KvdW Mirage Complete Overhaul

Equipment, technique, or just drinking the stuff

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Postby JankSolid » Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:44 pm

Image


Image
Last edited by JankSolid on Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Aadje » Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:21 pm

Looking good!
Bits 'n' pieces . . .

This week I am mainly saying hello to old friends
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Postby lsjms » Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:34 pm

Bummer, what the jury say?
Brittle brass

Maybe. Or vibration damage, just picked up the portafilters, looks like those marks on the groups are from someone banging the pf on them. Odd. Even the baskets look trashed.

Great work- boiler looks slick, nice sticker.
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Postby JankSolid » Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:45 pm

I've ordered new nipple and nut for that pipe. LS and I will braze it up next week.

Kees has advised me to replace the expansion valve with a Faema item which is adjustable and exhausts through a silicone tube. Nice 8) !
That should arrive Tuesday

Meanwhile, I'm finishing off that La Scala Butterfly which will be up for sale shortly. Any takers? Your choice of colour... I'm respraying it.
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It's Alive!

Postby JankSolid » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:00 pm

We finally got to pull some coffee out of it last night after some long waits and last minute scrabblings for parts.

I just need to nip up a couple of leaks from the botton of the HXs and put the bodywork on today.

Phone pics to follow. The nice camera is on holiday.
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RE: It

Postby DrTom » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:55 pm

I just read the whole thread - this is awesome!! Fantastic work.
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Postby lsjms » Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:41 pm

The mirage is good as new, well done Jank, felt bad brazing parts off Agnes* Poor girl.
I'll drop my camera round, shame to go low quality for the finished machine.

I had underestimated how awesome the foot pedal is, first thought it was just to keep a hand free. The steam knob is still in play so you can throttle the velocity as wished, putting your foot down starts the steam in less than an instant and it stops just as fast, meaning you can get your milk to a really precise temp much easier. No need to take the testing hand off the jug, no over run, no waiting to pull the jug.

Jank may have found means to retrofit one on any machine.


*Agnes is a heap of spanish tuned-for-lungos crapola HX. She had to give up a small nut off her pressure gauge to save waiting for the post. As part of the ongoing Dark/Ideal collaboration we are going to apply a bit of whats been learnt here about hx brew paths to old Agnes. There will be some PID action, frameless exposed boiler, group head mods, hopefully a steam horn and other madness. Most important is to try and make a £20 piece of broken ebay junk pass the WBC machine scace test.
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Steam, lots, of it.
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Postby GreenBean » Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:22 pm

lsjms wrote:....... As part of the ongoing Dark/Ideal collaboration we are going to apply a bit of whats been learnt here about hx brew paths to old Agnes. There will be some PID action, frameless exposed boiler, group head mods, hopefully a steam horn and other madness. Most important is to try and make a £20 piece of broken ebay junk pass the WBC machine scace test.

Sounds like fun I can't wait to hear how this progresses. 8)
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Postby JankSolid » Thu Aug 25, 2011 6:06 pm

Introducing Agnes...

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Postby JankSolid » Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:16 pm

Handed the Mirage back today. Good to see it installed and being skillfully operated.

Thanks to Chris and Lawrence for the opportunity to work on this wonderful machine :D .

I have indeed found means of retro-fitting foot-operated steam to pretty much any machine. PM me for more...
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Postby lsjms » Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:47 pm

Not opportunity, best man for the job.

Hopefully more to photos to come from someone with a proper camera...........
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Postby Chris » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:59 am

Just wanted to offer my thanks to Jank for his excellent work on this machine, the dedication and attention to detail he has shown are remarkable. I wholeheartedly reccomend him for machine servicing, repairs and mods. The Mirage was returned like new and she is an absolute dream to work on.
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Postby lsjms » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:26 pm

m.
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Postby lsjms » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:29 pm

cvdv
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Postby lsjms » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:31 pm

dcd
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