La San Marco single group lever

Posted on January 7th, 2016

converted La San Marco single group lever

Dual boiler, dual PID commercial lever beast!

This beast started out life as a La San Marco 85 series, single group volumetric heat exchanger. I bought it last year as a fixer upper, the boiler was over filling and it needed a general going over. 9 months or so later and it’s a very different machine to the one that came in!

Turns out the over filling problem was a fractured heat exchanger, so that ruled out keeping the machine conventional – the heat exchanger would have to be decommissioned, capped off and become part of the steam boiler volume – I didn’t like the chances of a successful repair.

At that point it became a total strip down, and while I had the bare chassis on the bench, I started playing around with the possibility of fitting a lever group that I had spare. With an extra cross member in the chassis, it would totally work! So, off to see my mate Gonz who worked his magic and welded in a cross piece to take half the group flange. The group was already fitted with cartridge heaters, from back in the days of the Quick Mill Achille testing with Talk Coffee, so why not take advantage of that? Then, why not add some extra precision with a dedicated brew boiler as well? Yep, it would fit with a bit of wrangling. I also adapted a small volume heat exchanger into the existing steam boiler to provide pre-heated water to the brew boiler. Serious overkill at this point but why the heck not?!

So, this ended up being the most advanced lever machine I’ve built to date, with a PID controlling the group and a PID controlling a dedicated brew boiler just behind it, temperature control is phenomenal. By tweaking the two set points, you can even control the shape of the traditional lever temperature profile.

The original boiler is slightly under-specced at 1700W, but it allows the total machine wattage to stay at approx. 10 amp draw, with 600W in the brew boiler and 200 in the group. It takes a while to reach 1.5 bar, the group is hot well before then – but is ready to go after 25 min approx. and steam pressure is never an issue due to the huge volume for a single group, and added insulation.

It’s plumbed in only, as the line pressure primes the brewing circuit and is used for pre-infusion. The spring installed in the group (new of course) generates 10 bar peak pressure. It’s a delight to use and pulls wonderful shots. I’m mad to sell it, but that’s the reality of running a business, I can’t hang on to everything!

Summary of work done:

solved issue with heat exchanger crack
entirely new brewing system – group, boiler, pre-heater, PID control X2.
new autofill controller, SSRs, wiring as required.
rebuilt all existing valves, plumbing.
powdercoat exterior panels in electric blue hammertone (bold, I know, but it looks stunning!)

It’s probably the most advanced lever machine in the world, in terms of temperature control (at the time of writing – 2016). Offers will be considered. I am in the process of finalising fitment of the front panel, as it was never intended to cover a lever group. Once that’s done she’s ready to go, will not take me long!

SOLD – Conti Prestina

Posted on November 23rd, 2014

Conti Prestina

single group lever machine

For sale is my Conti Prestina single group lever machine, fully restored. These machines are very rare in Australia and is the only one I have ever seen. The Conti group is unique, using a series of linkages to convert the lever action to a vertical piston movement. This machine has an incredibly small footprint for it’s capability and boiler volume, Conti used an innovative compact construction to place all the necessary components on the massive boiler flange.

This machine has been rebuilt from the ground up with OEM parts sourced directly from Conti in Monaco, who still make spares for the group. Replaced parts include the group spring, pressurestat, wiring, silicone boiler insulation, nuts and bolts where mild steel was used, and all gaskets and seals.

Operationally the machine is in perfect condition, and cosmetic condition is excellent. There are a few spots where the protective lacquer is lifting off the brass plated panels, and a few minor blemishes in the front panel and base.

This is a 10 amp (standard household power) machine and requires a plumbed mains water supply or flo-jet pump.

Price: $2,900 including GST.

SOLD – Bo-Ema single group lever

Posted on November 23rd, 2014

SOLD – Bo-Ema A3

single group commercial lever

For sale as a completed project is my Bo Ema lever machine from the late 60’s, made in Revesby, Sydney. This is one of the only two single group machines I have ever seen, and has been restored to better than new condition.

Starting with a powdercoat for the aluminium base, this machine has been fully rebuilt with new seals and gaskets, and functionally improved with an autofill controller and solenoid valve, plus a modern pressurestat/SSR combo for perfect reliability. It’s had a new element, new group spring, new boiler insulation, new paintwork, new gauge, new tap handles and many other practical improvements, all together totalling roughly 100 hours of labour.

The final touch is a thorough bench test to fine tune pressure and temperature characteristics, this machine behaves exactly as a big commercial dipper style lever group should, with effortless consistent pours back to back once everything is properly warmed up.

If you’ve been looking for a vintage lever that’s ready for a new lifetime of service, this might be the one. Get in touch to arrange a demo if you are interested.

This is a 10 amp (standard household power) machine and requires a plumbed mains water supply or flo-jet pump and drainage.

