A simple chassis idea

[Peter Daniel]

A friend asked me to make a chassis for his passive preamp. I didn't want to spend too much time on that, so I had to figure out a smart way to build a box, yet make it look nicely.

 

[Peter Daniel]

My idea worked well and I am more than happy with a look. But what was even more plaeasing was the fact that I only had to use 4 screws for putting everything together (including feet).

 

[Peter Daniel]

Those are the only fasteners.

 

[Peter Daniel]

And this is how it's done. I used 2 x 4 rectangular aluminum extrusion cut to 5.5" length. Front and rear panel is done out of clear anodized aluminum angles. The chassis body is brushed and alodined, that's where the gold color comes from. Took me 4 hours to completely make 2 boxes and put preamp in one of them.

I figured it out today and I have to say that it's pretty simple and smart way to do a smaller box (crossover, preamp, phono stage). I guess I'll be using that technique more often. I remeber some guys complaining about using countless screws for a chassis. This one needs only four.

 

[wchick]

Clever

Very neat, indeed.

Wallace

 

[EJ]

Hey,

That's really smart

What a cute little thing

 

[Variac]

er,

 

[Variac]

er, ... thats "cute little thang" I have to say that this is a real contribution. Did you do all the cuts with your trusty metal cutting circular say? My local surplus aluminum supply place is very pricey, but has a great stock of rectangular tube.

For a gain card amp or some such, it might be adaquate heatsink

 

[Ken L]

slick!

Ken L

 

[Peter Daniel]

As usually I used 10" mitre saw with non-ferrous metal blade. It's the easiest way to cut aluminum.

 

[jan.didden]

Simple chassis

Peter,

My vote for 'Czar of enclosures' goes to you!

Jan Didden

 

[planet10]

Re: Simple chassis

Peter,

More excellent kit from the House of Aluminum Beauty.

My NAIM NAIT 2 has a very similar chassis. The only difference is that instead of 2 aluminum Ls, it has a steel U. Same 4 screws hold it together. One fine little amp too.

dave

 

[joensd]

Really good looking and simple idea!
I think threads like this should go into the WIKI "how to" sections.

 

[chris ma]

Great idea

Beauty of simplicity, like the very early Meridian pre-amp and mono blocks.

Actually the same idea can be used with the circular tube, then it will look like the X-cans.

Thanks Peter.

 

[bm_mode]

Nice stuff Peter. One of those elegantly simple ideas that is so sensible that once you've seen it you can't understand why it wasn't blindingly obvious to everyone (including oneself) before. (Kind of like the invention of the clockwork radio).

 

[jcarr]

Dave:

>My NAIM NAIT 2 has a very similar chassis. The only difference is that instead of 2 aluminum Ls, it has a steel U. Same 4 screws hold it together.<

Some of the Spectral preamps used this same type of chassis for their remote transformer box. Rectangular tube aluminum extrusion, aluminum U, and 4 screws serving double-duty as feet. The sliding U-part carried all of the electronics and made servicing and repair extremely easy.

jonathan carr

 

[jackinnj]

You should get a prize

that is a neat idea.

 

[dice45]

Peter,

good idea, will copy it . One hint, the tube bottom edge of the front side becomes visible as the L-profile acting as frontplate only covers 3 of the 4 edges.

If you file or mill or saw a 60° chamfer on this bottom edge (*almost* but not fully a knife edge) and blacken it afterwards, it becomes fully invisible and the housing looks even slicker.

 

[Peter Daniel]

filing bottom edge.

This would be a further improvement on a simple idea. I didn't do it, because I was running against the time. One point worth noticing here, is that I used anodized angles from building supplies store, so no additional finish required for front and rear panel.

 

[leiade]

Chassi and surface

Hi,

How do you make the finnish? you mentioned alodine is this a liquid or it is a electrochemical process it sounds that this can dangerous to your health.
A company in my country can make a faceplate wich is cutted and anodized for $20 I think it is the same in US the CNC machine has the advantage that it can make anything with very high precision.

If you had a strategy for enclosures you may only have two or three kind of enclosures drawings following the same design idea.
If you then need a enclosure just mail the file with your drawing and the workshop make the parts you need in a couple of days.