Lever project - Urania 1 group

borat123 · September 2011

on 1316060241:

That I do not have... Just have some odd bits or every thing and nothing about. The issue is, that if other items might be required.... Then consistence will be an issue.....

AM, I would be happy with whatever you come up with. The other handles etc are all black which I'm thinking to leave original at this stage. Re the rod, to end up with a thread that will fit an M4 nut, do you start out with 4mm rod, or something a bit larger? I'm thinking of buying a small section of 4mm 304 stainless rod, then getting it bent into a right angle and tapped with a thread. One side would be 25mm and the other 35mm. Do think the SS would be ok for tapping by hand? thanks.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

If I get naming rights ? you can have a #8 pool ball ::) I will go in the garage and have a look at what strange things I put away for a rainy day So I may find something Another idea is to purchase at a supermarket some Cedar or similar wood balls that are used as moth repellents in wardrobes KK

beanflying · September 2011

On the handle and knob bits a chat to either Greg Pullman or Jack @ Sorrentina as your in Adelaide might be worth a go. Both have experience in Bakelite and plastics from their respective coffee ventures.

SniffCoffee · September 2011

on 1315824016:

I dont think its Bakelite Its a composite material ? something with hardened rubber

I agree with KK - it looks like hardened rubber. My mother has a 40 year old mouli and the handle has a rubber knob on it in very similar condition. What an amazing job Borat - keep the piccies coming!

borat123 · September 2011

Just finalised the order for all the seals / washers / gaskets etc etc - 67 parts on a long washing list ::) I ordered a few spare bits as well for later, and some as replacement for fat finger stuff ups during dissassembly :o The old girl will be good as new when it's all done.

borat123 · September 2011

Dropped the frame back at the powder coaters, then spent this afternoon taking apart the steam tap and 3 way valve. This thing reminds me of a car differential......

The parts from inside just kept on coming. The only real concern was whether or not I can get replacements for the tiny rubber gromets. Sure enough, after searching similar parts on the E61 schematic I found one.

Also used up the rest of the gasket removal can. Those things set like concrete. Multiple applications and I still had to scrape as well.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

Believe it or not, this component looks in pretty in good condition in relation to the rest of the rebuild KK

borat123 · September 2011

on 1316223668:

Believe it or not, this component looks in pretty in good condition in relation to the rest of the rebuild KK

Hi KK, yes I think those gaskets may have been the original 45yr old ones..... I did find a problem though... :o This valve provides cold water for boiler fill if engaged to the right, and hot water from the boiler for the hot water wand, if engaged to the left. The handle shaft on this three way valve has a cam on the end of it that pushes on either of the spring mounted valves, to the left or to the right. After 40+ years of use, it's showing a bit of wear (or corrosion?) on the tip of the cam. Here's a pic of the valve body with the shaft

This one is a close up showing the cam in the engaged position. (the other valve rod it engages against, which sits horizontally to the right, is not shown)

And here's some of the cam from different angles showing the wear.. Hopefully my citric acid bath didn't make this any worse, and only removed the scale.. The schematic style pic in my earlier post, with the scale on it looked fine.

Not sure yet if it's still going to work ok like this or not. I need to put everything back in the valve body and take a look at how well its engaging the ends of the valve rods. Any tips as to what a fix for this might be? Some possible options: 1. Custom make a new cam, cut off the old one and somehow fit the replacement? 2. Add some more material (brass?) to the tip 3. File it off smooth and leave it 4. Custom make an entire new one piece shaft including the cam cheers.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

Fill the tip of the cam with brass by brazing / welding and grind or file it to correct shape & size KK

borat123 · September 2011

It must be my lucky day ;D Here's all the bits cleaned up and reassembled with the springs so the pushrods are tensioned properly.

Centre, right and left positions. Turning against the spring all the way to the stop, in both directions doesn't seem to use the tip of the cam anyway.

