Coffee Appreciation

What price for both, and is the Rancillio plumbed or water tank?

Rancillio has water tank. Would take £350 for both

Done deal.

When do you want me to collect, and can I give you the money via bank transfer?

SOLD to Velocio

Bainbridge - glad you got the machine up and running. Hope you're enjoying it. That guy is working with Lawrence of Dark Fluid Coffee, the guys at Lewisham market isn't he?

Velocio - You got yourself a lovely little setup there, should be much more satisfying than a superauto.

Dammit - Should be pretty simple to mend your steam valve, just an o-ring in the valve or one of the joints.

Hippy - Just the usual suggestions for a knackered fastener but don't worry too much if you do have to drill it out, the part it screws into, the dispersion block, is replacable at not too great an expense.

I expect so- although if there was an O-ring in there at some point it has totally vanished, without a trace.

This may be down to the extremely hot steam that was going past/through it, of course.

Would that sort of O-ring be a special order part, or is there a more "high street" source?

http://www.partsguru.com/user/Gaggia%20Achille%20G105-106%20Exploded%20diagram%20ER0108Rev02%5B1%5D.pdf

Should be part 45 or 46. I would hazard that it's an OTP fibre washer which could explain its disappearance. You'll get one in B&Q or you could source an OEM part. There's a bunch of Gaggia parts places, I've never used any of them so can't recommend one I'm afraid.

If you look on that diagram then you will see that part 47 (the part of the steam valve that moves) screws into part 48.

The leak is between the two surfaces where part 47 meets part 48 just before the point where the movable part of the wand attaches- and there is no washer there in the diagram.

I'm wondering whether (like a tap) the valve seat needs recutting/grinding.

I see. Is it pitted? Grind it yourself? Bodge it with a washer or ptfe?

The movable part had some corrosion which I very carefully ground off, but there is some pitting there- one solution I guess would be to take the chrome off, but I was a bit nervous of doing that.

A washer would be less nerve wracking- but I'd need one that could take the fairly extreme environment that it would find itself in

Hmm, high temp o-ring (viton?) would probably sort it. Bit of a twat to get hold of them individually though. Copper crush washer might do it.

I'd have more confidence in a copper washer surviving, now where to get one of those during my lunch break tomorrow...

Just found something which says resurface the needle by putting it in your drill and spinning it whilst holding a fine file or emery cloth to the sealing surface.

You'd think they'd use bronze to seal pressurised steam.

rubbish nursery evader

Just found something which says resurface the needle by putting it in your drill and spinning it whilst holding a fine file or emery cloth to the sealing surface.

You'd think they'd use bronze to seal pressurised steam.

Yes, that would be a better design for sure.

This sounds like a job for a pillar drill and some emery cloth.

Our office is now set with coffee.

Thanks Bainbridge.

for Northern coffee drinkers... http://northerncoffeetour.co.uk/?p=30

and non coffee drinkers / non northerns

.

I'm back in Treviso, just had my first macchiato an hour ago. So consistently very good here. Yum.

I think I may have infact become addicted to coffee (just fitlers/press). Used to only have one occasionally, now its the first thing I do, make coffee, mull it over breakfast, then by lunch, want another, then a 3rd in the evening.
OK so 3 cups (normally just the 2 though) doesn't sound a lot. But I NEED them, without coffee at those prescribed times I feel ill, giddy and run down.

Welcome to the club.

wahoo I'm finally part of an exclusive club :p

Also needed to ramp up the teeth cleaning to 3 good ones a day, instead of 2 half assed. So coffee whilst it may be staining the crap out of my teeth, might actually be saving me some dentistry bills.

wow that's nice. what is it?