Oh, c'mon ya'll. It's just a bit of acid, just do it outdoors! Seriously, the setup isn't *that* costly, or dangerous (it's just oxidation.) You'll be anodizing everything before you know it... Hmm, what else can I throw in here... a roll of aluminum foil, some pie tins, a batch of L-brackets... here, kitty kitty
I looked into the procedure while working on an amateur solid rocket motor in an AL case and was surprised at how complicated it wasn't. I'll see if I can dig up the link.
Tim Smith
Hey Ralph great looking amp. You say you got plates up to 10mm from Schaeffer but Front Panel Designer only seems to go up to a thickness of 4mm. Did they just supply you with 10mm uncut sheets or can they actually cut holes it aluminium that thick?
Slightly off topic, but I'm building an amp at the moment that will require a 550mm x 400mm (22" x 16") top plate and will have lots of heavy iron on top. I was hoping to use Schaeffer but I was thinking that 4mm would be too thin and would bend under the weight of all those transformers. Does any one have any experience of using a top plate this size and have any idea what thickness of aluminium I should be looking at? I realise I could use thinner copper or steel sheet, but that would prevent me from using Schaeffer as they can only cut aluminium.
Cheers
John
Slightly off topic, but I'm building an amp at the moment that will require a 550mm x 400mm (22" x 16") top plate and will have lots of heavy iron on top. I was hoping to use Schaeffer but I was thinking that 4mm would be too thin and would bend under the weight of all those transformers. Does any one have any experience of using a top plate this size and have any idea what thickness of aluminium I should be looking at? I realise I could use thinner copper or steel sheet, but that would prevent me from using Schaeffer as they can only cut aluminium.
Cheers
John
Thanks guys, I'll send Scheaffer an email or give them a ring and see what they can do for me.
There will be seven transformers on my top plate; total weight is something like 25-30kg, so that's why I was thinking that 4mm might not be thick enough. I'm going to arrange the design so that the heavier transformers are placed near the edges of the plate and not in the middle to try and prevent sagging, but I still think Magura might be right with 8mm as a minimum. I suppose it's better to over specify than to make an expensive mistake
Ralph was there much difference in price between 4mm and 10mm sheet?
Thanks for the offer Magura, I will be in touch if I can't get what I need from Scheaffer.
John
There will be seven transformers on my top plate; total weight is something like 25-30kg, so that's why I was thinking that 4mm might not be thick enough. I'm going to arrange the design so that the heavier transformers are placed near the edges of the plate and not in the middle to try and prevent sagging, but I still think Magura might be right with 8mm as a minimum. I suppose it's better to over specify than to make an expensive mistake
Ralph was there much difference in price between 4mm and 10mm sheet?
Thanks for the offer Magura, I will be in touch if I can't get what I need from Scheaffer.
John
Anodizing
This site has supplies and an online manual (I think you have to sign up first) on home anodizing shops. Auto parts dealers sell sulfuric acid by the 5 gallon bucket. That's about all it takes unless you want color. Then you need dyes and steam bath.
http://www.caswellplating.com
oh. that's how you do links
Click the plating metal fin. tab to get to the anodizing stuff
This site has supplies and an online manual (I think you have to sign up first) on home anodizing shops. Auto parts dealers sell sulfuric acid by the 5 gallon bucket. That's about all it takes unless you want color. Then you need dyes and steam bath.
http://www.caswellplating.com
oh. that's how you do links
Click the plating metal fin. tab to get to the anodizing stuff
I have some 18" x 13" top plates from FPE. They are 4mm thickness.
On top of these, I have 1X1500VCT, 1X230VCT, 1X10VCT, 1X6.3 VCT, 2X10H chokes, and a Tamura F-2013... lets just say these babies weigh a TON (probably 60-70 pounds). I was amazed at the fact that the 4mm anodized aluminum could take this weight. I will probably put a small brace under the Tamura, which is in the center, but no bending so far!!!
The fit and finish of the work was excellent, but a bit expensive for my relatively large pieces, though MUCH better than anything I could ever make myself! Given the quality, and the engraving options, I would HIGHLY recomend FPE.
Just my 2 cents....
On top of these, I have 1X1500VCT, 1X230VCT, 1X10VCT, 1X6.3 VCT, 2X10H chokes, and a Tamura F-2013... lets just say these babies weigh a TON (probably 60-70 pounds). I was amazed at the fact that the 4mm anodized aluminum could take this weight. I will probably put a small brace under the Tamura, which is in the center, but no bending so far!!!
The fit and finish of the work was excellent, but a bit expensive for my relatively large pieces, though MUCH better than anything I could ever make myself! Given the quality, and the engraving options, I would HIGHLY recomend FPE.
Just my 2 cents....
find a local machine shop.
if you cant find it in the yellow pages, ask around. call local tech companies, and as who they use to prototype their stuff...
i found some guy out in the country with a mullett that had some NICE equipment in his garage his work was absolutely perfect and very reasonable.
if you cant find it in the yellow pages, ask around. call local tech companies, and as who they use to prototype their stuff...
i found some guy out in the country with a mullett that had some NICE equipment in his garage
his work was absolutely perfect and very reasonable.
I used this company a while back to do custom meter inserts for a Neve recording desk with great successes:
http://www.rcicustom.com/index2.htm
And this company pumps stuff out with good quality at a value price too:
http://www.markertek.com/custom.html
****
The very best machine work I’ve had done came from Evan Matter at Vark Audio. The prices were great too. Machine work is his secondary business, I wouldn’t recommend him if your in a hurry, but I honestly believe that there is anybody who can beat his quality (and I’m kind of picky too). I’m not even sure if they take machine only orders, I had just bought a Nagra from him when I was having the other work done.
Vark Audio
8101 MacArthur Blvd.
Cabin John, MD 20818
Phone 301.229.0288
****
Evan also helped me build a custom servo focus motor for a television camera lens. A very intricate mount involving multiple radius cuts with precisely matched mounting to existing lens pieces.
One of his productised peices of equipment:
http://www.posthorn.com/Macvk_5.html
http://www.rcicustom.com/index2.htm
And this company pumps stuff out with good quality at a value price too:
http://www.markertek.com/custom.html
****
The very best machine work I’ve had done came from Evan Matter at Vark Audio. The prices were great too. Machine work is his secondary business, I wouldn’t recommend him if your in a hurry, but I honestly believe that there is anybody who can beat his quality (and I’m kind of picky too). I’m not even sure if they take machine only orders, I had just bought a Nagra from him when I was having the other work done.
Vark Audio
8101 MacArthur Blvd.
Cabin John, MD 20818
Phone 301.229.0288
****
Evan also helped me build a custom servo focus motor for a television camera lens. A very intricate mount involving multiple radius cuts with precisely matched mounting to existing lens pieces.
One of his productised peices of equipment:
http://www.posthorn.com/Macvk_5.html
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