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La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

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  • La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

    This will be the rebuild thread for my La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish). I am yet to find a date but hopefully can get a confirmed date but assumed to be around 1960.

    purchased from Dural in Sydney (ebay) and the only prior history i have is that it came from a Lithgow antique shop about nine years ago.

    Dorio Udine
    The “Officine Cav. Antonio Dorio” (Antonio Dorio’s workshop) were founded in 1925 in the city centre of Udine. This brand produced very interesting coffee machine models in terms of design. The company has stopped its production in 1970s.




    A massive thanks goes to cksyd for helping getting this machine to me safe and sound

  • #2
    Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

    Very cool Leeham.... 8-)

    Will be following this thread with keen interest. Good stuff mate.... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

    Mal.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

      Thanks to Mokka (Simon) for the tip that it could contain asbestos, and it does.

      After speaking  to some experts about removal a containment procedure was undertaken with help from the pros. This sounds extremely low tech but they used PVA glue to seal the asbestos blanket and then paper mached the boiler with more PVA and newspaper.

      This is a short term solution to allow the boiler to be safely removed and then it can be returned to the pros for cleaning / decontamination. Had this not been done the asbestos would have been disturbed while dis-assembly is in progress creating a possible asbestos dust danger.

      the lagging on the boiler is coming away and complete removal will be the best option.

      result


      that big round thing is what i assume is the overpressure safety valve much like the weight on a pressure cooker

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

        Now that i have it back, i am having a little look to gauge how / what might be a major or minor problem. A previous owner has taken the top of the LH group head, i dont know why but maybe there is a issue i will find later on.

        I thought i would do a bit of examining and see if any more bolts would come out, surprisingly so far bolts have just screwed out. there is still some lubricant in many areas helping. Nothing seized yet....

        LH group head



        i was extremely lucky, that long pin / shaft was missing. I think it releases the pressure once the "automatic" shot is started by lifting the knob in the middle area of the Grouphead. I found it at the front of the machine behind the artwork with a few other screws etc.

        this is how i think it works, to run a shot you turn the missing knob at the top and the spring locks in, once the shot is extracted you lift the lower knob to release the spring at the top. The RH group head spring and release is functioning.


        Comment


        • #5
          Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

          here you can see the plunger and the lever that i think stops the shot.
          the four allen keys came out nicely but are rusty. The seals look quite good and actually feel like they may hold pressure.



          here is the big plunger, although a bit of scale the bore seems smooth and after i gave it a clean and a bit of lube it slides and you can feel it developing pressure. not going to undo that nut just yet....


          seals on the plunger

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          • #6
            Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

            The bore in the "extraction chamber" seems very clean, nice and smooths and shiny



            at this stage i reassembled loosely to keep crap out of this side.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

              last one for today, RH group head

              a close up of the spring mechanism, i think i may consult a watch / clock specialist before i strip this down. Past "TWANG" moments means i will proceed with caution.

              you can see that pin that was missing in the LH side and where it comes right through the group to unlock the spring.
              Very interesting and clever design I really hope I can see it working again.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                looks like a bit of work for you! what do you do about new seals etc? i mean where do you get them?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                  Beautiful engineering though, youve got to say..... 8-)

                  I think youve got a real beaut there mate

                  Mal.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                    hey Maheel

                    this is an hydraulic group dorio, they are very cool and a bit of fun only they waste an incredible amount of water ive been told? instead of a spring to push the piston down as in a traditional lever piston these machines used water pressure, then after expelled the used water to waste. i am told that some of these machines used roughly 1.5 litres on water to espress 30ml. anyhow, i just bought the La Cimbali GranLuce hydraulic auto as i wanted to know if this was true. what i do know is the La Cimbali was banned in Australia as it wasted far to much water and this maybe the case with your dorio as well. there are a few of these foatng around sydney, and i heard of somebody undertaking a resto a few years back. will try to find his details for you
                    cheers
                    tcm

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                      @ Frabel, yes seals might be an issue but i have a local mob that cut seals on site with a laser thing  (thinking teflon) so the boiler / flat seals should be ok. it has oring style in the gheads as well but i was thinking large machinery places should be the place to go.

                      @ Mal I agree, it has simplicty and complexity as well,  I like it in a so ugly its beutiful kind of way and the design ideas amaze me.

                      @ TCM dont worry TCM QLD dams are full... i reckon i might use about 1L of water making my 2 coffees at 7am every day now.

                      I was wondering if it was water or steam driving the piston. Water does make more sense I need to follow the pipes back to look at where they go properly. I also was wondering how it expelled it out after the shot to get the piston to rise again?   It also needs to fill the extraction water area under the piston. If it (or I) reverses the flow to raise the piston I can see how it would use heaps of water. Is it water into extraction zone pushes piston up and loads water for shot, water into piston pushes out extraction. Then repeat for next shot.

                      More info would be great and appreciated. Get some pics of your  GranLuce up if you can. We all love pics

                      Hoping to spend some time on it this weekend

                      Leeham

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                        Hi Leeham

                        I hope the following photos will help and inspire you.










                        This is my machine, which is being looked after by a friend, while I complete the restoration of my La San Marco and build up my restoration skills. Ive been keeping this quiet as I have promised the previous owner he would be the first to see it when its running!

                        But now I have a duty to help a fellow Coffeesnob, so Im happy to provide you with all the info I can to help get yours running.

                        You can see the design of the top levers, and also the perspex hood. I dont have the original group handles. Everything else appears to be original and complete.

                        My machine is around 1964 I believe and still has the serial number plate as well as the Australian importer plate. According to the previous owner it came from a cafe in Ascot Vale, Melb and has not been running for quite some time.

                        As you can see the drip tray, sides, top and top front trim have been re-chromed. All the rest is untouched. I plan to conserve as much or the original patina as possible and will most likely leave the existing boiler insulation in place as well.

                        Please let me know what other pics youd like.

                        Cheers
                        Simon

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                          cheeky bugger !!!! lol  ;D

                          great to know of another and a CSr to boot. A bit of shared info is always good

                          is that gold chrome or just the light in the room ? very nice machine  8-) and i like the backing plate to your upper La Dorio badge

                          i just realized i have one top lever, it was with it i just did not put 2 + 2 together.... but one missing I have been doing a bit of polishing on the panels and its coming up pretty good, a little pitted but very serviceable  

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                          • #14
                            Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                            ;D
                            Yep, I thought mine was the only one around so it will be great to compare the two !

                            Its all chrome - yes its just the light as I turned the flash off for that shot which makes it look gold. It is a gorgeous machine, and a big bugger too, 20 litres and 3400w.

                            Ill need to get another lever made as well. Ill be hopefully having a tinker in Jan with it.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: La Dorio Atlas Automatica 1960 (ish)

                              little update on the Automatica
                              been polishing a few bits and starting to look at seals and new nuts and bolts etc.

                              these are getting packed safely then going to try to spend some time on the boiler very soon....
                              brass end plates, copper boiler and mild steel studs and nuts...
                              what were they thinking.... rusty studs & nuts....



                              apart from the boiler its now mostly stripped apart

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