is to have the stuff in my hands so I can determine what fittings will work
I do not want to order a bunch of thread gauge sets

If the kind folks at EPNW will respond to my request for info then maybe I can put something together.

It could be a parallel thread instead of a taper thread. I have a link to a parts supplier with fittings so you can build your own tubing on my work computer from the Faema rebuild. They may have what you need. I will try to remember to post the link.

cannonfodder wrote:It could be a parallel thread instead of a taper thread.

Dave, this is what I have been trying to express all along.
The fitting at the end of the tube won't work with a tapered thread, it's a female parallel thread and requires a MALE parallel threaded mate.

I went back to the McMaster link this evening and SEARCHED but I cannot find any adapters that go to any MALE parallel thread.
NONE. Whomever it was who said "that shouldn't be so hard" obviously does NOT have the same setup as me.

If there's NO OTHER WAY then maybe I will have to build my own new tubing to run from the boiler, but the machine has to be disassembled to get at that end of the tube (the fittings on top of the boiler are very close together so you have to remove others to get at that one).

TerryZ was uncharacteristically unhelpful on the phone today. He seemed preoccupied, and did not seem to know offhand what fitting I needed. I indicated that I might be interested in a Sirai p-stat but he seemed unenthusiastic about that device. He did say if I order one and put in the notes that I need the adapter for my Wega that they would include the fitting for free.

At this point I am very frustrated.


Maybe Chris can be more helpful - he carries the Sirai and the new one (Jager?)
I'm inclined to get both, so I'll try to make time to call them tomorrow and ask about advice, p-stats, and fittings.

Sheesh!