Typical HiFi seperate sized housing / enclosure on the cheap?

Hi all
Musing a different project to the one I've currently got on the boil. I'm on the lookout for a typical HiFi seperate sized enclosure / chassis / project box. Been looking at broken power amps on ebay and even old Sky boxes to gut and reuse. Where do you guys get your enclosures from? Bearing in mind I'm in the UK and am perpetually skint!

Cheers guys 👍🏻
 
Broken test gear on Ebay gives a multitude of options. Your problem is the front panel. You could always build the amp with the original front panel, and then fit a new one from frontpanelexpress when funds permit.

I wouldn't look at old Sky boxes. They were typically class 2 and made from flimsy grade metal.

Here you go - offer him £20:

Broken PSU

(that's just an example - you might have your work cut out on that one as it definitely isn't in the first flush of youth)
 
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You can get them to measure audio level, but they definitely aren't VU meters. 9/10 meters labelled 'VU' aren't. They might do an approximation, but a real VU has a specific movement that's balanced in order to meet the 300mS IEC spec. 99/100 of the great 70s / 80s Japanese amps that have meters aren't VU (they are often peak type, which has about a hundred variants). You will want to buffer + rectify the signal feeding the meters - and ground anything to do with the meters at the point of lowest impedance (between the filter caps is a good place). Many prefer peak meters BTW.

edit - a tip I can give you is that there are plenty of powder coating firms that will do you a cash job for a one-off. They might even be able to blast off the old paint. The chances are that there is one near you.
 
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@thermionic thanks mate. I am really really tempted. I figured the meters weren't actually vu meters for sound. I'm wondering if this might be a bit too much for want I want to build. It's not an amp per-se more of a jukebox / streaming type thng. Just wanted moving meters as they look cool. I'd probably end up getting the entire thing apart from the meters. And you're right, I know of a couple of powder coating places near me who'd probably have a stable at it but I kind of like the roughness / patina of it.
I'll have a think on it but am really tempted