# It lives :)



## RobD

Now the proud owner of an Expobar Leva second hand of ebay, after a few days cleaning, changing parts from a dedicated capsule machine and adding boiler insulation i know have a very shinny espresso machine, just hope my skills can match it one day.

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## MWJB

C'mon...you know subscribers to internet forums have limited imaginations...we need pictures....& videos...holographic simulations...shots uploadable via our USB ports... (....one day, one day!)...









Good work


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## RobD

i can show the state it was in & the clean up

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## thomss

Show it!!!!!


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## RobD

Sorry about that looks like i was the only one that could see the original photos as they are awaiting moderator approval!!

i have been using it for a few days now and im very very impressed, as long as i remember to flush it correctly before pulling a shot it makes perfect crema every time, tired out a bottomless PF and i got a nice speckling affect evenly across the screen as the coffee came through and its a real steam train for milk, it just sits at 1 bar even after doing a pint!!

think this could be a very long and happy relationship


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## RobD

CoffeeGeek said:


> @*RohD*, where do you obtain the boiler insulation from, please?


Hi, got it from ebay £8 for a sheet 350mm x 250 x 15mm bit over the top but it saves money,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230688253972?var=530036104237&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_500wt_887


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## RobD

Hi CG

They cut me a sheet a tiny bit over size as my boiler is slightly larger diameter than an A4 sheet so sent it 350mm for no extra cost, they do lots of thickness and was thinking of getting some long thiner strips to do some of the HX tubes on the Leva next.


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## James Cox

Awesome... good job on the rebuild. I wish I was that handy!


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## RoloD

I just insulated my Cremina boiler using this kit from Orphan Espresso. Obviously much cheaper to buy the sheet and cut it to size, but I was being lazy. It's half-inch closed-cell silicone sponge, the same stuff I believe RobD refers to above. The material seems perfect for the job.


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## MacGimmer

Nice machine, plus a VFR in the background too. Used to have one myself.

Great clean up on the Leva

The Gimmer


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## RobD

going to look for another machine to do up soon, i think that as an engineer i like the tinkering with the machines almost as much as i like drinking the results.

Had the VFR in bits last week to put a new generator in it. but it was only making 11.2v at 5000rpm, dead winding


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## Spazbarista

I'm just amazed at how empty it looks in comparison to my dual boiler. Given what they crammed into the dual, I'm wondering how small they could make the single if they felt so inclined.


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## RobD

well the office pulsar is not a bad example

Leva. W = 26cm , D = 46cm, H = 40.5cm

Pulsar. W = 24cm, D = 42cm, H = 41cm

and like you say if they really put their mind to it they could make a shorter boiler version, but compared to an iberital Lanna or other true commercial machines most of the Expobar range is small


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## Spazbarista

The Levas are very narrow in comparison to their peers. I think that is a quality when it comes to a domestic situation, especially when negotiations over worktop space are being conducted with SWMBO


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## garydyke1

Expobar brewtus mk5 eagerly awaited . Im promised it won't be long .....


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## Spazbarista

Really? I wonder what they will have changed? Low water alarm, maybe. I can't think of much else, other than perhaps internals such as better routing of feed pipes or perhaps a return to the reservoir for water flushed out of the OPV.


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## Monkey_Devil

maybe the pid will control steam boiler as well? You want an alarm to stop the machine having to turn off when it gets low?

nice work Rob, wish i was as savvy with pulling things apart!


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## RobD

Expobarista said:


> Really? I wonder what they will have changed? Low water alarm, maybe. I can't think of much else, other than perhaps internals such as better routing of feed pipes or perhaps a return to the reservoir for water flushed out of the OPV.


you could do that bit your self just put a "T" on the anti-aeration valve, and feed both back to the tank, thats the way mine is plumbed now, the only thing i can think of is a rotary pump which some models had anyway and the steam bleed off valve could do with being the enclosed type with a drain, oh and better insulation including the HX pipes, but maybe i can find an older model and do all the mods


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## RobD

Monkey_Devil said:


> maybe the pid will control steam boiler as well? You want an alarm to stop the machine having to turn off when it gets low?
> 
> nice work Rob, wish i was as savvy with pulling things apart!


thank you, my offer of help still stands by the way, and after 12 years as a specialist mechanic and then 15 years a mechanical design engineer, if i dont know what im doing by now i never will









but i do enjoy learning about new stuff. still think that the rotary pumps used on most machines are a bit archaic, think they should use variable geometry pumps, that way you could have what ever pressure you wanted anywhere in the extraction.


