what to use as a nice amp case?
So I want to get my amp built already, I have all the parts, I just don't know what to build it on! I could fashion something out of metal but I know if will not look the greatest. It's a guitar amp with two transformers, three tubes, two pots and a switch or two. Where do you all get your chasis from?
So I want to get my amp built already, I have all the parts, I just don't know what to build it on! I could fashion something out of metal but I know if will not look the greatest. It's a guitar amp with two transformers, three tubes, two pots and a switch or two. Where do you all get your chasis from?
There's a similar thread in the Class d section.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71800
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71800
It's true, kitchen shops are great for valve chassis and accessories. I regularly visit them in the hope of picking up something useful. There are currently some rather nice chromed "utensil holders" made of rings of 3mm wire and coarse gauze that are ideal for protecting 813. Candle-driven food warmers are ideal for valve preamplifiers (they even have ventilation slots). This week, I saw some (cheap) nicely jointed wooden bread bins that would make ideal power supply cases.
Think laterally.
Think laterally.
Just to echo what SY and EC are saying: don't forget IKEA. You can find many different wooden knick knack boxes there. Add an aluminum plate top and/or bottom, voila, a case!
I actually make all of mine, it's pretty easy. Just 3 pieces of wood and 2 pieces of aluminum. I make rabbets in the pieces of wood both to join them to each other and to attach the aluminum to, and all I use is my cheapo ripping blade in the table saw.
I actually make all of mine, it's pretty easy. Just 3 pieces of wood and 2 pieces of aluminum. I make rabbets in the pieces of wood both to join them to each other and to attach the aluminum to, and all I use is my cheapo ripping blade in the table saw.
Cleveland Ohio has just GOT to have more than a couple of enormous
scrap metal reprocessors. Some let you wander the yard; some don't.
Luckily my local ones do and they have mountains of cast off stainless and aluminum shapes and extrusions that just boggle the tinkerer's imagination, especially if you have the means to do some fabricating at home (god I'd love a tig welder for Christmas!). Very cheap by the pound.
Check out the yellow pages.
Incidentally, you can do astonishing things with aluminum using carbide bits on a table router, and ferrous-use blades on a table saw.
It's almost like woodworking. Extremely problematic SAF though. Even with the best dust removal going, you'll still end up finding little chips of aluminum tinsel throughout the house.
scrap metal reprocessors. Some let you wander the yard; some don't.
Luckily my local ones do and they have mountains of cast off stainless and aluminum shapes and extrusions that just boggle the tinkerer's imagination, especially if you have the means to do some fabricating at home (god I'd love a tig welder for Christmas!). Very cheap by the pound.
Check out the yellow pages.
Incidentally, you can do astonishing things with aluminum using carbide bits on a table router, and ferrous-use blades on a table saw.
It's almost like woodworking. Extremely problematic SAF though. Even with the best dust removal going, you'll still end up finding little chips of aluminum tinsel throughout the house.
The old standard method still works, and I use it for guitar amps. Buy a Hammond pre-made aluminum (or steel) chassis. Drill or punch the holes for the tube sockets and transformers, mount all of the parts, and make some type of front and rear panel covers. Marshall used Plexiglass, Fender used aluminum. The end result looks similar to an old Fender or Marshall chassis. Then you make a wood box and cover it with Tolex.
I have made the entire amp from Lexan (a plastic like material). This looks cool, but is a pain to work with. Lexan is the only clear material that doesn't melt at vacuum tube temperatures.
You can also use an aluminum top plate with wood sides. My 845SE stereo amp was made from a street sign that was left in my yard by a hurricane.
As mentioned previously you can find aluminum baking pans at the kitchen store. These are good chassis for small tube amps.
If you go the conventional box route you can get all of the supplies at Antique Electronic Supply. www.tubesandmore.com
I have made the entire amp from Lexan (a plastic like material). This looks cool, but is a pain to work with. Lexan is the only clear material that doesn't melt at vacuum tube temperatures.
You can also use an aluminum top plate with wood sides. My 845SE stereo amp was made from a street sign that was left in my yard by a hurricane.
As mentioned previously you can find aluminum baking pans at the kitchen store. These are good chassis for small tube amps.
If you go the conventional box route you can get all of the supplies at Antique Electronic Supply. www.tubesandmore.com
I've made an amp or two out of clear and smoked acrylic sheets. The base was made out of wood. My amp does get a bit warm but not too bad so the top does not warp. Plus, it is on the thicker side, about 3/16" I think. The clear top looks pretty neat if your wiring is all laid out nicely. I have a picture somewhere but need to figure out how to post it...
I find that the chassis / enclosure is the most difficult aspect about DIY Audio projects. The easy way seems to be to spend a lot of money and get a nice case. Trying to make a decent enclosure on a budget can be difficult.
The Hammond enclosures seems to be decent and the cost is reasonable. I used a hammond enclosure on my K-12M project and it turned out half decent.
For my 50EH5 project I got lucky and found an old aluminum cooking pan. A little sand paper and left over paint made a pretty good enclosure at no cost.
Right now I am looking for something decent in the $40US range that will house a chipamp. So far, no luck.
Good luck.
The Hammond enclosures seems to be decent and the cost is reasonable. I used a hammond enclosure on my K-12M project and it turned out half decent.
For my 50EH5 project I got lucky and found an old aluminum cooking pan. A little sand paper and left over paint made a pretty good enclosure at no cost.
Right now I am looking for something decent in the $40US range that will house a chipamp. So far, no luck.
Good luck.
I used an old loaf-pan for an AM transmitter project.
Just drill holes in the bottom (now the top) for the tubes,a couple in the sides for jacks,pots,and whatnot,and shoot some paint on it.
Maybe make a base out of some nice stained wood.
Simple,cheap,and not too terribly ugly..
Just don't let the spouse know you stole her baking pan!..
Or better yet,go buy her a new one,and use the old one for projects.. win-win!
Just drill holes in the bottom (now the top) for the tubes,a couple in the sides for jacks,pots,and whatnot,and shoot some paint on it.
Maybe make a base out of some nice stained wood.
Simple,cheap,and not too terribly ugly..
Just don't let the spouse know you stole her baking pan!..
Or better yet,go buy her a new one,and use the old one for projects.. win-win!
There was a vacuum tube ham radio transmitter and receiver kit set available a few years ago that was built on a cake pan chassis. It was called, the Cakepanion set.
This is the only (poor) picture that Google could find.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/190
This is the only (poor) picture that Google could find.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/190
I make all my own chassis using wooden sides and extrusions for front and back, then I mount my top plates left to right fastened onto the extrusions front and back. For extrusions, you can use 19" subrack parts - I use the horizontal rails and turn them up and down so I bolt the top and bottom into the threaded inserts. The sides then bolt on using the usual 4M bolts. Another way is to use 2U extrusions from Penn for front and back. These look quite good, but don't have the threaded inserts so you have to drill them to accept the top and bottom plates. Various lengths available up to 2 metres.
http://www.penn-elcom.com/ Look under MSB>Extrusions
http://www.penn-elcom.com/ Look under MSB>Extrusions
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