jwCrema wrote:Until I acquire this upgrade I'm thinking about starting a group buy on those snap rings (used to call them circlips).

They go by many names apparently! The pliers I just had to pick up today to replaced my vanished ones call them "retaining clips".

I highly recommend getting threaded pins to replace the pin / circlip setup.

That is an awesome device!! Very well thought out and manufactured. I wish i had thought of it! Ain't modern machining wonderful!
~Richard/espressme

Thanks for the flowers! I appreciate it. We enjoyed a lot developing it.

grog wrote:I highly recommend getting threaded pins to replace the pin / circlip setup.

That's a great idea, Greg! Do you know where can we find them? Not too long ago I saw some on ebay for La Pavoni machines, but I wasn't sure if they were the same size as those used on a Cremina.

I got mine from a fellow HBer who was producing them for a bit, but I'm not sure if he is still making them.

I've been using my Cremina exclusively all week. The gauge is not only fun, but I feel I'm reaching some previously unreached potential this week. It is very confidence inspiring. The coffee off of my Cremina / Pavoni's while good, has never matched what I could get from the President. With this gauge I am able to replicate my profiles from the President on the Cremina. The result? Really tasty coffee. They still have their own particular characteristics but I no longer strongly prefer the President like I did before.

If nothing else these piston pressure gauges will drastically reduce the learning curve on the Cremina or Pavoni's. And some of us veterans will discover some surprising things about our current technique as I was.

I shot some video, but my kids hijacked it, and for me video editing is like pulling teeth, so it may be a while before I have something to post here.

Thanks for the update! I pulled the trigger on this too and looking forward to contributing to it as soon as it arrives.

I built a pstat gauge for my Cremina a while back - with this upgrade I'll have complete analog instrumentation.

jwCrema wrote:I pulled the trigger on this too ...

Yes, there was heavy shooting here the last days...

dominico wrote:for me video editing is like pulling teeth

Let it edit by your children as I did (this one is a pull with it):

dominico wrote: If nothing else these piston pressure gauges will drastically reduce the learning curve on the Cremina or Pavoni's. And some of us veterans will discover some surprising things about our current technique as I was.

naked-portfilter wrote: Yes, there was heavy shooting here the last days...

I bet a bunch of orders came in just after this post from dominico