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## Monkey_Devil

thanks dude, much appreciated







going to struggle to get the parts first! Rave coffee (thanks expobarista!) said that expobar uk need me to send them my existing opv for them to get the right adapters









you should totally build an uber machine from scratch, that's an impressive career!


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## Spazbarista

Monkey_Devil said:


> maybe the pid will control steam boiler as well?


Not sure why you'd want that. It isnt something you need to adjust more than once, if at all.



> You want an alarm to stop the machine having to turn off when it gets low?
> 
> !


No, I want an alarm to indicate that the water is low. As it stands you either have to lift the lid and look, which is a pain, or you find out when the machine cuts out mid-shot which is a total arse. They are pretty common on tank-fed machines starting at around this price point.

Oh, and I want some tiny chrome grommits to cover the screws in the steam/water knobs..I mean how hard can that be??

Other than that it is a great machine


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## RobD

Expobarista said:


> No, I want an alarm to indicate that the water is low. As it stands you either have to lift the lid and look, which is a pain, or you find out when the machine cuts out mid-shot which is a total arse. They are pretty common on tank-fed machines starting at around this price point.
> 
> Oh, and I want some tiny chrome grommits to cover the screws in the steam/water knobs..I mean how hard can that be??
> 
> Other than that it is a great machine


well a sight glass and a filler cap out side of the top lid would do away with most of that, thats one of the things li liked about the L-anna

if i find a cheep Brewtus i may well have a go at that and a rotary pump and a few other mods i fancy.

as for the chrome grommets, i would much prefer some lovely quality A4 stainless steel button head allen screws on some turned & knurled semi transparent blue acrylic knobs







pimp my shot

but i still think they are a very good machine thats built well for the money and most importantly make good coffee.

and Monkey-Devil im quite happy designing where i am


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## jimrobo

I'd Definitely be interested in some sort of system to check water level. It's the most frustrating thing ever when it cuts out mid shot!


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## RobD

jimrobo said:


> I'd Definitely be interested in some sort of system to check water level. It's the most frustrating thing ever when it cuts out mid shot!


I am now going to look into this particular issue in the next few weeks as its becoming a real pain. think with a few good quality push fit pneumatic bulk head fittings and a glass sight tube it shouldn't be to hard, the only difficult bit will be finding a way to make a water tight feed from the bottom of the tank, top is easy as it can just go in the hole at the top the same as the others via a rubber tube.

also going to put a filling tube in the top plate so i dont have to take everting off to fill it.

will let you know how i get on and what is required if im successful??


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## dobber

that's a great idea about the water thing. i would say from the bottom to that's how they leveled footing in medieval times. here is suggestion for a water tight seal irrigation pipes from a water butt the small one about 6-8 mm diameter not sure, screwfix sell them?


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## Spazbarista

Handles on the lid make filling easy. Lift everything off in one go


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## dobber

they do but its not the same as it used to be or the part i was thinking of. basically drill a hole in the bottom of the water reservoir and push this part through which had a flange causing it to stop and be seal with silicone or something like that? then the rest is simple as long as there is a direct route at the bottom underneath the tank, as in no pipes in the way? excited to see what you do







like espresso scrapheap challenge!


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## RobD

Ok another mod bit,

I wanted to check my brew pressure occasionally as all of these bypass type valves do have a habit of drifting out of spec after a while = spring will get weaker, screw works lose etc. but as i only have one threaded PF and one naked its a pain to keep un-screwing the spout to put a pressure gauge on, so thinking it through the seal is done at the basket so if you have a blind/back flushing basket all you need to do it tap into it to read the pressure and there is less volume to pressurise so its easier to see the pumps profile.

my answer =


























Blind pressure basket. for the truly OCD you can now check you pressure every time you back flush if you have a naked PF









All you need is a Blind basket, 1/8th BSP 15bar gauge, 1/4 BSP male to 1/8th female fitting, a 1/4 BSP lock nut and a 1/4 BSP Dowety seal for the Basket, mine shows more bits than this but its the fittings i had laying around and had to use a 1/4 to 1/4 BSP as i only had a female to female reducer, this kit should cost no more that about £10 from any decent pneumatic/hydraulic company.

Drill hole, through blind basket, i used a small 3mm pilot drill then a 11mm but did both with the basket laid on a scrap bit of wood to minimise the distortion. clean & straiten hole. then bolt the fittings together as per photo, the only thing i had to do extra was cut the 1/4 BSP male and nut that came through the basket down, this is because the blind filter was so shallow there was only about 4mm to the screen, if you dont fancy cutting/grinding it down use a few washers on the gauge side and try and find a very thin lock nut.

next mod will be the water gauge/sight glass for the water tank and more insulation.


