Conrad Hoffman said:
Your notation made it possessive form...
The plural of chassis is... chassis
The lack of proper materials makes me hate the chassis making part...
I was watching Discovery's How It's Made yesterday when they showed how Traynor guitar amps were made... Man! I wish I have those tools!!
weight is an issue
The thing I hat most hate is the weight of amplifiers packed with transformers and chokes. The more you have the better the sound. Two years ago I damaged my back by lifting such a device. I have two monoblocks that cannot be lifted by human power as I now understand. Each amp has 4 chokes, 2 powertransformers and 1 heavy OPT. I went for 6 weeks to the bedroom with severe pains although i got the most heavy painkillers in the world. Although I did not move and ate normal I lost a lot of weight. It took me several months before I was more or less the same person as before the accident and it costed me thousands of euros. Every hobby has his negative sides.
Some time after the accident I had to look under the chassis of the amp. I cranked it up on one side (like a car when changing tyres). But I went a bit to far and the thing tilted over killing a very expensive AVVT 320B. I learned that you can better remove tubes before doing something with amps.
I advice everybody to quit with intergrated amps and to make seperate power suppplies. It is also possible to put the OPT right behind your speaker instead of on the chassis.
Ask your wife to transport the amp to your workbench.
The thing I hat most hate is the weight of amplifiers packed with transformers and chokes. The more you have the better the sound. Two years ago I damaged my back by lifting such a device. I have two monoblocks that cannot be lifted by human power as I now understand. Each amp has 4 chokes, 2 powertransformers and 1 heavy OPT. I went for 6 weeks to the bedroom with severe pains although i got the most heavy painkillers in the world. Although I did not move and ate normal I lost a lot of weight. It took me several months before I was more or less the same person as before the accident and it costed me thousands of euros. Every hobby has his negative sides.
Some time after the accident I had to look under the chassis of the amp. I cranked it up on one side (like a car when changing tyres). But I went a bit to far and the thing tilted over killing a very expensive AVVT 320B. I learned that you can better remove tubes before doing something with amps.
I advice everybody to quit with intergrated amps and to make seperate power suppplies.
It is also possible to put the OPT right behind your speaker instead of on the chassis.Ask your wife to transport the amp to your workbench.
I'm an impatient perfectionist. Wanting it done NOW! Yet knowing that if I rush it in the long run I'll be less than pleased with the construction quality, or worse embarrassed by it. 
The price of parts I know from experience I can't scrimp on in order to achieve the performance I'm seeking.
Layout, metal work, painting, wood work.
(I actually have a pretty good selection of tools compared to many here - and I am comfortable using them.)
Realizing that I have made a critical error in component placement for which the only solution is a major mechanical redesign.
Ground loops. (All of my components have robust safety grounds)
Mixing video, digital and analog components and getting them to all play together.
Interconnect cables..
The price of parts I know from experience I can't scrimp on in order to achieve the performance I'm seeking.
Layout, metal work, painting, wood work.
(I actually have a pretty good selection of tools compared to many here - and I am comfortable using them.)
Realizing that I have made a critical error in component placement for which the only solution is a major mechanical redesign.
Ground loops. (All of my components have robust safety grounds)
Mixing video, digital and analog components and getting them to all play together.
Interconnect cables..
Hum.
The non-availability of tube parts at prices that are reasonable to me.
Hum.
Chassis work- although Asda in the UK have a good baking tray that will work well. Hopefully. It is steel though- not good for hum.
Hum.
Deciding which parts to buy- you know that that electrolytic cap will be fine in your PSU. But No. You have to depress yourself bu insisting on an electrolytic free amp. So you buy motor run caps at 20x the price.
Nasty distorsion.
Speaker building- I have dona a pair of OBs (simple- how can I mess it up?), and there are gaps all over the place.
Chassis work.
The non-availability of tube parts at prices that are reasonable to me.
Hum.
Chassis work- although Asda in the UK have a good baking tray that will work well. Hopefully. It is steel though- not good for hum.
Hum.
Deciding which parts to buy- you know that that electrolytic cap will be fine in your PSU. But No. You have to depress yourself bu insisting on an electrolytic free amp. So you buy motor run caps at 20x the price.
Nasty distorsion.
Speaker building- I have dona a pair of OBs (simple- how can I mess it up?), and there are gaps all over the place.
Chassis work.
I absolutely hate the bits I don't have the appropriate tools for...
Build up quite a collection, but I can think of at least 6 $100+ tools I can do with right now, I could never afford before...
Drill press
Dremmel
Router
Quality tap and die set
Scope
FLuke multimeter..
I can probably buy one of those each month now...
I quit smokeing on mothersday, due to my continualy deteriorateing health... I'm only turnning 32 (started smokeing at 14) on the 29th of this month... still got some checks and scans due... but the power of the mind is immense... I have almost no withdrawal, and the bits I have says don't smoke...normally I would feel like dieing if I don't smoke at least every 2 hours...but nothing, nada, zip, me don't want to smoke no more, brain fixed itself.
I used to smoke alot, and only matched my cigarette expense with my weed expence... (used as medicine because of A.S.) ironicaly in SA you get more weed than ciggis for the money... I have never been even able to think of quitting, but I had an epitomy (is ttat the right word?), my eyes just opened and I realised that not only have I been cheating myself out of a better life, but also my wife, and I could probably have had children allready...Who knows, maybe the Lord has a soft spot for those with true regret.
Build up quite a collection, but I can think of at least 6 $100+ tools I can do with right now, I could never afford before...
Drill press
Dremmel
Router
Quality tap and die set
Scope
FLuke multimeter..
I can probably buy one of those each month now...
