well, look at the original post date for this thread, september 2002. the project started shortly after. it will probably be 1.5 - 2 years once all is complete.
cowanrg
That's one great deal on the face plates, did that include the aluminum, if so that's super. How thick are the angled front plates.
When you sand the aluminum look for aluminum oxide paper. Sand paper for wood will burn-up. Many machine shop have drum or large belt sanders and do the job quick.
An anodize gun metal would look very good. Some time I black just does not show off a really nice amp like the ones you've built.
That's one great deal on the face plates, did that include the aluminum, if so that's super. How thick are the angled front plates.
When you sand the aluminum look for aluminum oxide paper. Sand paper for wood will burn-up. Many machine shop have drum or large belt sanders and do the job quick.
An anodize gun metal would look very good. Some time I black just does not show off a really nice amp like the ones you've built.
the price on faceplates was INCLUDING the metal (all of which is T6, 6061 grade). it will be anodized just like the originals, black from the face back. this is because the heatsinks are surplus and arent perfect. the black anodizing will help to hide some of the imperfections, and to make the face plate stand out more.
im using regular sand paper on a bench sander. it goes through paper quicker than wood would (hehe), but it sand nice and even. it runs VERY cool because its high grade aluminum and the metal actually gets VERY hot. when sanding the heatsinks i need to wear leather welders gloves because they transfer so much heat. the belt is actually cold, but the heatsink is almost untouchable.
its funny how that stuff works. 🙂
im using regular sand paper on a bench sander. it goes through paper quicker than wood would (hehe), but it sand nice and even. it runs VERY cool because its high grade aluminum and the metal actually gets VERY hot. when sanding the heatsinks i need to wear leather welders gloves because they transfer so much heat. the belt is actually cold, but the heatsink is almost untouchable.
its funny how that stuff works. 🙂
Very, very cool and nice! BTW, do you work at Boulder amps? They make high end audio with huge chunks of aluminum too like Pass Labs.😉
hah, nah, i wish i worked for boulder, well, kinda....
i work for a local high end retailer. we dont carry boulder though.
i work for a local high end retailer. we dont carry boulder though.
Member
Joined 2002
anodised alu
Conwrang, could you tell me how do you anodise the aluminium part of your amp, what is the technik or the products?
i want do a "Black nickel" finish on my amplifier but i do not know if it is possible and if yes, how can I do it. " Black nickel, it is like a mirror but black, I do not how can I explain.
Thank you.
Conwrang, could you tell me how do you anodise the aluminium part of your amp, what is the technik or the products?
i want do a "Black nickel" finish on my amplifier but i do not know if it is possible and if yes, how can I do it. " Black nickel, it is like a mirror but black, I do not how can I explain.
Thank you.
size of your case
cowanrg, what are the sizes of your case and where did you buy your heatsink, because I search the same one but on Meci the size or small and I do not think that are your sizes, it is 5.25"*7"*3".
thank you.
cowanrg, what are the sizes of your case and where did you buy your heatsink, because I search the same one but on Meci the size or small and I do not think that are your sizes, it is 5.25"*7"*3".
thank you.
i have not done any anodizing yet. im just gonna give it to a metal shop and have them do it.
as far as the size of the case, overall its 8" high, 17" wide, and about 21" deep. so far its maybe 30 pounds empty. the transformers will be 25 pounds each, plus another 20 pounds of guts or so.
the heatsinks are sold out. they dont exist any more :-( they just have the smaller sections. i got mine in 24" sections that i cut into thirds almost exactly.
as far as the size of the case, overall its 8" high, 17" wide, and about 21" deep. so far its maybe 30 pounds empty. the transformers will be 25 pounds each, plus another 20 pounds of guts or so.
the heatsinks are sold out. they dont exist any more :-( they just have the smaller sections. i got mine in 24" sections that i cut into thirds almost exactly.
Gloss black and "Black nickel" anodizing
Anodizing to get a gloss black mirror is simple but expensive.
Normally we have a "brushed" finish. This is where the metal is scratched, hopefully all in the right direction. This hides all the little defects.
First you must start with the right grade of aluminium because you can't use any old stuff.
Then, if you want a satin or worse a gloss finish then you need to polish the metal to a mirror finish before you anodize it.
Lots of hard work and money, and not easy on, e.g. a heatsink, where it is hard to polish.
Then I think ** when you anodize it it comes under the class of hard anodization. I think this is where (normally) you make an extra thick oxide layer over and above the normal anodization thickness. The process is all done at colder temperatures and provides a surface that is harder than standard.
** I say I think because my subject is electronics, not metalwork and I only know this from going round a place where they did it. Please correct me if you know the exact process 🙂
I'm not sure about "Black nickel", the colour is the dye you use more or less. I don't think they apply nickel to the aluminium although I may be wrong.
