toots Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 63 Location: belgium Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ... Grinder: Faema MPN
Posted Sat Jan 26, 2008, 4:27pm Subject: a "E61 compact" homebuild project
]]]hi coffeegeeks
This tread might last some time as i'll share with you my experiences about building a espressomachine. A while ago, i found a orignal group head from a Faema E61 machine. It's a bit worn but still very useable. The E61 group is surely a legend in espresso history, pitty to be thrown away, and as i don't wanna spend 1000's EU$ on a home machine that is of good quality, and i've a nice source for parts (i'm a faema technician).
This is the group head. It needs complete dismantling and revision. Disadvantage was the fixed temperature of the grouphead. this will be adjustable with a turning button on top. I wanna build in a digital control display of group temperature. Maybe a counter too for erogation time.
The faema compact was a popular model in the 80's. This boiler will provide enough steam supply and has a reasonable big coffee heat exchanger. The heating element is 1750 watts. Quite enough for home use.
the drawing :-) tomorrow a little drive to the hobby shop for some aluminium profile and some nuts and bolts to hold the piece togetter (try to keep it low weight) i'll upload some pictures soon. Every suggestion is welcome! a 1000 barista's on this forum should make this a perfect espresso machine :-)
toots Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 63 Location: belgium Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ... Grinder: Faema MPN
Posted Thu Jan 31, 2008, 3:12pm Subject: start of project; the frame
]]]]]]]]]]I took the measurements of the machine as small as possible. length 300mm, width 400mm, height 400mm. The complete frame is made out of lightweight aluminium, for easier transport without breaking my back :-)
the pump motor is from a scratch Cimbali M50 dolcevita/Faema X5 S10. Very small, with a 250 liters/hour PROCON pump. to keep the pump cool (leaking occours when pump gets warm) it's mounted on the machine floor, under the heat source. the motor is mounted on 4 rubbers to keep vibration minimal. Hope these little ones are sufficent, or i'll replace them bigger...
the automatic filling for tea reservoir. electronic module from a scratch Faema No-stop out of the 80's. This module opens the filling valve and pump turning for a automatic filling to a preset level in the tea boiler with a simple wire probe. i won't make a monitoring glass for the tea water level for room saving reasons. The system on itself is very relyable.
the filling valve with 220 volts coil, and the anti-retour ( 1 way ) channels for coffee and tea/vapour. This is a scratch valve from a Faema DUE from the mid 90's. it's a super reliable piece. The button on front is for manual filling and is seldom used, but since there's room in front, i'll keep it. The complete block needs a revision. I'll upload some pictures of that to see the inner view.
Famous Belgian barista Peter Hernou 's reading in my town hasselt gave me the inspiration of building my own "mahlköning" coffeemill. A double "on demand" grinder (two hopper, without a powder reservoir) costs a fortune and is not really for home use. This old grinder is from a 2-hopper grinder with one motor (2 directions) with left and right grinding disks. I saved it from the junkyard after dismantling a X5 cofeeautomat. Cimbali still uses these grinders in their new M53 machine. The system is bulletproof! The beauty of this grinder is that it can deliver 2 different grinds each grinder with a adjustable electromagnetic coil. That'll be fine grind for espresso (coil in) and larger grind for americano/belgian coffee 18cc's, and regulatable grinding time for single and double shot. So with a bunch of cheap NE555 timer IC's and potentiometers, and some touch buttons, i will transform this piece of junk into a 8-selection grinder for 2 beanhoppers. Estimated costs with frame, electronics, wiring, spareparts something about 50 euro's. But keep in mind those grinding disks cost a fortune when they need to be replaced!
close up of the grinder. Buttons for grind adjustment on the right (upper = mill2, lower = mill1). On the left side are the 2 adjustable coils for fine or bigger grinding. Coffeepowder leaves at a gap on the right side. That's where a holder will be mounted for the portafilter.
toots Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 63 Location: belgium Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ... Grinder: Faema MPN
Posted Tue Feb 5, 2008, 10:43am Subject: revision of the cimbali grinder
]]]]]]]]changed the tooth wheels which were quite worn. The bearings were still ok. Upper and lower grinder use a 1-direction bearing and the motor turns in 2 directions, so that's simply how it works... when motor turns left, grinder 1 turns and grinder 2 stands still. When the motor turns right, grinder 2 turns and grinder 1 stands still. With a lot of lubrication grease, the grinder's noise is reduced to minimum.
removed the grinding disks these are the inside (fix)disks. You can see one is a left-turning disk, and the other a right turning. They're still in quite a good shape, tough grinder 2 (right disks) is in better shape as it was used in the automat for decafiné coffee.
the outer (turning) disks. The spring is used to transport the beans from the shaft to the grinder disk as the disk is turning. It has a second function, to keep the disk at distance of the fixed disk. Because each grinder is set into 2 grinding positions. Normally in the cimbali M50 automat that would be for single and double coffees, since the piston diameter is always the same... but since a single and double portafilter have different diameters, it can now be used for a espresso (fine grind) and a americano/belgian coffee 18cc's (big grind). And this counts for both grinders.
the 24 volts DC coil for setting the fine and big grind. Note the double srew on top to set the position of the big grind. The fine grind is set with the big black knob first before setting the big grind. Click Here (img27.picoodle.com)
now take some measurements, go to the aluminium shop and make a frame.
