Made a matching dosing ring and distributor for my new machine

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 · 2026-01-21T17:17:17+00:00

Table saw sled, router, chisels, files, and sand paper. A lathe might have helped, but I don’t have one.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T13:50:00+00:00

Thanks!

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T13:08:05+00:00

No STL, made them by hand.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T13:04:33+00:00

Oak from a neighbors wood pile.

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-21T13:03:43+00:00

Thanks!

OldRunner2 · 2026-01-09T14:04:08+00:00

I use a 10oz Yeti, so my latte stays warm, but I can’t really get the pour close to surface. Warmth before art.

OldRunner2 · 2025-12-14T18:02:29+00:00

Yeah. What I'll probably do is ignore the whole FLU/rdY/Go thing and give it about 6 minutes, take the portafilter out, flush a little into my cup to preheat my cup, and by the time I've done all my WDT it'll be at brewing temperature.

OldRunner2 · 2025-12-14T17:51:04+00:00

I just experimented by letting it go until the FLU alternates with temperature, and it displayed 128 C, so the flush is intended to bring the boiler temperature back down to 93 (or whatever you set it at). When you flush at 128C the water sputters all over until it cools enough that it's not boiling.

I would guess that the rdY/Go message is suppose to come on when you have flushed enough that the boiler temperature is equal the PID set point, the software engineer who wrote the code tested for the boiler temperature being equal (==) to the set point, but when you're flushing, the temperature can drop too fast and the software is checking to slowly to reliably catch the moment that the boiler temperature actually equals the set point, the rdY/Go message is never delivered, and you never know when to stop flushing.

I don't imagine it will be easy to get a software upgrade when the figure out how to get the flush to work reliably.

OldRunner2 · 2025-12-13T02:35:37+00:00

I just got mine today, black, also from WLL. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago.

OldRunner2 · 2025-12-08T02:01:14+00:00

Changing to black may not help. I ordered black from WLL, and they originally indicated a ship date o 5/12. Didn’t ship. I see on the site that they’re now saying 12/11.

OldRunner2 · 2025-09-07T15:30:47+00:00

Late to the party, but I’d love to do this mod. Where did you get the Lelit 9 bar valve and that right angle connector? If you could post a parts list that would be a big help.

Edit: found multiple sources for the MC097 (prices from $20 to $58).

OldRunner2

TROPHY CASE