Many people have been trying to solve the problem of "rusting to dust" of the Microcimbali boilers but even my own research proved there are no simple solutions. There is already a 3D model on thingverse but printing it in metal proved too problematic and expensive. I own two microcimbali machines and it bothered me for a long time that I cannot use them due to the boiler being so fragile and rusting away. Therefore, I decided I would fabricate it. After approximately two months of intensive night labor (after kids were put to sleep), I finally have a working prototype. It is made completely out of stainless steel. My workshop is not well-equiped for metal work and my welding is far from good but I made it. Along the way, I am developing a simpler, more streamlined solution for further fabrication. For the first one, I made all of the components myself from tubes and sheet metal, for the other one that I am about to start putting together, I let a dedicated company to precisely laser cut these components and I hope the assembly will be much easier. At this point, I use the boiler non-pressurized (gravity fed) mostly because the water level indicator must work with open upper end (since it only has an inlet). One of the pictures shows another version with a simple oil level indicator in a form of a see-through nut. I need to strip it out of zinc and plate it with nickel and then, I will try to use the boiler pressurized. The biggest challenge during the fabrication process was to make all the welds watertight and then seal properly the group head. It took several trials with various gaskets and materials but it holds tight now.

I have read on forums that reviving microcimbali is not worth the effort because the machine is simply not capable of producing excellent espresso. I had that experience as well, especially in comparison with other levers that I own (pavoni, caravel, peppina, faemina) but that changed with my new boiler and specifically when I modified the spring tension on the piston (increased it). After that, it produces great espresso.

Very cool! You've done a commendable job!

I am still stumped that there hasn't been another plating material identified that is less prone to corrosion that would work.

Version 2 of the Microcimbali boiler finished from the laser-cut stainless steel components (and some other bits and pieces). Now, they both work pressurized as the original microcimbali. Both adapted for the La pavoni europiccola post-millenium portafilter.

soldjem wrote: I have read on forums that reviving microcimbali is not worth the effort because the machine is simply not capable of producing excellent espresso. I had that experience as well, especially in comparison with other levers that I own (pavoni, caravel, peppina, faemina) but that changed with my new boiler and specifically when I modified the spring tension on the piston (increased it). After that, it produces great espresso.

It's great to see an actual solution to the problem with boiler materials. I'm thinking that the cause of not making good espresso was a de-tensioned spring. The Microcimbali I restored made excellent espresso and steamed well in its stock configuration.

Thanks much! I still have three sets of laser-cut components and eventually plan to make more but I cannot say when. It is a night time job for me after kids have gone to bed. I can have more sets cut by the company too. I can offer once I have some of them done.

This looks like a home project and not the start of a business. With that understanding, please know that we ask members to post items for sale in the Buy/Sell forum if they are not a business. We ask members to request to buy items there and not in discussion forums elsewhere on the site.

Lukas, if this ever becomes a business, please contact Dan Kehn, our site owner, aka HB, to set that up.

Gary, this will never become a business. I have my day job and fight for time as most other people. Home project yes and if I would offer, I will do it in the buy/sell forum as instructed.

Thanks

great project!
I am thinking about doing something similar to a dead microcimbaly (hole in the boiler due to corrosion)...

a question about the welding: did you back-purge while welding the boilers?
and how did you connect the two boilers in the second version? i could not see ane welds there...