Hello, I was hoping to hear from any of you that have ventured into building a stereo tube amp, and what you settled on for a 19" rack mount chassis.
For the amp I am designed up now, I plan to build this on a 1U (or maybe 2U) rackmount chassis in the vintage style, with all tubes/transformers/choke/maybe filter caps located on the top with preampboards, control pots, switches within the chassis.
I've been looking at Par-metal and see that there are 3-4 series to choose from - alum/steel, alum on only, Heavy duty alum/EMI RF protection.
Its obvious that for a 100W 2-channel tube power amp, there will be a considerable amount of weight that the tops of these chassis will need to support.
I should probably add that this will likely need at least a 10" depth. And a 1U height will probably be enough to fit preamp boards/switches/potentiometers/jacks, etc...
Were you led to purchase any particular brand/model that provided enough structural rigidity to support the weight of transformers?
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Best,
Phil Donovan
For the amp I am designed up now, I plan to build this on a 1U (or maybe 2U) rackmount chassis in the vintage style, with all tubes/transformers/choke/maybe filter caps located on the top with preampboards, control pots, switches within the chassis.
I've been looking at Par-metal and see that there are 3-4 series to choose from - alum/steel, alum on only, Heavy duty alum/EMI RF protection.
Its obvious that for a 100W 2-channel tube power amp, there will be a considerable amount of weight that the tops of these chassis will need to support.
I should probably add that this will likely need at least a 10" depth. And a 1U height will probably be enough to fit preamp boards/switches/potentiometers/jacks, etc...
Were you led to purchase any particular brand/model that provided enough structural rigidity to support the weight of transformers?
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Best,
Phil Donovan
Why are you interested in a rackmount chassis? You are obviously not going to rack it, since there will be all this glass and other crap sticking out of the top...
I've built rack equipment, though not tube equipment. Can't stand steel chassis', too tough to machine. I'd use aluminum and if you're going to do a rack, do a proper height so it can be properly rack mounted. When weight is an issue people use rack slides- don't just bolt the panel and hope it's strong enough. It's bad practice.
NavePoint, available on Amazon, makes some very good quality and affordable four post racks in varying heights.
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
Obviously - Put the PSU, with it's heavy transformers, separately at the bottom of the rack. The weight will help to stabilize the rack and keep E-M fields away from the amplifier.
Another option is to build a more conventional style tube amp chassis and just put it on, or bolt it down to a "rack mount shelf".
RM shelves are standard stock items available from many sources.
RM shelves are standard stock items available from many sources.
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
It'll actually be easier - less crowded, fewer compromises and quite possibly better performance.So now you have two chassis to build.
jeff
Par Metal Products in NJ, good quality
http://www.par-metal.com/product.php
LMB/Heeger in Los Angeles, they have the UNIpak line where you can build many sizes by selection of the parts.
https://lmbheeger.com/uni-pacuniversalpackagingsystem.aspx
Middle Atlantic Products in NJ (now owned ly Legrand).
https://www.legrandav.com/products/middle_atlantic_products
I have used all these companies many times.
http://www.par-metal.com/product.php
LMB/Heeger in Los Angeles, they have the UNIpak line where you can build many sizes by selection of the parts.
https://lmbheeger.com/uni-pacuniversalpackagingsystem.aspx
Middle Atlantic Products in NJ (now owned ly Legrand).
https://www.legrandav.com/products/middle_atlantic_products
I have used all these companies many times.
Last edited:
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
back in the old days, you could also include into your hi-fi rack a small drawer to keep stuff in like a carbon brush for vinyl and cotton buds for cleaning your tape heads. And you could often arrange space to store your LPs. Nowadays hi-fi racks are all shelves to suit pizza box electronics but I'm not sure that this is a good thing.
Thank you all for the suggestions, and it gives me a few more things to look at. I'm not trying to change my story, just hoping to end up with a chassis that won't cave under the weight of a few transformers. This is actually for an instrument application. I have a selection of 19 inch rackmount FX processors that would likely work well with this system and it would be nice to have it all in one package for this application, which is fairly specific. I'll hash out the amount of space and necessary protection for everything as I go.
Thank you all,
Best,
Phil D.
Thank you all,
Best,
Phil D.
Phil:
You might want to take a look at Landfall Systems (https://www.landfallsystems.com/). I haven't used their products but have read, from several reliable sources, that their chassis are well-built and especially sturdy.
Regards,
Scott
You might want to take a look at Landfall Systems (https://www.landfallsystems.com/). I haven't used their products but have read, from several reliable sources, that their chassis are well-built and especially sturdy.
Regards,
Scott
Have you looked into the "Broiler-pan" school of way way sturdy chassis? A hop down to one of those giant kitchen outlets...colors abound, & the ever present stainless steel.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rick...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rick...
Attachments
Ha, broiler pan. Looks good, don't temp me. I had my sights on a 1U x 10" x 10-12" typical rackmount chassis because I could fit it with other 19" rackmount fx units. Figured it would be nice to just have them all together and in close proximity for hookup and interface. Of course, it won't be the most agile thing to haul around but, I'm willing to make that concession.
I do like the broiler pan idea though, could imagine building a 2-channel tube Hi Fi amp for the kitchen with that. And I 'm not being facetious. For a while now its been something I've thought about - a nice castle of transformers and hot tube sitting at the other end of the kitchen table with a couple of nice 2-ways hanging on the walls, (or on a couple of stands). I think the broiler pan would be a perfect mounting fixture structurally and aesthetically.
Best
Phil D
I do like the broiler pan idea though, could imagine building a 2-channel tube Hi Fi amp for the kitchen with that. And I 'm not being facetious. For a while now its been something I've thought about - a nice castle of transformers and hot tube sitting at the other end of the kitchen table with a couple of nice 2-ways hanging on the walls, (or on a couple of stands). I think the broiler pan would be a perfect mounting fixture structurally and aesthetically.
Best
Phil D
