My modded setup for now
Took a quick pic of my new machine mocked up after finally getting it together and 'working' last night. It's got a few teething issues so it's already back in pieces and I will be continuing with my Bambino Plus for another couple of weeks or so until the Rancilio is sorted.
The grinder is a Eureka Mignon Specialita with the incredible grind by weight mod by u/Jaappppppp
Rancilio Silvia V3 with Gaggimate Pro PCB build on a Waveshare 1.75 inch screen.
Vinyl wrap, sound deadening and silicone insulation of boiler and steam pipes.
To come:
- Re-routing the PCB board to the outside (back panel) of the machine. I'm having real connectivity issues with it in the stock location, to the extent that it simply doesn't work with the 3D printed cover on the base. I also really dislike how tight/stressed the wiring is when the board is in the stock position.
- Replacing steam wand with a stainless steel upgrade (any recommendations for UK stockists?) and 4 hole tip
- Pulsor on pump outlet
- Painting (the wrap does not look good up close and I can see that it will peel off quite easily with time).
- 3D printed drip tray with recess for Bookoo Themis Mini
- Smart plug to turn the machine on at the socket 15 mins ahead of built in wake-up feature.
I have to say I was slightly regretting all the investment into this machine the past few weeks while waiting for parts to arrive, as it is a fair chunk of money (I'm at £570 all in for the machine + scale) and I do rate the Bambino Plus so highly (past machines are GC, Barista Express, Barista Pro and Bambino Plus). However, having pulled two test shots yesterday with the built in Cremina Lever profile and watching it pull so beautifully and stop on 35.9 and 36.0g respectively, I am bloody ecstatic. My hat off to the developers and engineers that worked to pull this project off in the first place (including Jaap!), and who also tirelessly work to support those in need on the Discord/Reddit threads.
Detailed photos will come in the next few months when it's properly done!