I'm thinking a (radial) capacitor that is 1" x 0.5" diameter and has a weight of 4 grams does not need to be secured in a point to point layout. Correct?
And the broader question i guess: At what size/weight do you consider it necessary to secure components with clamps or other means?
And the broader question i guess: At what size/weight do you consider it necessary to secure components with clamps or other means?
This is a complicated question because it depends on a lot of things like how you expect the equipment to be used. For example, HiFi gear typically isn't moved around that much, so it really needs to be designed to survive initial shipping and occasional transport after that.
For a gigging musician who's on the road all the time, the calculations are completely different. Being transported across the country in a gear trailer will torture-test anything. I have seen Fender Deluxe Reverbs used for extensive touring where the output transformer flanges cracked from metal fatigue and the OT was found stuck to the back of the speaker magnet.
On the other hand, a module used in a recording studio console might never move for years.
For a gigging musician who's on the road all the time, the calculations are completely different. Being transported across the country in a gear trailer will torture-test anything. I have seen Fender Deluxe Reverbs used for extensive touring where the output transformer flanges cracked from metal fatigue and the OT was found stuck to the back of the speaker magnet.
On the other hand, a module used in a recording studio console might never move for years.
Good points. And i appreciate that it never hurts to overdue in this regard, but it's my build for me and will probably only have one move: from my workbench to the shelf it sits on ..unless it has to go back to the workbench. 😉
Agree 100%.
Entirely application-dependant. Just as components are rated for different applications - domestic/automotive/military etc. - so are completed assemblies. A high-end hifi amp is not, and does not require to be, built to withstand roadies chucking it in the back of a truck! If one is building for oneself I suspect the unit can be comparatively fragile with no fear of failure bar accidentally knocking the thing off a shelf...
Don't fret too much about it. That having been said, I tend to build things to be pretty nuke-proof because I like to! 😉
For a practical self-answer😛ush that capacitor with a fingertip: if it moves easily, worst would be a radial with legs fully spread out, then a drop of glue wouldn´t hurt, even if for piece of mind.
FWIW I make Guitar amps, and glue all radials, or fat film ones (think Orange Drops and similar) on principle.
Now axials with fattish legs, think "Mustards", are mechanically sound and much safer .
Answer yourself: if stuck to a vibrating table, would shaking damage this component?
Not an exaggeration by any means, jumping around in a car trunk or a pickup truck bed running on bad roads is an everyday situation for a touring Musician.
Hey, even amps carried by plane as personal luggage sometimes arrive with broken knobs, cracked plastic corner protectors, bent panels, etc. , unless inside an ATA approved case ("Anvil case"), surrounded by at least 2" foam on each surface.
And even so:
I also glue all nuts, even Jack ones, and contact cement glue transformers to chassis, besides bolted angle fasteners or covers of course.
Have repaired many amps where heavy transformers got loose or cracked legs and became perfect imitations of wrecking balls, suspended by wiring.
FWIW I make Guitar amps, and glue all radials, or fat film ones (think Orange Drops and similar) on principle.
Now axials with fattish legs, think "Mustards", are mechanically sound and much safer .
Answer yourself: if stuck to a vibrating table, would shaking damage this component?
Not an exaggeration by any means, jumping around in a car trunk or a pickup truck bed running on bad roads is an everyday situation for a touring Musician.
Hey, even amps carried by plane as personal luggage sometimes arrive with broken knobs, cracked plastic corner protectors, bent panels, etc. , unless inside an ATA approved case ("Anvil case"), surrounded by at least 2" foam on each surface.
And even so:
I also glue all nuts, even Jack ones, and contact cement glue transformers to chassis, besides bolted angle fasteners or covers of course.
Have repaired many amps where heavy transformers got loose or cracked legs and became perfect imitations of wrecking balls, suspended by wiring.
If it will move enough to break or cause a short etc when the amplifier is dropped from 1 foot of height onto a hard surface, I would secure it.
I don't go nearly as far as JMFahey with the glue etc though. I secure them to terminal strips bolted to the chassis.
The only thing I glue is still I can't attach otherwise and in that case I use either hot glue (not the dollar store junk) or krazyglue.
I don't go nearly as far as JMFahey with the glue etc though. I secure them to terminal strips bolted to the chassis.
The only thing I glue is still I can't attach otherwise and in that case I use either hot glue (not the dollar store junk) or krazyglue.
The console which won't move for years, then moves to the upstairs studio, is so large and awkward that it will, in the best case, be slammed somewhere. And is so large and complicated that it may take months to find and fix the 'minor' damage. (Remember that in a studio move your repair staff has whole rooms of juggled boxes to fix ASAP.)
The amp which only moves ONCE usually goes by UPS/FedEx. Joe used to tell us stories about the UPS sorting lines. Small boxes which rattled were routinely "broken" to see if there were pills inside. YouTube is full of videos showing delivery drivers throwing packages. When the FedEx person gets to my house my package is on the bottom and all the others get tossed aside.
You may be better off with your own roadies, who may take slightly better care of the boss' gear, since they will be working together for months, and busted gear means someone has to put down his beer and run it out for repair.
The amp which only moves ONCE usually goes by UPS/FedEx. Joe used to tell us stories about the UPS sorting lines. Small boxes which rattled were routinely "broken" to see if there were pills inside. YouTube is full of videos showing delivery drivers throwing packages. When the FedEx person gets to my house my package is on the bottom and all the others get tossed aside.
You may be better off with your own roadies, who may take slightly better care of the boss' gear, since they will be working together for months, and busted gear means someone has to put down his beer and run it out for repair.
Somewhat academic anyway in our field since EVRi won't insure electronic equipment...