FInally making progress on my ES-1A rebuild.

[Tex]

I got the sides, back, and front panels back from the painters, so I'll be getting back to the rebuild soon.

The sides & back are done in a Mercedes silver with a clear coat. They were stripped down to bare metal, bead blasted, primed with a self-etching primer, then wet sanded and shot with the urethane-based paint & clear coat.

I also removed the plastic piece on the control panel and had it & the front panel done in a faux carbon fiber finish. The front panel now has a 7/8" x 1 3/4" cutout for the PID to be panel mounted.

The guy that did my paintwork is mostly known for his bike & hot rod work, but he took my job because he'd never done an espresso machine before. I think I benefited from his curiosity greatly!

http://www.ericscustomfinishes.com

Some might recall I'd had the sides & back painted a long time ago and had them mounted on my #2 machine that I use daily. Unfortunately, the seam that I had filled cracked from the heat or vibration and the paint cracked over it. This time I had the painter TIG weld the seams closed before he painted them.

Tex

[BoldJava]

Love the shimmering puddle look.

B|Java

[mp]

The panels look very sharp.

 

[Tex]

Love the shimmering puddle look.

B|Java

I told Eric to just make it look good, and trusted his artistic judgment. He's one of the leaders in faux carbon fiber look for custom bikes.

If you like custom paint jobs, check  out his VW square back on his home page. The woody look is something you have to see to really appreciate. Mrs T liked it so much she's thinking of having me get the lever machine I want (it's in Europe right now) and have Eric do the sides & back in woody-style. I swear that woman is the best bad influence I've ever known!

[farmroast]

You need my Bunn ES2G to go with it? I still have the Bunn label too that goes around the doser. Very beefy build. It has a kind of cool auto dose system and dial grind adjuster.  You push in and out the pf thing and the doser turns.
 Bunn techs told me that Pighettis Espresso 407-673-2441 sales@ourespresso.com have some parts for the old ES espresso series of equipment.

[Tex]

You need my Bunn ES2G to go with it? I still have the Bunn label too that goes around the doser. It has a kind of cool auto dose system and dial grind adjuster.  You push in and out the pf thing and the doser turns.
 Bunn techs told me that Pighettis Espresso 407-673-2441 sales@ourespresso.com have some parts for the old ES espresso series of equipment.

Pighetti's is a bit too proud of their stuff, if you get my drift? We have BUG members with spare machines who're willing to help out when a part can't be found at one of the regular suppliers.

That grinder looks a lot like the Gaggia 2600: http://www.ascasoonline.com/catalogo/Despiece/101462.gif

[Warrior372]

Nice paint job!

[mp]

Love the shimmering puddle look.

B|Java

I told Eric to just make it look good, and trusted his artistic judgment. He's one of the leaders in faux carbon fiber look for custom bikes.

If you like custom paint jobs, check  out his VW square back on his home page. The woody look is something you have to see to really appreciate. Mrs T liked it so much she's thinking of having me get the lever machine I want (it's in Europe right now) and have Eric do the sides & back in woody-style. I swear that woman is the best bad influence I've ever known!

Are you planning on selling your show piece ES-1A?

 

[Tex]

Love the shimmering puddle look.

B|Java

I told Eric to just make it look good, and trusted his artistic judgment. He's one of the leaders in faux carbon fiber look for custom bikes.

If you like custom paint jobs, check  out his VW square back on his home page. The woody look is something you have to see to really appreciate. Mrs T liked it so much she's thinking of having me get the lever machine I want (it's in Europe right now) and have Eric do the sides & back in woody-style. I swear that woman is the best bad influence I've ever known!

Are you planning on selling your show piece ES-1A?

 

Only if I get my lever machine.

[Tex]

...
Only if I get my lever machine.

Tex is climbing up the Lever-Ladder.  Who is next down the Leva-Love-Slide?

B|Java

I'm so set on a specific lever machine that I might as well not even be on the Leva-Love-Slide. Besides, as Mrs T points out, with my arthritic shoulder (Try putting a few million rounds down range with a 45 caliber handgun, then tell me how your shoulder feels 40 years later?) pulling the lever 4 or 5 times a day would be painful.

