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Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

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  • #31
    Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

    Originally posted by Flo link=1126833848/15#29 date=1157360537
    This seems to be a popular mod for the Gaggia. Im about to do the same to my Classic.

    One question: I take it that the steam tip unscrews from the wand itself; is this correct?
    that is correct

    i ordered a aftermarket tip from the US, will post a followup when it gets here

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

      Hi Flo,

      Yep, thats correct. The thing with Silvia wands though, is that the tip has a male thread screwing into the matching receptacle on the wand.... Where-as most others have an opposite gender bias, i.e. the end of the wand screws into the tip,

      Mal.

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      • #33
        Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

        Did I ever mention that I customised my Gaggia tip after I did this Mod?? I cant remember if I mentioned it. Anyhow - heres how.

        I brought a packet of screws from Mitre 5 (5 out of 10 that is!) that had the same thread as the Silvia wand. Cost about $2. They were the flathead hex style (flat underneath - need a cresent spanner to screw them up)

        I cut down the screws to about 3ml so they would screw into the end of the silvia wand.

        I got a 0.1 drill bit - which is REALLY tiny. And drilled a single hole through each screw. Some were all over the shop, but some were pretty straight. (NB: Some drills wont screw down enough to even hold this bit, so check your drill before you buy. It would be best with a press, but I aint got one!)

        I screwed this into the wand, and used this instead of the standart Silvia tip.

        Done.

        This gives really nice microfoam results on the Gaggia Carezza.

        I replace the tip every month or so, and chuck the old one out - because when they are cut they loose the coating so begin to rust a bit. But monthly is all good Ive found. And for the price its a bargin.

        Anyone gets this working with a drill press let me know via email can you, Id love to chuck you a few dollars and get some in the post!

        Cheers,
        Andy

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        • #34
          Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

          Hmmm,

          Sounds like Brass or S/S screws would be the go here ,

          Mal.

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          • #35
            Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

            I have literally just modified my Classic and am waiting for it to come up to temp so I can try it out. I noticed that I was getting some moisture leaking from the tip threads, so I wrapped a couple of layers of teflon plumbers tape around the threads and no more leaks.

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            • #36
              Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

              The new steam wand works like a treat. I just have to get used to it. And how much easier is it to clean!!  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

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              • #37
                Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                Ive been using this new steam wand for a week now and the difference in quality of foam is tremendous. Hazel showed me a thing or two on the weekend at Di Bartolis Home Barista course and I have been able to get great microfoam...even trying a little Latte art!   [smiley=happy.gif]

                The amount of steam hasnt been an issue, but I havent had to make multiple coffees yet.

                AndyCJ, thanks for the "How to.." [smiley=tekst-toppie.gif]

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                • #38
                  Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                  Awesome mod guide there AndyCJ! Makes it look pretty straightforward.

                  Ive had my Classic a couple of weeks now and am sick of constantly having to take the plastic Turbo Frother thingy off the wand to clean it.

                  Im off to speak to Thomas to see if I can get myself a Silvia replacement wand.....hope hes still around.

                  Anyway fantastic site... its made my decisions in machine and grinder (ended up with the Sunbeam E0480) that little bit easier.

                  Am in espresso heaven at the moment and still have my L plates on. 8-)

                  Cheers

                  forcoffee

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                  • #39
                    Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                    Hi forcoffee,
                    Thomas is still there at Mocopan - or he was up till last week anyways when I was there getting a machine serviced.

                    His direct number is (03) 9474 1133 - if you havent got onto him already.

                    Hes a truly nice guy and has helped many Gaggia owners with the Silvia wand mod - myself included.

                    Frankie

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                      Hey forcoffee,

                      You should have no probs getting the Silvia wand from Mocopan. I replaced my Gaggia Coffee Deluxe wand a week after I bought the machine as I read about the mod on Coffeegeek by some guy whod dunit. I called up mocopan and just asked for a Silvia wand. It arrived about 2 days after I ordered it, cost $37 delivered to my door by courier. Ive never looked back, getting microfoam is easy now, and keeping it clean is simple.

                      Go for it!

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                      • #41
                        Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                        Those of you who have replaced the wand on the Gaggia Classic, did you have to replace the casing? Or was it a matter of just unscrewing the old wand and removing it and replacing it with the Silvia wand?

                        That Plastic nozzle irritates the hell out of me as I can get a great microfoam on a friends machine but not my own. (Played with hers yesterday).

                        I did notice though, that the new cubikas have come out with a metal nozzle. Will investigate further.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                          Originally posted by lucinda link=1126833848/30#40 date=1163820696
                          Those of you who have replaced the wand on the Gaggia Classic, did you have to replace the casing? Or was it a matter of just unscrewing the old wand and removing it and replacing it with the Silvia wand?
                          Actually Cindy,

                          All the info is at the beginning of this very thread.... Lots of pictures too so that you can see what is going on,

                          Mal.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                            OK, I got the Sylvia steam wand ... but my Gaggia Classic has already had the steam wand modified ... theres a totally different wand bolted on with a different male connector! Anyone just happen (??) to have a spare Gaggia male connector (so, what happened to the rest of the machine?). Or can you suggest where I might get one.
                            Cheers,
                            Mike

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                              I too pimped my Gaggia Classics wand. i cut the wand above the turbo foamer and put a stainless inline joiner, and mounted a old brass sunbeam tip on. This got me more length, and was a nice tip for steaming and cleaning. please note that i raised the whole machine up about 3 inches (ontop of my stainless grind tray), to fit my pitcher better.

                              When my rubber o-ring died on the swivel joint, i tried fitting a new one, but it leaked, so i ripped the whole thing off and fitted a pneumatic fitting on instead of the swivel fitting, and fitted a stiff high temp hydraulic (chemical proof) nylon hose, and a stainless nozzle pressed into the end of it. This worked suprisinglingly well!

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                              • #45
                                Re: Gaggia Steam Wand Replacement Mod

                                I just did this mod to my Gaggia Coffe Deluxe and it is excellent! Here are some things I had to figure out on my own while I was doing this mod.

                                The Silvia wand is a little too snug as it comes from the factory so I took some rough sandpaper and some 220 fine sand paper and sanded down (radially, to reduce the outter diameter of the pipe) the portion that fits inside the Gaggia brass steam pipe. After a few tries at sanding it down it fit with the same snugness as the factory Gaggia wand and could swivel with the same amount of ease. Also, the nut was able to go all of the way into the Gaggia, just as it had with the stock steam wand.

                                My first try steaming milk with the Silvia wand produced great microfoam! I may have gotten this quality one time before with the stock Gaggia wand out of the hundreds of times I have made drinks with my machine!

                                Thanks!!

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