I think I am done trying to get this pin out. Time to take option B. Order a new piston shaft from Wouter. Not very expensive and it's not like I can't make excellent espresso while I wait. Thanks for the help and looking forward to getting the gauge installed soon!

naked-portfilter wrote:
I will check a nice solution for the lid also (most probably machining or maybe laser cutting).

That would be nice. I am in for this future addition.

RyanP wrote:I think I am done trying to get this pin out. Time to take option B. Order a new piston shaft from Wouter. Not very expensive and it's not like I can't make excellent espresso while I wait. Thanks for the help and looking forward to getting the gauge installed soon!

Mine got out nicely by using a chopstick and a small hammer. The gauge is working wonderfully.

I guess I was just unlucky.

This is just all sorts of cool...

I did have some issues on first usage with the inner piston being latched in the seal (and therefore not letting through water). After some use, things seem to be better though, hoping it will relax a little bit more.

Gabor: brilliant piece of kit!!

Just got mine today! Installed pretty easy, but I did have a bearing puller from another project to help get the pin out of the old piston without smacking it too hard.

Just wondering if anyone else is having a very very difficult time getting to 9bar? Even a very hard pull is ending up around 6bar.

After reading about Wouter's profile declining from 11 I'm just wondering if my gauge is accurate. The needle was pointing the wrong way when I got it, but I put it in the right place using Olympia Cremina piston pressure gauge unboxing . I've nothing against 6bar shots, it just seems odd that Wouter (who recommends a softer pull, never adding any flex to the lever arm) is getting 11bar when I feel like it's at a limit just getting near 9 for a few seconds. Or, hey, maybe I'm babying the arm too much.

Outside of that, it looks great and has been a lot of fun to experiment with so far! Too much fun, really. I've had a few too many shots today thanks to it.

CwD wrote:Just wondering if anyone else is having a very very difficult time getting to 9bar? Even a very hard pull is ending up around 6bar.

After reading about Wouter's profile declining from 11 I'm just wondering if my gauge is accurate. The needle was pointing the wrong way when I got it, but I put it in the right place using Olympia Cremina piston pressure gauge unboxing . I've nothing against 6bar shots, it just seems odd that Wouter (who recommends a softer pull, never adding any flex to the lever arm) is getting 11bar when I feel like it's at a limit just getting near 9 for a few seconds. Or, hey, maybe I'm babying the arm too much.

I tried to replicate Wouter's profile . We made on the opening day of World of Coffee Budapest at least 50 shots for the visitors with my brand new CT1. It's not easy to reach 11 bars (this pull was made with two hands). I normally make a slow ramp and a pull with only one hand peaking at 8-9 bars for a short time and declining after 10-12 seconds.

This is similar to Wouter's profile, coffee ground was very fine:

naked-portfilter wrote:I tried to replicate Wouter's profile . We made on the opening day of World of Coffee Budapest at least 50 shots for the visitors with my brand new CT1. It's not easy to reach 11 bars (this pull was made with two hands). I normally make a slow ramp and a pull with only one hand peaking at 8-9 bars for a short time and declining after 10-12 seconds.

If you're getting anywhere near 9 bar with one hand I think I might have done something wrong on the install of mine, I have to either stand weird and push down hard with two hands or get below it and pull down hard to make it read 9 even momentarily. Any force I can exert from a normal standing position (even enough to flex the lever arm) is barely reading above 6.

Hey Mitch,

Move carefully the arm/pointer to the other side/to the right side of the stopper pls (without removing it). You should reset it if it moves further to the right.

We've modded a lid for my CT-1 today. I will speak to Wouter about this. It would be more logical to produce these parts in the Netherlands.