Re: Chassi and surface
You must be lucky to live in a country like this.
Over here thinks ain't that cheap.
Besides, I wanted to have it done the same day. I would spend more time driving to the anodizing place than doing it myself at home. Preparing a drawing for a CNC machine would take me probably more time than cutting it myself in my workshop. And applying alodine is not more dangerous than etching PCBs.
leiade said:
You must be lucky to live in a country like this.
Over here thinks ain't that cheap.Besides, I wanted to have it done the same day. I would spend more time driving to the anodizing place than doing it myself at home. Preparing a drawing for a CNC machine would take me probably more time than cutting it myself in my workshop. And applying alodine is not more dangerous than etching PCBs.
Well, here's a great(?) business service.
In the same manner that you can order PCB's online, wouldn't it be cool to be able to order a chassis from various stock rectangular extrusions, being able to specify the length (all the case people whould have to do is cut it in a chop saw)
The spec the front and rear panels using Autocad or just specifiing the location of various stock selections (ie: hole center mark for 1/4" shaft with sunburst #4 reference marks, and label underneath saying "volume"
A lot of the fun of designing this service would be to figure out an efficient way to spec the various options. The truth is that there realy aren't that many options needed! The maker could state that they only put labels 3/4" below the knob hole for example, Everything could be laser engraved on the front and rear plates. Holes would only need to be marked, the actual hole can be drilled by the user.
Peter. track down the laser guys and you are in business! This will buy you a few cool tweeters or capacitors from Germany!
In the same manner that you can order PCB's online, wouldn't it be cool to be able to order a chassis from various stock rectangular extrusions, being able to specify the length (all the case people whould have to do is cut it in a chop saw)
The spec the front and rear panels using Autocad or just specifiing the location of various stock selections (ie: hole center mark for 1/4" shaft with sunburst #4 reference marks, and label underneath saying "volume"
A lot of the fun of designing this service would be to figure out an efficient way to spec the various options. The truth is that there realy aren't that many options needed! The maker could state that they only put labels 3/4" below the knob hole for example, Everything could be laser engraved on the front and rear plates. Holes would only need to be marked, the actual hole can be drilled by the user.
Peter. track down the laser guys and you are in business! This will buy you a few cool tweeters or capacitors from Germany!
Enclosure Alodining
Thank you Peter I also like your country very much lots of nice people and great ideas.
Ok! It was just an idea of making it more reliable, but the cutting machines use water and sand, this make it just wonderful for us amateurs they could cut almost any material from sheets like wood,plastics,stone,steel,titanium and so on.
I asked and they told me that they cut and anodized in the same workshop with three days delivery.
The alodining process is very interesting as this results in a finnish that are non insulating so you get a better enclosure with this than the anodized aluminium when you put the parts together.
Now Peter tell us how to do this magic Alodining.
Thank you Peter I also like your country very much lots of nice people and great ideas.
Ok! It was just an idea of making it more reliable, but the cutting machines use water and sand, this make it just wonderful for us amateurs they could cut almost any material from sheets like wood,plastics,stone,steel,titanium and so on.
I asked and they told me that they cut and anodized in the same workshop with three days delivery.
The alodining process is very interesting as this results in a finnish that are non insulating so you get a better enclosure with this than the anodized aluminium when you put the parts together.
Now Peter tell us how to do this magic Alodining.
I just pour the alodine into a flat bottom container and then immerse the part into the liquid. Usually 2 min. is OK. The longer you keep the part in a bath the stronger gold color it acquires. Then I just clean it under running water and I'm done. To make even better there are two more chemicals you should use before actual alodining (they clean and deoxidize the part) but since I don't have them, I don't use them. Alodine finish doesn't prevent scratching (like anodizing), but it's good protection against oxidizing and fingerprints.
Alodine
Peter the winter has arrived there is snow on the ground and I will do something nice this winter so alodining Al parts is one project how can I get Alodine where can I buy it.
I also think it is best way to make finnish on homebrewed enclosures at least the chassie regarding to the isolating properties of anodizing aluminium that's not good, the faceplate may be much better with pro cutting.
I will order a small amount of rear and faceplates for a project I think I will go for unmagnetic stainless steel 5 or 6 mm with precutted holes for pots and switches.
