can trafo laminations rest on chassis?

CarlyBoy · 26th December 2008, 04:31 PM

I've got an old TEK LV transformer that I'd like to use as a power transformer for a project. It's large and heavy, so in an effort to lower the center of gravity of the finished unit, can I cut a square hole into the top plate and secure the transformer to the aluminum chassis with laminations resting against the top plate or is this a bad idea?

Klimon · 26th December 2008, 04:47 PM

That's how it's frequently done. To provide some sort of mechanical (vibrations) decoupling it's best to put a strip of rubber or similar between the trafo and the chassis. Then don't forget to electrically reconnect both parts of iron!

SImon

CarlyBoy · 26th December 2008, 04:59 PM

Good to know. Trick now will be to find a rubber strip narrow enough - not much room on the edge of this thing.

Ty_Bower · 26th December 2008, 05:51 PM

That's what I did with my PT. Cut a hole and let it drop through. It's not sitting exactly on the laminations, though. There is a nut on the end of the bolt that goes through the lams. I did not remove that nut before I mounted the transformer.

Aluminum chassis might be a good idea - easier to cut, and no magnetic interaction with the transformer.

SigloOne · 26th December 2008, 05:53 PM

try a mountain bike tire inner tube, just make sure the diameter is enough to cover the footprint.

boywonder · 26th December 2008, 07:23 PM

On a related note, is there any downside to mounting a transformer as shown?

I smoked my planned "upright mount" style hammond and had this through-the-deck mount style in the parts bin, so I mounted it on standoffs.

HollowState · 26th December 2008, 07:31 PM

None that I can think of beyond the normal hum pickup considerations. It's perfectly legal.

nigelwright7557 · 26th December 2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CarlyBoy
I've got an old TEK LV transformer that I'd like to use as a power transformer for a project. It's large and heavy, so in an effort to lower the center of gravity of the finished unit, can I cut a square hole into the top plate and secure the transformer to the aluminum chassis with laminations resting against the top plate or is this a bad idea?

If you bolt the transformer top and bottom you are creating a single shorted turn through the bolt and the chassis !

There was a warning against doing this when I recieved my transformer......

HollowState · 27th December 2008, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nigelwright7557

If you bolt the transformer top and bottom you are creating a single shorted turn through the bolt and the chassis !

Many transformers have a insulating shoulder washer on one end of the long bolt to prevent that when necessary. But I have also seen original transformers that do not. So I guess it depends on how the transformer is constructed.

edit: This may also depend on the material used for the bolt. Whether it is steel or non-magnetic (300 series) stainless steel.

26th December 2008, 04:31 PM	#1
CarlyBoy diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	can trafo laminations rest on chassis? I've got an old TEK LV transformer that I'd like to use as a power transformer for a project. It's large and heavy, so in an effort to lower the center of gravity of the finished unit, can I cut a square hole into the top plate and secure the transformer to the aluminum chassis with laminations resting against the top plate or is this a bad idea?

26th December 2008, 07:31 PM	#7
HollowState diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Taxland, New Jersey	None that I can think of beyond the normal hum pickup considerations. It's perfectly legal. __________________ "The supercomputer is technologically impossible. It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required." ~ Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University

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26th December 2008, 04:47 PM	#2
Klimon diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Leuven	That's how it's frequently done. To provide some sort of mechanical (vibrations) decoupling it's best to put a strip of rubber or similar between the trafo and the chassis. Then don't forget to electrically reconnect both parts of iron! SImon

26th December 2008, 04:59 PM	#3
CarlyBoy diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	Good to know. Trick now will be to find a rubber strip narrow enough - not much room on the edge of this thing.

26th December 2008, 05:51 PM	#4
Ty_Bower diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, DE	That's what I did with my PT. Cut a hole and let it drop through. It's not sitting exactly on the laminations, though. There is a nut on the end of the bolt that goes through the lams. I did not remove that nut before I mounted the transformer. Aluminum chassis might be a good idea - easier to cut, and no magnetic interaction with the transformer.

26th December 2008, 05:53 PM	#5
SigloOne diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2008	try a mountain bike tire inner tube, just make sure the diameter is enough to cover the footprint.

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