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  • #91
    I have given the whole leaking boiler / expansion valve some more thought and realised that the expansion Valve is not the problem. The water was leaking directly from the boiler. Not being able to get up to my shed for the past two weeks i have been thinking the problem over and over and this morning i remembered that when I came to put the pipework back together there was a bit of confusion about which pipe connected to which port in the inlet manifold. I am guessing that I have the fill pipes mixed up so the manual fill port is connected to the autofill solenoid and the autofill pipe is running straight to the boiler with no valve to hold the pressure into the boiler. Thats my hope anyway. it makes me look a bit stupid but it is at least an easy fix

    I also got the pattern for the new steam taps back from the CNC guys. it was just done in white plastic. The next job is to make a silicon mould and cast a couple up in black resin. I have also ordered some metal disks for the centres and these will need to be screen printed.
    Its probably an unnecessary expense but I've always liked the look of those original tap handles and they will add something to the look of the machine.

    I have put aside a day this weekend to hopefully get some work done on this machine. I will take some more progress pics
    Attached Files

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    • #92
      Problem solved. when I originally reinstalled the manual fill valve i screwed it up tight. Today, after I pulled it out and gave it a clean, I discovered that it needs to be kept sort of loose - i.e. there needs to be some play in the autofill Lever- in order for the seal to close properly. Next up is to trouble shoot the electrical. I have changed the electrical system using low voltage switches and SSR rather than switching 240V, I have a mate help me out with the design and it was working fine when it was laid on the bench but some how once it was all installed, something has gone amiss. I have a feeling it is in the low voltage circuit.

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      • #93
        heres the box I made and the new series of relays etc. still got some bugs but I'm hoping to sort them out this weekend
        Attached Files

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        • #94
          Aaron,
          What can I say.. you da man! This is inspirational tenacity and artistry. The coffee will taste so much better when you're looking at something like this!!
          The LSM grinder will be a complete doddle in comparison.

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          • #95
            Thanks for the kind words Rich.
            Today i filled the boiler and brought it up to pressure for the first time since the disassembly, There were a few leaks but nothing too serious I hope, I will nip them up once it has cooled down. I also fixed the short with the right hand group, now both groups seem to be working properly, Still not sure whats up with the pump circuit but it seems to be on the Low voltage side, so a little more investigation will hopefully uncover the problem.
            Its getting close now.... I can almost taste the first shot

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            • #96
              Its no secret that I find electrical work daunting. Its just a little bit like voodoo, i try to understand it but it just does my head in.
              So after discovering the pump circuit wasn't working i managed to put off investigating the cause for the rest of the year. I would always find something else to do. Tidy the shed, build a fish tank stand, go to the beach. over christmas with a week of rain and no more excuses I finally pulled the circuit board out and tested everything to find the cause. Turns out i had some diodes in the low voltage circuit positioned the wrong way. Unfortunately it was late at night when i finally came to this conclusion so i wasn't in a position to fire up the soldering iron and fix it. But i did drive home feeling pretty good that this project was back on the track aster the complete derailment. I also managed to book the body panels in to be sprayed at my friends hot rod shop down the south coast so that is another major hurdle out of the way. This project may actually have an end.

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              • #97
                Success!!!
                Last weekend I went down the coast to Berry for a mate's 40th Birthday and managed to talk him into spraying the panels in his spay oven.
                Unfortunately the phone died right at the critical time but I managed one photo of the event. The blue paint is from the previous job, the machine was repainted in a similar orange, maybe a little more intense and with a light flake finish. Very 70's
                Attached Files

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                • #98
                  Ok so i unsoldered the diodes, turned them around and put everything back together. It took the better part of a whole day but the reward was supposed to be the first cup of coffee from the machine.
                  When i tried the switches I could hear the group solenoids fire and the pump tuned on but no water was coming from the groups..... AAAARRRGGHH!!!!
                  Both groups weren't functioning but there seemed to be plenty of water leaks in other places. I finally deduced that the problem was most likely with the no return / expansion. I needed to take it apart to see if i had it orientated correctly. Problem was it was frozen and my gas torch was at home not at the shed...
                  I knew bringing a bag of coffee along would jinx me.
                  Attached Files

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                  • #99
                    Pulled the one way valve apart and discovered, yes, I had it around the wrong way.
                    Getting very close now... still ironing out the small issues but its making coffee and mostly together.
                    Heres the back with the new spray job and badge
                    Attached Files
                    Last edited by Aaron; 13 June 2016, 01:06 PM.

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