One thing that would be important is to use some type of shielding products like they use in hf projects I think that the copper tape from 3M may be worth a try lining it round the edges before assambling chassie parts and this can only be used together with the Peter Daniel's alodining tip.
Thank you
Peter the winter has arrived there is snow on the ground and I will do something nice this winter so alodining Al parts is one project how can I get Alodine where can I buy it.
I also think it is best way to make finnish on homebrewed enclosures at least the chassie regarding to the isolating properties of anodizing aluminium that's not good, the faceplate may be much better with pro cutting.
I will order a small amount of rear and faceplates for a project I think I will go for unmagnetic stainless steel 5 or 6 mm with precutted holes for pots and switches.
One thing that would be important is to use some type of shielding products like they use in hf projects I think that the copper tape from 3M may be worth a try lining it round the edges before assambling chassie parts and this can only be used together with the Peter Daniel's alodining tip.
Thank you
Alodine
Hi,
Alodine in powder form is very toxic so let a chemical lab do the mixing for you, then you can handle this product with normal care.This product has been on the market for many many years and is used in the air industri as a finish device after working on aluminium products we amateurs can of course use it as an surface finish solution as one of its properties is better and more stable electrical conducting, Ericsson and Nokia has stopped to use Alodine so... watch out and use it with some care it is a wonderful and well-tried method thank you Peter
Hi,
Alodine in powder form is very toxic so let a chemical lab do the mixing for you, then you can handle this product with normal care.This product has been on the market for many many years and is used in the air industri as a finish device after working on aluminium products we amateurs can of course use it as an surface finish solution as one of its properties is better and more stable electrical conducting, Ericsson and Nokia has stopped to use Alodine so... watch out and use it with some care it is a wonderful and well-tried method thank you Peter
A little of topic I suppose but this would approximate the type of service variac was hinting at...
http://www.schaeffer-apparatebau.de/FPD_index.htm
I downloaded it..you can design something..and check the price realtime..pretty cool..
Drawback...quite hard to work with..although once u get used to it..must be great..
Link to the guy that used it..
http://www.tube-amp.de/300b/
http://www.schaeffer-apparatebau.de/FPD_index.htm
I downloaded it..you can design something..and check the price realtime..pretty cool..
Drawback...quite hard to work with..although once u get used to it..must be great..
Link to the guy that used it..
http://www.tube-amp.de/300b/
Wow, that's it all right, but with a lot more choices and more confusion! I'll try searching for something similar in the U.S or Canada. Very exciting to find that theseplaces exist!! Nxt I'll check out their pricing!
What keywords did you search with?
If anyone finds more similar places please post them!!
What keywords did you search with?
If anyone finds more similar places please post them!!
Mark,
For more choices and confusion..albeit not chaos..I suppose you know about
http://www.onlinemetals.com
any metal, any time, any size!!!!!
small quantities fast!!
Cheers,
Bas
Did not do a search but stumbled upon it on some forum....might even have been this forum..
For more choices and confusion..albeit not chaos..I suppose you know about
http://www.onlinemetals.com
any metal, any time, any size!!!!!
small quantities fast!!
Cheers,
Bas
Did not do a search but stumbled upon it on some forum....might even have been this forum..
Doh!!
THEY HAVE IT IN ENGLISH!
http://www.schaeffer-apparatebau.de/English/index.htm
I was a bit intimidated by the entire text being in German.
Finally after stumbling around not understanding much I found the little British flag....oh......
Heck, maybe the shipping to the US isn't unreasonable.
This is indeed exactly what I was talking about. Along with the square tube idea this looks like a great way to make cases/
THEY HAVE IT IN ENGLISH!
http://www.schaeffer-apparatebau.de/English/index.htm
I was a bit intimidated by the entire text being in German.
Finally after stumbling around not understanding much I found the little British flag....oh......
Heck, maybe the shipping to the US isn't unreasonable.
This is indeed exactly what I was talking about. Along with the square tube idea this looks like a great way to make cases/
Here is an United States company that looks very good for custom faceplates:
http://www.markertek.com/custom.html
http://www.markertek.com/custom.html
This appears to be a US branch or licensee offshoot of the German company mentioned above:
http://frontpanelexpress.com
-- mirlo
http://frontpanelexpress.com
-- mirlo
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