I know there are cromate treatments using Cromic acid salts but this is a gold-ish colour and I'm sure is not what you want. Its used to make sure of electrical conduction. This slight tangent is because if you do get a great gloss black and you want to earth that bit of metalwork - safety safety safety - then you need to think about this as the anodization can form an insulating layer so you need to have some method of getting through it. Note however, NEVER use the anodization as insulation, its just that it can insulate when you don't want it to.
BTW - in my experence there are good anodizers and bad ones. Make sure you see an example of their work. The standard that you might want for your living room is not always what is required for general purpose jobs. If you have silver spots in the middle of your amps front panel where it didn't quite take...
Final point. If you have any tapped screw holes, remember that the anodization process will attack these, so put a dummy screw in or something - ask the people who do the work for you. Remember not to use a steel screw as this will mess up their chemicals, nylon may be, you need to ask 🙂
SG
Anodizing to get a gloss black mirror is simple but expensive.
Normally we have a "brushed" finish. This is where the metal is scratched, hopefully all in the right direction. This hides all the little defects.
First you must start with the right grade of aluminium because you can't use any old stuff.
Then, if you want a satin or worse a gloss finish then you need to polish the metal to a mirror finish before you anodize it.
Lots of hard work and money, and not easy on, e.g. a heatsink, where it is hard to polish.
Then I think ** when you anodize it it comes under the class of hard anodization. I think this is where (normally) you make an extra thick oxide layer over and above the normal anodization thickness. The process is all done at colder temperatures and provides a surface that is harder than standard.
** I say I think because my subject is electronics, not metalwork and I only know this from going round a place where they did it. Please correct me if you know the exact process 🙂
I'm not sure about "Black nickel", the colour is the dye you use more or less. I don't think they apply nickel to the aluminium although I may be wrong.
I know there are cromate treatments using Cromic acid salts but this is a gold-ish colour and I'm sure is not what you want. Its used to make sure of electrical conduction. This slight tangent is because if you do get a great gloss black and you want to earth that bit of metalwork - safety safety safety - then you need to think about this as the anodization can form an insulating layer so you need to have some method of getting through it. Note however, NEVER use the anodization as insulation, its just that it can insulate when you don't want it to.
BTW - in my experence there are good anodizers and bad ones. Make sure you see an example of their work. The standard that you might want for your living room is not always what is required for general purpose jobs. If you have silver spots in the middle of your amps front panel where it didn't quite take...
Final point. If you have any tapped screw holes, remember that the anodization process will attack these, so put a dummy screw in or something - ask the people who do the work for you. Remember not to use a steel screw as this will mess up their chemicals, nylon may be, you need to ask 🙂
SG
black nickel
you told, it is expensive, what do you mean by expensive and where or which type of shop i can go to have some information and to do it? What do you by good aluminium quality, which I have to buy?
Australia or France.
you told, it is expensive, what do you mean by expensive and where or which type of shop i can go to have some information and to do it? What do you by good aluminium quality, which I have to buy?
Australia or France.
Anodizing
Check out www.caswellplating.com. They sell anodizing kits and supplies. If you sign up, I think they have an instruction file you can download.
Check out www.caswellplating.com. They sell anodizing kits and supplies. If you sign up, I think they have an instruction file you can download.
Faceplate thicknes
Cowanrg,
tell me please, what is the total thicknes of the face plates you used for your amps?
I tryed to calculated it from the relation betwen xa160 and xa200 which useing one more heatsink modul 6" deep. It come out that there is a 3" thick faceplate (!!!) used for boath, 160 and 200ax amps.
BTW: Great work
rgds
Marijan
Cowanrg,
tell me please, what is the total thicknes of the face plates you used for your amps?
I tryed to calculated it from the relation betwen xa160 and xa200 which useing one more heatsink modul 6" deep. It come out that there is a 3" thick faceplate (!!!) used for boath, 160 and 200ax amps.
BTW: Great work
rgds
Marijan
first off, i have the anodizing covered, thanks...
i know the guy who will do it, and we have examples, so we know he does good work. it will be a brushed, black anodized finish for all of the amp but the faceplate, which may just be brushed, or clear anodized, i dont know just yet.
the front face plate is around 1.5 inches to 1.75 inches, i forget. its under 2 though.
thanks for the compliment.
i know the guy who will do it, and we have examples, so we know he does good work. it will be a brushed, black anodized finish for all of the amp but the faceplate, which may just be brushed, or clear anodized, i dont know just yet.
the front face plate is around 1.5 inches to 1.75 inches, i forget. its under 2 though.
thanks for the compliment.
yeah. its going to be a DC panel meter, 50VDC. i will do a nice discrete diode bridge for it, and make it switchable. it will have a custom made meter face for it that shows power measurements.
If the meter is going to read power is must be logrithmic. how do you propose to make the logrithmic meter scale?
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