On a somewhat related note, what is the justification for using aluminium over much cheaper steel for amp enclosures, apart from the heatsinks? I once read a comment that alu enclosures sound better for class d amps because of the output coil not seeing any ferrous material, but what about amps where there are no coils in the signal path apart from the mains transformer?
Rooooooooooooooooo, , Rayma, not you ! House has nothing to see.
Let's no discuss wht what you say is not true for house. Btw you certainly aware there are also house made of shipment containers from boats !
Each time it is fabricated in factory with minimal assembly, it is less expensive, which is not the case for traditional houses at least in France (very very few made from wood pannels made in factory. Fast wood construct have pain to find their market here. But is not very simple hifi casing...
I still believe there is insane margine with that.
A funny thing to know if despite more expensive aluminium to make and finish, it is at the end less expensive to product because the price of the shipment/weigth ratio ? Or is volume more important on a boat or truck ?
Let's no discuss wht what you say is not true for house. Btw you certainly aware there are also house made of shipment containers from boats !
Each time it is fabricated in factory with minimal assembly, it is less expensive, which is not the case for traditional houses at least in France (very very few made from wood pannels made in factory. Fast wood construct have pain to find their market here. But is not very simple hifi casing...
I still believe there is insane margine with that.
A funny thing to know if despite more expensive aluminium to make and finish, it is at the end less expensive to product because the price of the shipment/weigth ratio ? Or is volume more important on a boat or truck ?
Standard size pallets are often used for trucking, so unusually heavy weight will raise the price.
The retail price is the best indicator, as it includes shipping costs.
The high cost of amplifier chassis forced me to buy some tools and start making my own.
Even the cheapest ebay/ali express option ends up costing too much after shipping.
I also find that the chassis options are almost never quite what I want in terms of dimensions etc.
I worked out that I could buy some tools and enough steel for about 4 chassis for the cost of one decent looking one from ali express:
1) The cheapest Chinese sheet metal bender I could find - about USD80
2) A metal cutoff tool (https://www.ryobi.co.nz/products/cut-saws/18v-one-hptm-brushless-76mm-compact-cut-tool) for cuts. The key thing here that being it has a foot that can be pressed against a straight edge for nice straight cuts
So far I have come up with these:
And this one more recently:
This last one I estimate cost me about USD140 including:
-The mahogany front
-rivet nuts
-fasteners (The black stainless one for the front were expensive)
-2mm electrogalv steel for the top and botton
-1.2mm electrogalv steel for the front, back and sides
The steel I think was about USD50 worth
My guess is that it took about 300 hours to complete the build. 3/4 of that would have been chassis work. For some this might be an inordinate investment of time. For me, I love building things and I love making exactly what I want so it is worth the time.
Cut:
Fold:
Rivet Nut:
Drill:
Cut:
Make some brackets:
6mm steel angle for transformers:
Its a lot of work but that is life.
You either spend the time to do it yourself at lower cost. Or you spend the money to have somebody else do it.
Even the cheapest ebay/ali express option ends up costing too much after shipping.
I also find that the chassis options are almost never quite what I want in terms of dimensions etc.
I worked out that I could buy some tools and enough steel for about 4 chassis for the cost of one decent looking one from ali express:
1) The cheapest Chinese sheet metal bender I could find - about USD80
2) A metal cutoff tool (https://www.ryobi.co.nz/products/cut-saws/18v-one-hptm-brushless-76mm-compact-cut-tool) for cuts. The key thing here that being it has a foot that can be pressed against a straight edge for nice straight cuts
So far I have come up with these:
And this one more recently:
This last one I estimate cost me about USD140 including:
-The mahogany front
-rivet nuts
-fasteners (The black stainless one for the front were expensive)
-2mm electrogalv steel for the top and botton
-1.2mm electrogalv steel for the front, back and sides
- Paint
- Primer
- Danish Oil
- Clear coat
The steel I think was about USD50 worth
My guess is that it took about 300 hours to complete the build. 3/4 of that would have been chassis work. For some this might be an inordinate investment of time. For me, I love building things and I love making exactly what I want so it is worth the time.
Cut:
Fold:
Rivet Nut:
Drill:
Cut:
Make some brackets:
6mm steel angle for transformers:
Its a lot of work but that is life.
You either spend the time to do it yourself at lower cost. Or you spend the money to have somebody else do it.
Hey Sadface, this is exactly what I like and 'd like to achieve !
Very good work. Thanks for the inspiration! 👍
Very good work. Thanks for the inspiration! 👍
Don't know where you are located, but in the USA we have some metal shops that will laser cut
various materials to your .dxf drawing. They buy materials in large enough quantities that their
prices for one or a few pieces are reasonable, especially when they do all the work for you.
