I haven't seen that chart before!

I was actually hoping for a copper boiler in my europiccola, this is regarding the lead issue.

I'll have to check some more. Is there any easy way to figure this out? Without scraping the inside of the boiler ofc

Utking wrote:I'll have to check some more. Is there any easy way to figure this out?

No really easy way I can think of. However I think a close look at the joints where the machined brass parts are joined to the main body may be instructive. If you see a thin silvery line there with a brass colored body, I think that would support the idea that the body is really brass and is not overplated with brass, gold, or perhaps even a brass/gold lacquer. (Overplating the whole boiler would cover that brazed area.) When I look real hard at pictures in this post I think I see that silver brazing line, which makes me think this is indeed a brass boiler. Plated boilers on older machines often tend to be self evident because the decorative plating wears off showing underlying chrome or nickel. The levers of most older brass or copper machines usually look more like steel than brass.

You could use some sandpaper on the inside of the boiler, or perhaps on the edge of an opening for the safety valve or steam wand, then polish that surface. Polished brass would be yellow unlike polished copper. (Don't remove that valve or wand unless you have tools to hold and secure the nut that will fall inside the boiler.)

I recently opened up an Europiccola, and saw that pad too. i decided to leave it. If its undisturbed, its not dangerous. Just like your neighbours dog.... (on Padded Olympias, where splashes of refill water starts to wash off the Asbestos, i remove that stuff as well...)

also, its serves as an electric insulator, the heating element connectors come very close to the base, i'd be more worried about that.

you can try melamine foam, its an excellent insulator, and could be a good electric isolator...

Thank you for the suggestion. As for the pad, I already removed it, I put it in a pan of water and scraped it off in one piece. I put it in a plastic sandwich bag still wet and will dispose of it properly.

homeburrero wrote:No really easy way I can think of. However I think a close look at the joints where the machined brass parts are joined to the main body may be instructive. If you see a thin silvery line there with a brass colored body, I think that would support the idea that the body is really brass and is not overplated with brass, gold, or perhaps even a brass/gold lacquer. (Overplating the whole boiler would cover that brazed area.) When I look real hard at pictures in this post I think I see that silver brazing line, which makes me think this is indeed a brass boiler. Plated boilers on older machines often tend to be self evident because the decorative plating wears off showing underlying chrome or nickel. The levers of most older brass or copper machines usually look more like steel than brass.

You could use some sandpaper on the inside of the boiler, or perhaps on the edge of an opening for the safety valve or steam wand, then polish that surface. Polished brass would be yellow unlike polished copper. (Don't remove that valve or wand unless you have tools to hold and secure the nut that will fall inside the boiler.)

I never got around to answer this.

Life is hectically with the new twins!

Thank you for alle the details and suggestions, I will take a better look at it.

And to you colawrence, good luck with the boiler ring!