Maybe I'll just gently file it off so it's rounded and not such of a magnet for scale. What do you think? Or good insurance to get it done anyway?

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

Check if the side rods have any more travel at full cam contact If there is more travel of the side rods then you would need to braze If not then, smooth it off for better smother operation KK

borat123 · September 2011

nope, no more travel as I can feel either side go all the way to the stop. Ok thanks, I'll just smooth it off then. I was a bit reluctant to have it welded or brazed as if it gets stuffed in the process, I can't get another one..... Why fix it if it's not broken

borat123 · September 2011

Just bought a 3/8" pipe bender of Ebay - reasonably cheap at $18. Bunnings only had 1/2" ones, and they weren't that cheap.. Does anyone know if it's possible to remove fittings previously brazed onto copper pipe? I'm going to try to remove my old steam wand fittings, attempt to copy the curves, re-braze the fittings, then rechrome. It that doesn't work I'll bend up a new E61 steam wand and re-chrome that. The pipe bender will also come in use for the custom pipe I need to run to the new Pstat. cheers.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

on 1316251124:

Does anyone know if it's possible to remove fittings previously brazed onto copper pipe? I'm going to try to remove my old steam wand fittings, attempt to copy the curves, re-braze the fittings, then rechrome. It that doesn't work I'll bend up a new E61 steam wand and re-chrome that. The pipe bender will also come in use for the custom pipe I need to run to the new Pstat. cheers.

Yes its easily done Brazing is just like solder only using a harder metal that needs more heat With pipework or fittings its usually sweated on KK

borat123 · September 2011

Just picked myself back up off the floor after getting the quote from the plater / polishers. :o I've used them before with my last resto, and the results they achieve are amazing - so will take a deep breath and just go with it. Hoping to end up with a real 'working' show piece. The frame comes back from sand blasting / prime & powder coating on Wednesday. The next job is to look at getting some foil backed decals made up to replace the originals:

Then a clear vinyl reverse sticker for the glass panel at the back:

borat123 · September 2011

I finally got the steam valve open today. After the boiler, it was by far the most difficult fitting to get open - I think the washer / gasket fused hard and practically welded the lot together. I'd tried heating, and a big spanner but nothing worked. Went round to a friends house with a decent vice, and with a HUGE spanner for more leverage and it finally came free. A bit of a green tint inside, but really not too much scale. So here's a couple of pics after decscaling and a good scrub / polish with one of those green / yellow pot scrubbing sponges. Interesting how the valve works. The shaft has an off centre cam that turns right to leave the outlet closed, and left to move a spring loaded pushrod and open. A tiny screw inside is the stop for the cam & collar on each side.

And after much pontificating, I couldn't resist dropping the other worn / corroded shaft from the three way valve, into a welding-machining workshop to try and get it repaired. I'll find out in a few days if they managed to work a miracle (or not...)

borat123 · September 2011

I was surfing the net looking for Urania stuff and came across this..... :o

and this:

I think I got off pretty lightly with my boiler.. ;D These pics are of the same boiler type but out of a different machine.

borat123 · September 2011

I had a busy afternoon today. I hope you like lots of pics... ::) Here's the piston after descaling and polishing with a pot scrubber sponge. During disassembly I used some pentrating spray which found its way into the recess where the two halves are joined together. I washed and washed but there was always a residue still coming out.... I eventually stumbled onto the answer which was to fill up the hole with dishwashing detergent and let sit it overnight. It dissolved any remaining oil, and washed out cleanly without leaving anything soapy behind.

Next I tried heating the old steam wand to remove the fittings. I blow-torched the $*%! out of each end (now a nice shade of blue..) but they are not budging anytime soon. Maybe they were some sort of a press fit(?) Here's some pics....

What I'd really like to do is to re-use the fittings on a new custom copy of the original one. I practiced with the pipe bender today and after a couple of stuff ups, with the last attempt I reckon I've made a pretty good impersonation

The trick was to use curved pipe cut off a roll. All it needs now is some fittings and some chrome.

I also picked up the frame which has been sand blasted, zinc primed and then powder coated to match the original zinc coating. In some places you can see surface pitting but after sand blasting I left it there rather than grind or fill, because I think it helps it show some age and adds to the character. So, here it is:

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

Have you got access to oxyacetylene equipment As I think its the best method for the brazing work It looks to me that is brazed on the photos KK

borat123 · September 2011

on 1316601387:

Have you got access to oxyacetylene equipment As I think its the best method for the brazing work It looks to me that is brazed on the photos KK

Ah, maybe that's the problem.... ::) Didn't realise I need oxy. I've only got a 'solid brass torch kit', disposable propane. The pack shows it being used for soldering... Will this do?

http://www.bernzomatic.com/PRODUCTS/KITS/TORCHKITS/tabid/215/ctl/Detail/mid/1147/xmid/6964/xmfid/3/Default.aspx

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

I dont think so and that torch is to wide It needs a pin point welding tip Brass needs about 450 deg C to melt But its also needs concentrated pinpoint heat Thats where the oxygen part comes in to the equation Oxygen facilitates the start of the concentrated melting point, once melting starts the rest of the metal follows Hope that is an understandable explanation KK Edit - After my post I did a search and found this info on Wiki I was spot on with my temperature http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazing#Heating_methods

borat123 · September 2011

hmmm, sounds likes it might be cheaper to get it done by a fridge / aircon guy rather than to buy an oxy/acetylene set that I'm only going to use once or twice.

borat123 · September 2011

Anyone know a screen printer? I just found out how expensive this is onto glass..... I didn't realise, but the original paint on the glass is masked from the rear, except for the logo in the circle at the centre. So when it's illuminated from behind, the logo lights up... Looking now into getting it digitally printed, and / or mylar sticker (to cope with any heat).

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

on 1316676948:

Anyone know a screen printer? I just found out how expensive this is onto glass..... I didn't realise, but the original paint on the glass is masked from the rear, except for the logo in the circle at the centre. So when it's illuminated from behind, the logo lights up... Looking now into getting it digitally printed, and / or mylar sticker (to cope with any heat).

Possibly the local TAFE or an art student to paint an original KK

borat123 · September 2011

Just got my hands on a copy of the Faema Espresso 1945-2010 book. Wow, what a read, and the full page pics of the machines are of the highest quality. Schematics of the Zodiac group, shown with real actual parts! This also answered some questions I had with discrepancies I found during disassembly as compared to online schematic drawings from spare parts suppliers. Flicking through the pages it's been easy enough to identify my machine style to a Urania series 2, from 1955 onward. There's even a couple of photo's of that model sitting in what looks like the old Mr Whippy ice cream truck, which they used in the day as a promotional bus following the Giro d'Italia cyclists. All pics of this machine also show it solely with the old shell type of hood; so that answers that question. Lot's of bed-time reading for a while.... ;D

borat123 · September 2011

A big thanks to AM, who has kindly put his microsurgery skills to good use and made a new cup-tray-warmer-vent-control-knob for me!

;D check it out:

It will be front and centre on the restored Urania, and I think will fit in well with the completed resto. Thanks AM!!

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2011

That's got to be better than the original Good job all round (pun intended) KK

Brett H · September 2011

Simply stunning! Great colour match and I bet it feels so much nicer than the dilapidated original.

borat123 · September 2011

on 1316824519:

ANY time... Shame ya did not give be all the SS measurements etc may have just had some crap left over from trying to make a fishing gaff.

Hi AM, Ok ok, since you twisted my arm I guess I should tell you the measurements for the rod.....

4mm rod, 90 degree angle

thanks

borat123 · September 2011

on 1316842942:

Be done in 15 and posted on Monday some time... :P :P :P Have a great weekend

thanks mate. And you too.

cheers.

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