And no minimum order, with free shipping in the USA.
Look at sendcutsend.com
various materials to your .dxf drawing. They buy materials in large enough quantities that their
prices for one or a few pieces are reasonable, especially when they do all the work for you.
And no minimum order, with free shipping in the USA.
Look at sendcutsend.com
Try some other EU country, maybe Germany.
Although with aluminum material, the international shipping cost might be tolerable.
Although with aluminum material, the international shipping cost might be tolerable.
It is not if France was an undervelopped country... 😵
It is just everything costs a lot here not like US (because expensive VAT). And as incomes are less too (because taxes), such services are still expensive for individuals (the same for CNC, 3D printing, etc).
I'd like to find an airplanes cimetery and comes with my Ryobi, but such a thing doesn't exist here. And gazoline cost a fortune here too cause 70% of taxes ! (our state employees and politicians are more than bugs on a dog but we have good medecine free care as well, the price of that is we have less stuffs in our basements VS an average american I think and saw btw) . Hence the strategy to cost reduction for our Hobby here. Price of th electronic increased a lot too here (Mouser, Digikey), like transport (everywhere).
I liked the way of @analog_sa , I mostly construct DACs, so if the casing made from metal is not a real plus for shielding (EMC), well I can continue with wood. But I migth like to build a Pass or one of its migthy sibling here. 🙂
It is just everything costs a lot here not like US (because expensive VAT). And as incomes are less too (because taxes), such services are still expensive for individuals (the same for CNC, 3D printing, etc).
I'd like to find an airplanes cimetery and comes with my Ryobi, but such a thing doesn't exist here. And gazoline cost a fortune here too cause 70% of taxes ! (our state employees and politicians are more than bugs on a dog but we have good medecine free care as well, the price of that is we have less stuffs in our basements VS an average american I think and saw btw) . Hence the strategy to cost reduction for our Hobby here. Price of th electronic increased a lot too here (Mouser, Digikey), like transport (everywhere).
I liked the way of @analog_sa , I mostly construct DACs, so if the casing made from metal is not a real plus for shielding (EMC), well I can continue with wood. But I migth like to build a Pass or one of its migthy sibling here. 🙂
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Yes, I'm not saying this is cheap, just reasonable, considering the materials, labor, and shipping,
especially if you don't already have the tools and equipment needed.
Do you have used equipment sales like ham fests, resale shops, recycling, etc?
I can get as much as I want of that stuff locally easily, with no shipping cost.
You could buy a used receiver just for the cover, for example.
especially if you don't already have the tools and equipment needed.
Do you have used equipment sales like ham fests, resale shops, recycling, etc?
I can get as much as I want of that stuff locally easily, with no shipping cost.
You could buy a used receiver just for the cover, for example.
Gas ain't cheap here either, for the same reason. What's a litre of low octane cost?
jeff
I used pc recycling or the town recycling center, the last is not possible anymore for individuals for security and certainly recycling circuits politics here as wastes in the streets figthing plans. (some new people are not very clean here)
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1.6 euros/liter ; it was 2, 6 months ago. 1.6 is low here it has a good chance to climb to 2 again, and international events may complicate things.
We have SP98,SP95, and SP10/95 (10% ethanol "green" made, lol). I am for ideologic reason against the gas made from fields culture cause it iseems illogical and ineficient to me for the society : why should we import vegetables and fruits from abroad shipped by transport that use gas itself in spite of making grow in our fields at low distances? Well it is off topic.
So most of the Metal in this part of the world (and worldwide?) is controlled by Mital that source most in central asia the commodities to make raw metals (special complew metals are still made here and there for the few I am aware about for EU).
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That's about twice as much as gas here, but we get worse mileage on a lot of the vehicles here.
And we drive more.
And we drive more.
YES, you take the car for everything in North america... not good for the health and climat but this is another discussion. Here more and more you risk the death by being hurted with electric skate or electric little scooter on which you stand... Paris had to forbid them. Electric bicycles are less dangerous and public access easily.
It's not hard to make your own sheet metal brake. A couple of pieces of hard wood with a metal edge added is usually plenty to bend aluminum.
It sounds like you need to find a source for sheet aluminum. Go to places that repair campers/caravans and other speciality auto body shops. When I lived in Denmark I was able to find quite a bit of 1.6 mm aluminum sheet that way. Granted, that was 25 years ago. Maybe times have changed.
Tom
It sounds like you need to find a source for sheet aluminum. Go to places that repair campers/caravans and other speciality auto body shops. When I lived in Denmark I was able to find quite a bit of 1.6 mm aluminum sheet that way. Granted, that was 25 years ago. Maybe times have changed.
Tom