Then comes a little tricky bit for me, the electronics. I'll need 8 potentiometers, 8 NE555 timer ic's, and a bunch of condensators. I'm not sure yet to use regular relays or solid state relays. First gotta dig a bit in the coffeemachine junkyard at work.... :-)
pictures are taken with a gsm... it's not super quality i know he he
toots Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 63 Location: belgium Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ... Grinder: Faema MPN
Posted Tue Feb 5, 2008, 1:30pm Subject: the filling block, revision
]]]]]]]the filling block lets the water, coming from the pump, distribute to the coffee boiler and tea boiler. The block takes care of automatic filling of the tea tank, regulates the speed of filling, allowes manual tank filling and most important; ensures the hot water from both tea and coffee system not to return to the pump (very bad for the rotarypump) and water tank/tap. This is a most simple block from a faema Due machine from the 90's. from the outside it looked quite nice as seen in previous pictures, but things are never quite what they look! when i opened the block, it was full of scale. The anti-return valves were in pretty bad shape. So it needed a complete revision.
anti return valves, beneath the old rubbers. Above some fresh ones. The long one is for the manual filling Click Here (img29.picoodle.com)
getting rid of all the scale takes some serious acid. 1 hour in this safe acid and everything is clean. apearing the reaction with the acid shows how much scale was inside all the parts! Click Here (img29.picoodle.com)
after cleaning all the parts, this is how the complete dismantled block looks like. Click Here (img29.picoodle.com)
a bit of a setback as apeared the base of the anti return to the pump was a bit cracked and it had a pretty big air leak when blowing on the other side. Very gently with a 13mm drill by hand, i evened the base (hole in the middle is showing a shiny outer ring) After this intervention it seemed to be solved. Click Here (img29.picoodle.com)
PaulTheRoaster Senior Member Joined: 2 Aug 2005 Posts: 341 Location: Champaign, Illinois, USA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Faema C84 A/1, Eterna leva... Grinder: Compak K6, Solis Classic Drip: French Press, Swiss Gold... Roaster: RK drum
Posted Tue Feb 5, 2008, 3:24pm Subject: Re: the filling block, revision
Interesting project. I have a Compact and many of those pictures are familiar. I'd be a little concerned with your frame. Every commercial machine and even the Rancilio Silvia has a frame made of welded angle iron, yours is bolted together aluminum, much of it flat (the bend in angle iron adds a lot of strength). With nuts and bolts, weight on one end of a bar can apply a leverage effect to the other end and exert enormous forces. It doesn't look like your bolts are very thick either. The machine will be quite heavy when it is put together and wet, and if the frame gives up when it's hot --- there will be 1.6 l of steam and 1.6 l of very hot water following the path of least resistance.
toots Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 63 Location: belgium Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ... Grinder: Faema MPN
Posted Tue Feb 5, 2008, 4:10pm Subject: Re: the filling block, revision
hmm good point. I have concerned about strength issues and weight. Making the parts light means more easy transportation without breaking my back. I had a compact a few years ago. It weights alot. The bolted aluminium frame i think is quite strong, but its a compromise not to have possibility welding the frame. I'm quite sure it will withstand the forces of pulling the portafilter x 1000. Thanks for the notice i'll keep it in mind in case the frame would become a bit too unstable :-) the bolts are M4.
a question... anyone has experience with the CAL 3300 PID-regulator? I'm searching a good little PID for steering the solid state relay for the heating element. What is the best thing to use... PT100 or thermocouple sensor?
i've read a few topics here about the PID regulators. It seems they're quite popular in espresso machine modifications. A pressostate temp. control is out of the question for me as temperature stability is very bad. I'm technician for full-automatic coffee machines and experience says a 2°C change gives a different coffee. What i want in this little project is a PID controlled boiler, and a manual controlled temp. of the group in the termosyphon circuit to the grouphead.
PeterB Senior Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 14 Location: Belgium Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: Rancilio S26 Grinder: 2* Faema
Posted Wed Feb 6, 2008, 11:10am Subject: Re: revision of the cimbali grinder
Great job, amazing, we'll get together shortly to see and talk about this. Meanwhile i've been working on my website, I've uploaded some videos on how to pour Late Art. I know you're training so go and take a look:)
]]]]]]]]]]Hello coffeegeeks! here's an update on my homebuild E61 machine! Since last post, some things are done:
- revision of the E61 grouphead, new rubbers, ordered some chrome parts and lever at Faema, Binasco, Italy - inoxidable frontplates made. Sawing all the holes (lots of work with my very modest equipment) - tubing for the thermosyphon circuit (ordered an original E61-legend water speed braker), thanks dad for the silver-welding! - PUR sidepanels, made from an old X5-fullautomatic machine - bought a PID-controller with termocouple, for precision temperature stability in boiler
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