But the prosumer models are pretty little toys; I should get one for my grandson to play with.

[Warrior372]

How difficult they are to pull completely depends on the design of the mechanism. I have lever that are significantly easier than others. Make sure you have the machine at a proper height too.

[farmroast]

...
Only if I get my lever machine.

Tex is climbing up the Lever-Ladder.  Who is next down the Leva-Love-Slide?

B|Java

I'm so set on a specific lever machine that I might as well not even be on the Leva-Love-Slide. Besides, as Mrs T points out, with my arthritic shoulder (Try putting a few million rounds down range with a 45 caliber handgun, then tell me how your shoulder feels 40 years later?) pulling the lever 4 or 5 times a day would be painful.

But the prosumer models are pretty little toys; I should get one for my grandson to play with.

Which specific lever?
Yup, that grinder is a Gaggia.

[Tex]

How difficult they are to pull completely depends on the design of the mechanism. I have lever that are significantly easier than others. Make sure you have the machine at a proper height too.

Is there such a thing for an arthritic shoulder? I've learned how to brush my teeth and comb my hair left-handed. Lever espresso machines are like one-armed bandits; all made for righties. But you're right about different machines; my Gaggia Min Moka seems to be a harder pull than the Z11 was. I think that's because of spring length and how fast maximum compression is achieved. Or is it completely unrelated and something else is contributing to it, like length of arm: more leverage =  less effort?

[Warrior372]

My Conti Prestina has the most overbuilt lever mechanism every made. . . It utilizes 7 pivot points and could be pulled down with 1 finger. I was an orthopedic sales rep prior to attending chiro school and yes there is a such thing as shoulder arthritis. It is really rare since the shoulder is a non-weight bearing joint, but it does occur and I have seen replacements. The most common profession of patients receiving replacements were miners. They attribute this to many of them working with heavy tools overhead all day / everyday for years at a time. I was living in Spokane, WA at the time which is a stones throw away from Northern, Idaho where there are many now closed silver mines. The 5 or 6 orthopedic surgeons I worked with only did maybe a combined 10-15 per year. I suppose you could say the same thing about a gun bashing into your shoulder a few million times too. Constant misuse will cause wear and damage.

All of the levers I have utilize centered lever mechanism. It just so happens the machine you have your heart set on has an offset mechanism to it's left and the users right. I am sure you could rig it to be offset to users left when you rebuild it.

[Tex]

My Conti Prestina has the most overbuilt lever mechanism every made. . . It utilizes 7 pivot points and could be pulled down with 1 finger. I was an orthopedic sales rep prior to attending chiro school and yes there is a such thing as shoulder arthritis. It is really rare since the shoulder is a non-weight bearing joint, but it does occur and I have seen replacements. The most common profession of patients receiving replacements were miners. They attribute this to many of them working with heavy tools overhead all day / everyday for years at a time. I was living in Spokane, WA at the time which is a stones throw away from Northern, Idaho where there are many now closed silver mines. The 5 or 6 orthopedic surgeons I worked with only did maybe a combined 10-15 per year. I suppose you could say the same thing about a gun bashing into your shoulder a few million times too. Constant misuse will cause wear and damage.

All of the levers I have utilize centered lever mechanism. It just so happens the machine you have your heart set on has an offset mechanism to it's left and the users right. I am sure you could rig it to be offset to users left when you rebuild it.

When it's bone on bone, the effort is almost immaterial - it's the movement itself that inflames the nerve ends. Mrs T & I talked this over last night and agreed that a lever machine just isn't going to be my everyday machine (some days I just keep my arm immobilized in a sling and eat NSAIDs & codeine).

She even offered to have her cousin in Germany pick up the machine and handle the export paperwork IF I really wanted it, but for a change common sense prevailed - I'm going to stick with pump machines.

I'll get over it, just like I did my dream of playing 2nd base for the Dodgers! :BangHead: