Cimbali Eleva, care and photo essay…

Cimbali Eleva,

Arrived complete but with an incredible patina, a state of dirt never seen on any of the machines I’ve been able to buy so far.

I was inspired by this vision, beyond the scrap metal I had the feeling that there was a soul that told me a story. Prisoner too long captive of a wet and dark cellar she begged me to give her back heat and light.

It had become gray like the concrete of the walls of its prison, its frame was oozing a whitish dust like saltpetre. It had become impossible to recognize the materials of which it is made. Brass, aluminum, steels, stainless steel all had the same earthy appearance as if it were decomposing.

Cimbali Eleva before restoration

Cimbali lever group

Cimbali lever group detail

Cimbali Eleva mercury pressurestat

Cimbali Eleva

 

I had to look after her, I reassure her … This is her proud again looking at herself in the mirror …

Cimbali Eleva photography by Bourret Pascal @chromesdantan

Faema Velox, surprise puzzle…

Velox, wall mounted Faema

Arrival disassembled and in a carton damaged by GLS, not reassuring to start the work, not sure that there is nothing missing …

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The owner had warned me he missed the hot water tap. I have in stock a tap from Faemina that could make an honorable replacement. The safety valve should be removed, which would be useless. Validated choice I will do this like this:

Faemina tap on a Velox

Faemina tap on a Velox

Faemina tap on a Velox

Faemina tap on a Velox

Faemina tap on a Velox

All parts to be rechromed are now ready to go to the chrome person:

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The tamper was broken during transport, the bakelite works happily very well:

velox tamper broken

velox tamper broken

velox tamper fix

The heating element has a very bad aspect and lacks the insulators and contacts … A verification is necessary:

velox heating element

velox fixing heating element

velox fixing heating element

Electrically the values are good I can mount the tips:

velox fixing heating element

velox heating element

The chrome revenues I begin the reassembly, missing the thermal joint between the boiler and the frame.

velox faema

velox faema

Check and clean the warming light:

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Main switch:

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The thermostat is fully set to control and clean, it is the only way to ensure that it will work for many years to come.

mercury mercury thermostat velox faemathermostat velox famea

mercury thermostat velox faema

mercury thermostat velox faema

velox faema

Reassembly of the safety valve, return to water is very close

security valve faema velox

The boiler plus group is reassembled, one can go there. First cold water supply:

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velox faema chromesdantan

 

Waterproof and warm I leave it running a week to make sure everything is fine. I love the coffee that this machine produces!

 

Finally this restoration went very well, it is the fourth Faema Velox that passes my hands but I still have not remade mine …
velox faema chromesdantan

Faemina, service or rescue ?…

Faemina Faema

“Pascal my Faemina no longer works, I gave it to repair at Faema but they have not arrived to disassemble and can not repair it. Can you do a maintenance ?”

What initially was only maintenance will become a rescue, wearing a recognized brand does not guarantee the necessary know-how to work on these old models. Faema today no longer knows how the old models were designed. When I saw the condition of the group the first time I understood that they had wanted to disassemble but had only arrived to break everything …

Faemina broken sleeve

Never seen such an eagerness to do wrong …

Faemina broken sleeve

Faemina broken sleeve

Faemina broken sleeve

Fortunately I have a little stock of Faemina spare parts …

Faemina broken sleeve fixed

A maintenance at Chromes d’Antan includes a thorough cleaning:

Faema Faemina service by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina refurbish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina service by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina refurbish by chromesdantan

Descaling the boiler:

Faema Faemina refurbish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina refurbish by chromesdantan

Piston and heating elements:

Faemina heating element

Faemina heating element

The machine has been completely rewired with high temperature silicone wire.

Faemina heating element

In addition to the revision I have to try to restore a bit of smartness to the base that was tightened in a vise during the aborted attempt to pull out the group’s sleeve …

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

The traces are so deep that I will not be able to erase them all, it would force me to remove too much material. She will keep some stigmata of her passage at Faema …

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina polish by chromesdantan

Even the group has been marked, but it can remain like that is not too visible when shiny.

Faema Faemina service by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina service by chromesdantan

Cleaning of the filter holder and after reassembly the beautiful is ready to resume service

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

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Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

Faema Faemina by chromesdantan

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Conti Princess, restoration by Pascal Bourret

Conti Princess

It was in January 2016, picked up from a roaster who had restored for him and who separated from it. The work done was of a good level but my client wanted a restoration “like chromesdantan” so I would redo it completely.

Conti Princess restoration

Conti Princess

Conti Princess restoration

Some details are really not good…

Conti Princess restoration

Painted bodywork to repair is quite easy, straighten a bad shot like that on a sheet that will be chromed again is quite of another level.

With time and experience I have acquired good skills in straightening. Today I am able to completely remove most of the defects. At Chromesdantan I do prepare the pieces to be chromed myself, one does not rechrome on parts damaged. Nothing worse in my eyes than a brilliant brand new chrome on a damaged piece …

Conti Princess restoration

All the technical part had been treated with care, stainless steel screws, high temperature wire, professional pressure switch, anti-rust paint on the frame. Not in my standards of work but good work anyway.

Conti Princess restoration

Conti Princess restoration

 

When disassembling the lid one thing shocks me, the screws that hold the resistance are through. So the risk of leakage is important and I do not like it. I plugged with solder, then drilled and tapped without exceeding inside.

Conti Princess restored boiler end plate

Conti Princess restored boiler end plate

Stainless steel dowels and bolts and here is a montage in the rules!

Conti Princess restored boiler end plate

 

sand blasting of boiler and all copper and brass

Conti Princess boiler

Conti Princess restored pipes

Conti Princess restored taps

Conti Princess restored taps

Then I can reassemble

Conti Princess restored

Conti Princess restored chrome

First tests, I had big problems of leaks to the solder of the bride holding the lid, small porosities that I had to treat by completely removing the old braze and making it again.

Conti Princess restored

No more leak

Conti Princess restored

So after a week of non-stop operation without worry I can finally remount it completely

Conti Princess restored

Conti Princess restored

We often see these Conti Princess in original condition and they are not very pretty. But once restored finally I prefer it to the Empress! …

One espresso ?!

Faema Mercurio

Last images of the beautiful Italian:

Nice boiler !

Mercurio boiler

Faema heating element

 

Nice chrome works !

Mercurio Faema v group

faema mercurio

Some screws can’t be find anywhere anymore nowadays. We custom made them when necessary.

home made screw

home made screw

home made screw

 

What a fucking splendid machine !!!

mercurio faema plexiglass

faema mercurio

faema mercurio

faema mercurio

 

 

Faema Mercurio 3rd generation with V group

Faema Mercurio ended.

Since the summer of 2015 my business has been severely disrupted by two successive moves. Today installed in a workshop a little bigger and offering more room for storage I will be able to resume work a little more sustained, starting with this Faure Mercurio.

This machine has gone to its owner already, but it is not too late to post some photos.

 

Heating element:

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First assembly of the boiler on the chassis, the day I recovered it from powder coating.

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Everything seemed very well set up for a fairly quick finish. It was besides that the resistance was going to break on one of its bounds … Bad storage of my part or lack at manufacture, rust attacked one of the pods and it broke. Fortunately it happens to me at the workshop and not later …

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I had not anticipated this situation at all, so the time to find a solution will be a month. It is finally Paul Pratt who will come out of this bad step, fortunately for me there was left a copy of an element of Mercurio.

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I can finally resume the work, in my new workshop in works too … Once is not custom, I will use the protective sheet of the boiler to install and maintain insulation. I use Armaflex, well known in the world of coffee.

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As usual, the electrical wiring is made of high temperature wire with silicone sheath, and I use a professional quality pressure switch.

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And finally, it is not because we use an old coffee machine that we want to make coffee as before. All of my restorations are equipped with modern technologies. Valves and equipotential loop for safety. And false steam vacuum breaker valve for the comfort of the barista.

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Here the beautiful Mercurio finally finished, my chrome plater has still super well worked, and the plexi remodeling by Paul Pratt @Cafelat is splendid.

Faema Mercurio

Faema Mercurio

Few last pictures

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And finally, as promised on social networks, the year of the machine engraved on his manometer:

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Pascal

Faema Mercurio restoration

Long time no talk about my work, today I start a particular machine. A Faema Mercurio last generation with a second development coupled group. I therefore propose the story of its restoration, I hope you enjoy it.

This is a machine found in France, as often it was putted out of service since many years, but life is less harsh for the beautiful, she found someone to save from recycling. A photo of the machine as it will be proposed to me.

Faema Mercurio for sale

I conclude the deal and the seller bring me personally, this is the day of his arrival.

Faema Mercurio restoration Restauration d'une Faema Mercurio

One is immediately seduced, the Faema Mercurio is truly a beautiful machine.

The first thing to do is to dismount and prepare items to be chrome again. There are a few dents and scratches, I’m not going to describe every of them but I took a couple of pictures.

Dismantling

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The top of the machine has some bad dents, you have to straighten and also sand shallow scratches.

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To see the defects must remove the chrome and polish a little to the bright put them forward. Here we can see the extent of damage.

Preparation before chroming

The technique is the same as for a car body, I straighten from behind. But unlike a car, then there will be no possible mastic to delete the last imperfections. No choice but to straighten up perfectly.

Here it is well advanced, sanding it almost lefts nothing of the main bad dent.

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But closely still see well impact.

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From dent removal to sanding I end up getting a very good result, my chrome craftsman will only have to complete polishing after etching.

The lever fork was very marked, when gaps are very deep there is no choice but to replenish with solder.

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Sanding and then polishing, it’s perfect.

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Here it is for the first record, everything’s ready to go for chrome plating. Three days work…

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