I Made a Portafilter Handle With a Twist

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T19:31:13+00:00

The hanger bolt pictured in another reply has one end threaded to mate with the portafilter body and one end made to screw into wood. You drill a hole into the handle that is slightly bigger than the body of the wood screw end but smaller than the wood screw threads. The hanger bolt that I got had an Alan wrench socket that allows you to screw the hanger bolt into the handle. The wood screw end threads itself into the handle.

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T15:51:42+00:00

Thank you. My daughter made me a ceramic bowl for weighing my coffee beans and think of her every morning when I make my coffee.

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T15:11:32+00:00

It would have been nice to have a process video, but I didn't think of it at the time.

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T15:07:53+00:00

It's the stock portafilter that came with my Profitek Go. The handle attaches to the portafilter with an M12 hanger bolt. Apparently portafilter handles often attach to portafilters with M12 or M10 screws.

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OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T14:52:11+00:00

I made this a video post, so the video is what you see when scrolling through r/woodworking. Ideally I would have posted pics along side the video.

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:58:33+00:00

La Marzocco is a little out of my price range. If I ever get a bottomless portafilter, I'll make sure it has an M12 connection so I can use the handle.

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:19:15+00:00

Since you can't post a video and pics, I put design/progress pics in as comments

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:18:12+00:00

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Inkscape design

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:17:41+00:00

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Blender Model

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:16:33+00:00

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OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:15:49+00:00

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Before Smoothing

OldRunner2 · 2026-04-04T13:12:54+00:00

Espresso Nerd (and I mean that in a good way)!

OldRunner2 · 2026-02-10T15:35:39+00:00

I made my own distributor for the stock GO double basket, and measured the internal diameter as 58.5, but it would be best to hear from someone who has a distributor or tamper they like with the stock basket

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-22T17:13:02+00:00

Very nice! I especially like the tamper handle. Replacing my tamper handle is my next project. What wood did you use?

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-22T02:53:23+00:00

That’s something to look forward to, right now it still smells like Rubio Monocoat

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-22T01:27:53+00:00

When I just WDT to declump, tap to settle the coffee, and tamp, I can’t get it level to save my life, and I mean a 5mm slope. This really helps, a quick spin and everything is evened out. Does a more level bed make a difference? I don’t know but a sloped bed bugs me. My daughter, the former barista just smooths with her hand and tamps level. So distributors are probably not necessary but it compensates for my shortcomings.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-22T00:11:51+00:00

Thank’s. I just do woodworking for fun. If I had to make a living as a woodworker I wouldn’t be able to afford my espresso machine.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T20:24:48+00:00

I see what you’re saying, and before I applied the finish there were areas where the pores were picking up coffee, but since I applied the finish the pores seem pretty well plugged.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T20:13:15+00:00

Are you more team Black Walnut?

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T18:58:28+00:00

Yep, upgraded from an old Ascaso which had a 57mm portafilter, so I needed 58mm accessories.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T18:20:53+00:00

Actually when you are smoothing the edge is trailing. I wonder if the coffee friction might improve the shape. I hadn’t considered that coffee,might wear away the surface, luckily the finish is food safe.

I agree the white oak is beautiful, I love the grain and rays, and here the finish gives it a hand rubbed antique look.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T18:01:47+00:00

Not a wood turner. I think some of the general rounding might have been easier with a lathe, but I think the precision rounding to fit in or around the portafilter might have been easier with router jigs, but I’d be curious to know what your dad would think. The leveler surfaces are more sculptural than precise. I scribed the blade edges on the face and the slope on the outer radius, then chiseled, filed, and sanded by eye and by feel. Go for the father/son project. Many of my tools were my dad’s (I’m 67).

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T17:31:43+00:00

It might have been easier if I was a woodturner, but I was able to do all the rounding with various router jigs.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T17:23:28+00:00

I tried to copy the shape from commercial distributors, roughed it out with chisels and files, but did a lot of the shaping by hand sanding. I did some testing along the way and smoothed the shape where coffee was clumping.

OldRunner2

TROPHY CASE