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## lookseehear

Love it! I'm tempted to do this too, doesn't look too difficult.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## funinacup

Brilliant idea! You could sell these!


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## RobD

I have had a quick look, but want to go and check with my pneumatics supplier, but i could prob make these for about £10 deliverd, but i would only make a batch of 5 or 10 and give Glen a pound per unit sold.


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## Spazbarista

I'd love one. What would be even more useful would be a temp gauge. There....,your homework for the next week


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## Southpaw

I was thinking I could probably make that but I'd definitely take one if you make a batch


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## garydyke1

Pleeeeeeeeeaaaase!


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## RobD

OK on monday i will get a price together of how much they will cost if i build 10.


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## pendragoncs

Go on then, it's my wife's birthday soon she'll love one. If not I'll use it.


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## garydyke1

Be interesting to see the onboard gauge versus pressure gauge at group-head.

Couldnt build in a zero latency temperature probe whilst youre at it could you? You'd make a killing on those : )


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## pendragoncs

garydyke1 said:


> Be interesting to see the onboard gauge versus pressure gauge at group-head.
> 
> Couldnt build in a zero latency temperature probe whilst youre at it could you? You'd make a killing on those : )


Also a small tool for getting the stone's out or horses hooves...

...and add bluetooth and i think you'll be on to a winner.


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## RobD

pendragoncs said:


> Also a small tool for getting the stone's out or horses hooves...
> 
> ...and add bluetooth and i think you'll be on to a winner.


does it need a bit of software to directly link it to Twitface so you bleat about it on-line









On a more serious note, I fancy having a look at the practicalities of temp measurement at the brew head through the M6 thread in the grouphead the same as the Eric's thermometer, but instead of using a standard stainless steel sheaved catering probe would use a industrial style naked PRTD http://www.sensor-technology.com.br/downloads/pdf/1Pt100%20KN%200815%20V3.pdf to reduce the delay in measurement but you will never get Zero Latency because of the sensor will always have a thermal mass that will need to react and the software will need to translate the input from the sensor to a value, best you could hope for would be about 0.1c accuracy in around 400ms, but none of this is likely to happen until I have finished about 4 other projects I already have on the go. One is finishing my house that's for sale.


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## garydyke1

RobD said:


> you will never get Zero Latency because of the sensor will always have a thermal mass that will need to react and the software will need to translate the input from the sensor to a value, *best you could hope for would be about 0.1c accuracy in around 400ms*,


I think that would be acceptable for most of us!


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## RobD

Ok i have now got a price for all the bits to make the Pressure gauge basket.

Learning from the Mk1 this will be for the Mk2 as my original one used steel hydraulic fittings and is already showing a tiny bit of rust, so i have price for chrome plate brass.

they are going to be £15 including postage & packing as the bits to make them are £11 this will include a £1 donation to Glen for running this site.

Please let me know by PM if you want one, payment Via paypal or bank transfer is cool.

will get the bits at the end of this week to make them.

will put a post in the For Sale bit to.


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## pendragoncs

jimrobo said:


> I'd Definitely be interested in some sort of system to check water level. It's the most frustrating thing ever when it cuts out mid shot!


Have bought some bits to try and make a water level indicater for mine.

Not much time to do it an the mo but hopefully in the next couple of weeks i'll get the soldering iron out and have a play.


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## RobD

i was starting to look at a small plastic float switch with a 220ac light to indicate when its low, if you do have some success with yours post pics







but first i have a grinding monster turning that may require some mechanical tinkering


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## pendragoncs

RobD said:


> i was starting to look at a small plastic float switch with a 220ac light to indicate when its low, if you do have some success with yours post pics
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but first i have a grinding monster turning that may require some mechanical tinkering


The route I've gone fir is a pre created kit that provides 3 LEDs to indicate the water level. Just need to solder to bits and decide and decide whether I mod the existing tank or find some kind of tube that'll hold the sensors and sit in the tank.


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## RobD

Well to help continue my exploration into the world of coffee have now found a new friend for the Expobar.

i was hoping it was going to be a Robur but its yet another Royal!! but i cant complain as it cost less than a new set of Burrs









Needs a little bit of TLC and maybe a Paint job










its a bit big!!










it was pretty disgusting and i haven't even tackled the doser yet!


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## Colin T

Beautiful machine.


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