Removing chromed brass nuts without damage - espresso m/c

[GrahamGKD]

There's nothing OCD about it, if you spend twelve hundred quid on a kitchen appliance, you want to keep it nice.

Nice machine btw Graham, I'm very jealous.

Yes, twelve hundred.... and then another twelve hundred - this is the last coffee machine I plan to buy and we like our coffee ;-)

 

[Onoff]

3D print the spanner!

 

[outofthefire]

Personally i'd say using any sort of grip is just asking for trouble. A decent correctly fitting spanner would be much better.

 

[bourbon]

How Much

 

[MattF]

Yes, twelve hundred.... and then another twelve hundred - this is the last coffee machine I plan to buy and we like our coffee ;-)

I should hope you're sleeping with it for that price.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Job for a 3d printer,
Make up some sleeves that slide over the nuts and then accept the next size up wrench.

Or, you can get aluminium Spanners for doing the anodized aeroquip fittings without marking them.
Or cut a wrench yourself from a bit of alloy or nylon etc.

Or, one of those plastic dome nut covers popped on then mole grips or whatever onto that.

Sadly we don't have a 3D printer and I can't go out buying even more bulky equipment!

I'll have a look for aluminium spanners - that is the sort of thing I started out looking for but I was searching for soft faced spanners rather than using aluminium as a keyword.

Thanks.

 

[Maker]

Yes, twelve hundred.... and then another twelve hundred - this is the last coffee machine I plan to buy and we like our coffee ;-)

Oh it's the dual boiler one, twice as nice. I trust you have an equally posh grinder to match?

 

[James1979]

I’d get a bit of Delrin / nylatron sheet about 12mm thick and cut a spanner out of it. Even if it’s just the jaw and then a square hole to accept a ratchet like a crows foot type affair

 

[jsf55]

I was trying to work out if any of the AN fitting alloy spanners would do, but my google foo is rubbish tonight

 

[waddycall]

Decent adjustable, bit of tape on the jaws, put it on the nut and wobble it around whilst tightening the jaws up as tight as you can to take out the slack and then undo it.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I was trying to work out if any of the AN fitting alloy spanners would do, but my google foo is rubbish tonight

Those are the ones I was talking about above.
I don't know how AN fittings equate to MM but I do have a set of them so I can measure them up if required.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Just had a quick look and apparently you can get adjustable aluminium ones now!!
First one I found..

Pardon our interruption...

 

[GrahamGKD]

Oh it's the dual boiler one, twice as nice. I trust you have an equally posh grinder to match?

Yes, dual boiler and rotary pump. Our last machine was an Expobar dual boiler - nice machine and made decent coffee but the vibratory pump let it down a bit. We have a Mignon grinder.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Just had a quick look and apparently you can get adjustable aluminium ones now!!
First one I found..

Pardon our interruption...

Yes, thanks, I came across those when you tipped me off about using aluminium as a search keyword.

 

[GrahamGKD]

I just found these available in 26mm - what not to like!!

Edit.... a bit thin maybe?

 

[MattF]

Edit.... a bit thin maybe?

Yup. I wouldn't use those. A good, (older), Bahco adjustable with a slip of aluminium between the jaws, around the nut, would sort the job perfectly.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Yup. I wouldn't use those. A good, (older), Bahco adjustable with a slip of aluminium between the jaws, around the nut, would sort the job perfectly.

Well, I do have a fine collection of old style adjustables - some Bahco and some old American made ones!

 

[Parm]

coffee forums

Really ?

 

[GrahamGKD]

Really ?

Yes, really, there a quite a few out there - decent coffee is a serious business (not that I spend much time looking at them unless I'm searching for something).

Don't you have forums for that cookery you post up occasionally??

 

[Kram]

Scrap the rubbish chromed zinc or brass nuts and replace with polished stainless, which wont dent or mark from a bit of spannering. Or if the chrome does, grind it off and polish the brass underneath. It'll look better.
Cosmetic chrome should be banned (import, not just EU production). Ive no problem with functional chrome on sliding bits.