I’ve been working on this project on and off for a few years. It started off as a simple restoration of a second hand Italian espresso machine which quickly got out of control, as most of my projects seem to do. Here’s a video showing the finished project and then a bunch of photos showing the build. I should have done the video with the camera turned the other way, sorry about that but I couldn’t be bothered re-doing it.
The Brasilia ‘Lady’ is a very simple single-group, single boiler machine. It has a 300ml brass boiler with a 3-way solenoid valve. It has a simple bimetallic thermostat which means the temperature swings wildly (although some models do have more complex thermostats). My model had no micro controller and was purely AC driven and controlled by the buttons on the front and the thermostat. The machine is in some ways very similar to the popular Silvia
When I started restoring the machine I quickly decided that I wanted to do a PID modification to maintain a constant temperature. At the time I had just started playing around with Arduino so I thought why not just take all of the AC buttons on the front down to an Arduino and control everything through software with solid state relays for the pump, boiler and solenoid. The pictures and captions below should explain each part of the build sufficiently.
TLDR: Final assembly photos are at the bottom of the post.
Machine Housing
This is how the machine started out. This isn’t actually mine but I didn’t take a photo before I started. Mine was in much worse condition.
Very simplistic internals.
There’s a lot you can do with a good set of files
Top Panel
Template for top panel created in SketchUp
Template printed onto toner transfer paper
Thanks to Katt for the great idea of using PCB transfer paper
Template pressed onto 3.5MM aluminium plate with an old sandwich press
Milling the display aperture and a recess so that the display is very close to the surface of the panel.
This Sieg SX3 mill is proving to be very useful. It’s the same as the Grizzly G0619
Polishing compounds in various grades
The polishing compounds came in a set of 12 syringes
Shiny!
oLED Display Module
This 3M Double-sided tape
The clear acrylic lens is sealed to the display module with 3M double sided tape.
PCB and Controller
PCB design created in KICAD. Such an awesome piece of software!
12 double layered PCBs delivered for $14 USD from DirtyPCBs.com. I’m not complaining!
Power Box
Front LED
The led holder is made from stainless steel. A piece of fiber optic plastic is glued in as a lens.
Water Tank
Water Inlet
I’m not sure why I made such an elaborate nut for this considering it’s hidden inside the machine. Never mind it was fun.
Final Assembly
Before the final assembly I had the machine casing stripped and powder coated in flame red.
Group head temperature probe
The group head temperature probe is held on with High temperature Kapton tape
The tube wrapped around the boiler is a pre-heat tube that I added so that the water being drawn into the boiler is not stone cold.
Parts List: (Thanks China!)
- Top plate: 3.5mm Aluminium (from HP Server blanking panels)
- Display module: Cut from a block for 101 x 50mm Aluminium (New, local)
- Display: Hide.HK I2C 1602 LED display. (via eBay ~20USD)
- Display glass: Plexiglass 1.5mm (via ebay)
- Display Tape: 3M 300LSE 9495LE Double Sided Adhesive (sheets via AliExpress)
- PCB printed by DirtyPCBs.com
- Arduino Clone: Nano 3.0 clone (via AliExpress)
- 2x Temperature sensor chip: MAX6675ISA SPI Interface (via AliExpress)
- Connectors (via local JayCar Electronics)
- PCB Box (via AliExpress)
- Power Box – Aluminium (via local JayCar Electronics)
- Solid-State relays (Can’t remember had bunch in a parts box for years)
- DC power supply: From a Samsung USB charger
- Rubber grommet kit (via AliExpress)
- LED holder: From some stainless rod I had lying around
- Water Take outlet: Stainless M10 Bolt
- Silicon seal for water inlet – from a kit (via AliExpress)
- Water inlet: 22mm Aluminum rod (New, local)
- Silicon tube: 6x9mm food grade (via AliExpress)
- Pre-Heat tube: 6.4mm (I think) copper (New, Local)
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to ask questions.
Here is the source code and PCB schematic designs if anyone is interested. I’d be happy to have critique on either.
Hey:
Beautiful work and amazing quality. I have lots of admiration for people with your machining, design, electrical and design skills. And on top of that the discipline to finish the job and do it so precisely. All round terrific.
John
PS: I don’t give out my email address – just wanted to congratulate you on the nice work.
Rhys Im blown away!
I just bought a Action Lady I opened the back panels etc and wanted to service the thing but mine has the boiler tank on the side and TBH don’t know where to start… the sensor for the boiler tank has fallen off so I want to reattach that with Heat Sink Grease.
Very nice renovation. Next add a flow meter and go full auto.
Quick question, or two.
I, just a week ago bought a Lady and am looking at doing a few of your upgrades…
Do you have a materials/parts list?
Also, with the water pre-warmer, that is the 4mm tube coiling around the boiler, what temperatures are you recording during peak operation. Kinda curious about pressure levels within the coil section.
Thanks & Enjoy!
Hi Juan,
I’d like to add a pressure indicator either digital or analog but I had to stop somewhere! I just kept adding more and more! The pre-heat tube is 1/4″ (6.4mm) from memory. By parts list do you mean for my build or for the original machine? For the original machine you should be able to find this online. For the parts I added, I’ll make a list in the post above. Temperature measured in the boiler through a copper tube inserted at the top is 125C and the water comes out at ~98C.
I’ll be keen to hear how you get on and see some photos.
Cheers,
Rhys
Hi! We would like to feature this project on EEWeb.com. If you are interested, kindly drop me a message on my business e-mail: cexclamador@aspencore.com. I’ll be looking forward to your response! Thanks.
I can verify that this “Lady” makes awesome coffee!
Great project. It looks like you put a lot of thought into this one!
And BTW, I love good coffee. I’ve worn out three Keurig machines so far.
Hi Tom, thanks for stopping by. Can’t beat a good coffee, my wife made me a cup the other day that damn near took my head off!
Brilliant work, but no one addressing the issue,
HOW’S THE FREAKIN’ COFFEE TASTE?
Hey Jon, thanks for stopping by. Coffee is superb 🙂
take the Video horizontal …. its quit difficult but its worth the effort.
Excellent project, excellent documentation! – The ‘Lady’ is well worth all your efforts: something still sturdy, as noticed by the casing!
Cheers! Thanks for stopping by.
I love this project. Huge improvements in looks.. and probably functionality. Just awesome.
Cheers Dillon! Keep up the blogging and projects. You’ve done some really cool projects.
For sure, really need to find an excuse for work to send me up for a few days. Would be good to catch up. Also quite keen to see what else you have done with it, seeing how everything has been custom machined and designed from the ground up 🙂
Wow, has it only been four years Rhys? Can remember you talking about the project for a fair bit longer.
Brilliant to see it completed, loving the detail on the machining, understand the Arduino work, along with everything gone into the ‘little extras’. Definitely worthwhile and a big congrats for an awesome one-off. Not something you will find at your coffee shop, and a machine worth spending the time on..
Be sure to enjoy every coffee!
Cheers George! Yes it has been ongoing for some time! Although it has been in some state of beta testing for most of that time. Hopefully we’ll see you up here soon and I’ll make you a nice strong cup (AKA – ask Kerryn to make you a cup since I don’t really know how to use the thing!)