SOLD

Restoration projects

Posted on September 21st, 2012

Restoration projects

creating functional classics

It could be argued that espresso machine design reached it’s peak in the workshops and foundries of northern Italy in the mid 20th century, and everything since then has been a bit boring! There’s a certain character about machines of that era that just exude flair, passion and artistry. And while not many of us are lucky enough to own a Gaggia Esportazione, Cimbali GranLuce, La Pavoni Concorso, La San Marco Lollobrigida or Faema Urania, it’s certainly true that any vintage coffee machine is eminently restorable to perfect working condition given enough love and attention.
Whether you’ve got an older second hand machine that you want to bring up to scratch for domestic or cafe use, or you’ve uncovered a gem in a forgotten corner of the garage, I can help you with either a complete restoration from start to finish, or a particular aspect if you’re doing most of the work yourself. My aim with restorations is always function before aesthetics – what’s the point having a shiny beautiful machine if it makes rubbish coffee or no coffee at all. After that, anything is possible including installing modern electrical systems, re-plating or re-manufacturing worn parts, re-spraying paintwork and reproducing original factory artwork. My preference and advice is always to preserve original finishes where possible, as this preserves character and adds value to the machine in the long term.

Naturally these hands-on processes can be very time consuming, and I assess and quote each restoration project as a flat labour fee plus expenses, according to the result you want to achieve.

Repairs and servicing

Posted on September 21st, 2012

Repairs and servicing

Keeping you extracting – commercial or domestic

Repairs and servicing are what I spend most of my waking hours on. When things aren’t working as they should, you need the problem rectified quickly so you can keep enjoying your equipment. With many years of experience working on all brands of commercial and domestic espresso equipment, I’ll ensure that you’re back up and running with the minimum of fuss – whether it’s as simple as changing a filter or adjusting pump pressure, right through to a major breakdown.

You’ll also get the kind of personal service and attention to detail that you can only expect from a dedicated individual. I want you to be happy with my work, and I’ll take the time to make sure that you are. Crucial to that is that I don’t just know machines, I know coffee and I can have a conversation with you about how different parameters in the machine affect the results, and look at your whole system including the machine, grinder, coffee and water source to identify issues that may not have been readily apparent.

For domestic equipment, if you are dropping off at my Northcote workshop location I aim for a 48 hr turnaround. Otherwise, an on-site call may be required if the equipment is hard to move, or in commercial use. See the FAQ page for more details.

For commercial clients, if it’s not a breakdown I’ll work with you to attend at a time that suits your business. The last thing you want is to be turning customers away because your machine’s out of action.

Microcimbali restoration

Posted on September 21st, 2012

Microcimbali restoration

Vintage domestic lever machine

This was a good example of the sort of horrible condition that many vintage domestic machines imported from Italy are in. Plentiful rust, corrosion, scale, damaged chrome, perished insulation, seals, etc etc. Beware the optimistic eBay description! However, the appeal of these vintage lever machines is justified – once restored, they really are functioning design icons of a bygone era.

Luckily, the most important parts of the machine were fixable. The worst case scenario is that the element filament or insulation is damaged, meaning a costly one-off custom element has to be made. Luckily this was not the case and repairing the element just involved re-sealing the terminals with high-temperature insulation compound.

Further work included:

Repairing hole in cast aluminium boiler by drilling out and plugging internally with new material
Drilling out and re-threading damaged mounting points on boiler casting
Re-wiring with modern silicone insulated cable
Replacing all perished seals with OEM or custom made versions
Polishing exterior surfaces and fittings

These old lever machines fascinate me, and I love working on them. They are always a challenge, but there’s nothing more satisfying than getting a perfect shot out of a machine you’ve restored, and it’s now an asset the new owner will enjoy for many years to come.

Improvements and modifications

Posted on September 21st, 2012

Improvements and modifications

Getting the best from your gear

While most domestic and commercial espresso equipment on the market is capable of achieving excellent results, there are occasions where better performance can be gained from making a few simple internal modifications. Through monitoring how the machine is behaving, we’d be able to assess what, if anything, could be gained in terms of temperature stability at the group or other usability improvements eg. better steam pressure, quicker recovery time etc. If you’ve got something in mind, I can tell you whether it’s going to A. give you the result you want, and B. remain safe and cost effective.

Thermosyphon Restrictors

In most cases, excessive group temperatures in traditional heat-exchanger machines can be controlled through the addition of a thermosyphon restrictor (a small disc with a precisely sized opening, placed into the heat exchanger) that is tuned to the particular temperature that you want to achieve. This allows you to lower the temperature at the group without losing steam pressure, and negating the need for a cooling flush. It’s a very simple but significant upgrade for most domestic E61-group machines that run hot – associated with burnt or bitter flavours in espresso and steam/spluttering from the group when the pump is activated.

Temperature studies, PID control and boiler upgrades

For the ultimate temperature control, some machines may benefit from replacing stock thermostats or pressurestats with modern PID hardware. This often has a dual benefit in terms of easy temperature adjustability, and long term reliability as digital controllers and associated devices have no moving parts.

Usability improvements

The list of possibilities are almost endless. If you’d like to improve your existing machine rather than upgrading, give me a call and we’ll see what can be done. Some suggestions to get you thinking:

Swapping steam and hot water wand locations
Upgrade to lever-activated steam valve or cool-touch wands
Custom steam tips for more usable steaming
Two-stage pre-infusion switch for semi-automatic solenoid groups
Upgraded heating element control system incorporating solid state relays for greater reliability
Adding auto-fill controllers to older manual fill machines
Plumb-in conversions for tank machines