Hey guys,
Apologies if this has been discussed before... I didn't find anything in the search.
Anyway, being the cheapskate that I am, I always get sticker shock and think I can build an amp enclosure for much cheaper than I can buy them 🙂.
I am generally pretty happy with the results, except when it comes to cutting or drilling regular/consistent patterns for ventilation. Whatever technique I try, it always looks like crap.
Do you guys have any tricks of the trade?
I have a fair amount of tools at my disposal. Drills, drill press, router, dremel, various saws, etc.
I have considered ordering from front panel express, but I balk at the prices they charge for blank 0.125" aluminum, much less with a dozen or so holes cut out.
Another idea that I had was to make sort of a 2-piece top-panel. One piece of aluminum sheet with a square cut out for a section of perforated sheet. It's a lot easier to cut one straight square then a bunch of them. The problem is how to cleanly fasten the two pieces together.
Anyway, what do you all do?
Apologies if this has been discussed before... I didn't find anything in the search.
Anyway, being the cheapskate that I am, I always get sticker shock and think I can build an amp enclosure for much cheaper than I can buy them 🙂.
I am generally pretty happy with the results, except when it comes to cutting or drilling regular/consistent patterns for ventilation. Whatever technique I try, it always looks like crap.
Do you guys have any tricks of the trade?
I have a fair amount of tools at my disposal. Drills, drill press, router, dremel, various saws, etc.
I have considered ordering from front panel express, but I balk at the prices they charge for blank 0.125" aluminum, much less with a dozen or so holes cut out.
Another idea that I had was to make sort of a 2-piece top-panel. One piece of aluminum sheet with a square cut out for a section of perforated sheet. It's a lot easier to cut one straight square then a bunch of them. The problem is how to cleanly fasten the two pieces together.
Anyway, what do you all do?
Last edited:
Last time I had to add ventilation to a case, I cut some large circular holes in it and covered them with chrome fan grilles.
Buy or build a CNC mill. Even a cheap Chinese desktop one. You won't look back.
I use acrylic sheet as a structural material. Very nice stuff; transparent, opaque, smoked, coloured. You can make touch-screen controls. Illuminated.
I used plywood in the past, with a metal grill insert as you described for ventilation. No problem to secure it to the plywood with a few short screws.
Once you get into the idea of custom enclosures, design of the electronics in partnership with the enclosure can proceed. It also means that you can take advantage of the best offers from the Chinese PCB fab houses.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I use acrylic sheet as a structural material. Very nice stuff; transparent, opaque, smoked, coloured. You can make touch-screen controls. Illuminated.
I used plywood in the past, with a metal grill insert as you described for ventilation. No problem to secure it to the plywood with a few short screws.
Once you get into the idea of custom enclosures, design of the electronics in partnership with the enclosure can proceed. It also means that you can take advantage of the best offers from the Chinese PCB fab houses.
Thanks a lot for your answers!
Those are some good ideas. While I'd love to pick up a nice CNC mill like that, it seems they are about $500+ for a small cheap one on ebay. I'd have to built a lot of boxes to justify that cost 🙂. Though it does greatly help that it could engrave frontpanels too. It seems a little too small for a top sheet of a larger power amp, though.
I think I'll give the 'metal grill insert' method a try for the time being.
Those are some good ideas. While I'd love to pick up a nice CNC mill like that, it seems they are about $500+ for a small cheap one on ebay. I'd have to built a lot of boxes to justify that cost 🙂. Though it does greatly help that it could engrave frontpanels too. It seems a little too small for a top sheet of a larger power amp, though.
I think I'll give the 'metal grill insert' method a try for the time being.
You could try sticking a bit of strip board to the area you want to put the ventilation holes in. Using a drill bit the same size as the holes in the strip board create a set of pilot holes in your metal sheet, making sure not to drill the pilot holes too close together as you'll want enough material left between you finished holes. Once you have your array of pilot holes remove the strip board and adhesive then enlarge the holes to the size you want using an appropriate drill and your drill press.
To get a nice edge finish use a countersink bit in your drill press with the depth stop set to just take the edges of the holes, you should get a nice regular finish this way.
To get a nice edge finish use a countersink bit in your drill press with the depth stop set to just take the edges of the holes, you should get a nice regular finish this way.
as indicated by Andrew, I use tape to indicate the points before you pierce with drill
Signs are in alternating lines and if there is any imperfection is indistinguishable
finishing with a cutter before painting
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Signs are in alternating lines and if there is any imperfection is indistinguishable
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
finishing with a cutter before painting
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
That's the hard way 😀
Find a store return air grill and clamp it to the surface.
Use a drill bit the same size as the hole so it stays centered so it won,t drift.
Any screen that's fairly thick will work
Regards
David
Find a store return air grill and clamp it to the surface.
Use a drill bit the same size as the hole so it stays centered so it won,t drift.
Any screen that's fairly thick will work
Regards
David
Drilling holes isn't hard but can be tedious and anything past the reach of a low end drill press (typically 5") means hand drilling. Like you I've rejected Front Panel Express as too expensive. And like you I can't justify even a cheap CNC machine (and they usually have smallish max dimensions). I do like the idea of rectangular holes for multiple tubes suspended on perf and transformer end bells that might project below chassis. I'm about to try hand routing. I have access to a very high quality bit. I'm sure the following will be mandatory: ear protection, a very well clamped guide.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.