I quit smokeing on mothersday, due to my continualy deteriorateing health... I'm only turnning 32 (started smokeing at 14) on the 29th of this month... still got some checks and scans due... but the power of the mind is immense... I have almost no withdrawal, and the bits I have says don't smoke...normally I would feel like dieing if I don't smoke at least every 2 hours...but nothing, nada, zip, me don't want to smoke no more, brain fixed itself.
I used to smoke alot, and only matched my cigarette expense with my weed expence... (used as medicine because of A.S.) ironicaly in SA you get more weed than ciggis for the money... I have never been even able to think of quitting, but I had an epitomy (is ttat the right word?), my eyes just opened and I realised that not only have I been cheating myself out of a better life, but also my wife, and I could probably have had children allready...Who knows, maybe the Lord has a soft spot for those with true regret.
SY said:
Worst. Part.Ever. What if something blows up? then what? your quids out
The fear that a regulator will die in some way and send too many volts to a plethora of expensive opamps....
I don't have a problem with doing anything in DIY, but that doesn't mean I have to like them! I do not like finishing - at all - its something I seldom get around to doing properly, mainly because you can't listen to said project when you're making it look pretty.
Hate:
Building a wild contraption that runs the tubes way over spec, puting in junk tubes because you know that it is going to blow up, setting the video camera up to capture the fireworks, having a fire extinguisher in one hand and the master kill switch in the other, only to have the amp actually power up and play on the first attempt. 400 megabytes of video, nothing except the red glow of over dissipation, and good sound!
Equally dissapointing:
Building a simple, common circuit, and having the fire gods descend upon it when you don't expect it.
Having all of the parts to build that monster 20 WPC OTL amp that you keep dreaming about. Actually dragging all of the parts out on to the work space (twice) and realizing that you have absolutely no place to put said amplifier if you actually built it, and you couldn't move it if you wanted to. The cathode chokes (2 HY at 2 AMP!) weigh 60 pounds each! The amp would require 6 or 8 X 6336 per channel (I have them too) and a monster 2 KW isolation transformer, another 60 pounds! This would be a 250 pound amplifier which would need 6 to 8 square feet of chassis space (using SS rectifiers). The heat load would overcome my small work room in about 2 minutes!
Ditto for the 200 watt 833A SE guitar amp, although this one would only weigh about 80 - 100 pounds total. I may build it someday.
Realizing that I take apart almost as many amps as I build! I also have two shelves full of amps that didn't quite make it, and I recently tossed several others.
Building a wild contraption that runs the tubes way over spec, puting in junk tubes because you know that it is going to blow up, setting the video camera up to capture the fireworks, having a fire extinguisher in one hand and the master kill switch in the other, only to have the amp actually power up and play on the first attempt. 400 megabytes of video, nothing except the red glow of over dissipation, and good sound!
Equally dissapointing:
Building a simple, common circuit, and having the fire gods descend upon it when you don't expect it.
Having all of the parts to build that monster 20 WPC OTL amp that you keep dreaming about. Actually dragging all of the parts out on to the work space (twice) and realizing that you have absolutely no place to put said amplifier if you actually built it, and you couldn't move it if you wanted to. The cathode chokes (2 HY at 2 AMP!) weigh 60 pounds each! The amp would require 6 or 8 X 6336 per channel (I have them too) and a monster 2 KW isolation transformer, another 60 pounds! This would be a 250 pound amplifier which would need 6 to 8 square feet of chassis space (using SS rectifiers). The heat load would overcome my small work room in about 2 minutes!
Ditto for the 200 watt 833A SE guitar amp, although this one would only weigh about 80 - 100 pounds total. I may build it someday.
Realizing that I take apart almost as many amps as I build! I also have two shelves full of amps that didn't quite make it, and I recently tossed several others.
Appartment
I hate the most that I live in the appartment!
I do not have my space for DIY and they do not want to give me the power in the basement (Swiss thing on renting).
So what ever I do I have to start and "finish" in one day. I have a small daughter that thinks hot iron is fun as well as "rolling" the tubes.
Basically I setup my "kitchen bench" and after I clean. 2 hours of working = 2 of cleaning. Basically I did not do a thing for a year now! At the school I worked before I had a nice mechanic shop so I came sometimes saturdays and sundays to work. New job and no more DIY.
For the moment I am a buyer of components (mostly tubes) that I think will be usefull for future projects!
Really hate shipping costs as well! Sometimes even if I am ready to wait 4-5 weeks I pay more shipping from Germany or Italy than from USA
I hate the most that I live in the appartment!
I do not have my space for DIY and they do not want to give me the power in the basement (Swiss thing on renting).
So what ever I do I have to start and "finish" in one day. I have a small daughter that thinks hot iron is fun as well as "rolling" the tubes.
Basically I setup my "kitchen bench" and after I clean. 2 hours of working = 2 of cleaning. Basically I did not do a thing for a year now! At the school I worked before I had a nice mechanic shop so I came sometimes saturdays and sundays to work. New job and no more DIY.
For the moment I am a buyer of components (mostly tubes) that I think will be usefull for future projects!
Really hate shipping costs as well! Sometimes even if I am ready to wait 4-5 weeks I pay more shipping from Germany or Italy than from USA
I hate
1) Junk Everywhere
I am a nut... so I have parts and unfinished projects EVERYWHERE. I NEVER get to finish them, as I always skip on to the next thing
2) Getting free time to actually get a job done before my interests move me to the next latest 'n greatest (see #1)
3) Parts and value everywhere- All this cash tied up in stuff I won't sell because I'd never recover the cost.
4) Finishing
I want it to look great... but it's a proof of concept. There's no 'right' way. If you do it ugly and it sounds great, you have to re-do it. If you do it nice and it sounds bad, you futz the chassis reworking the circuit.
5) Space.
Apart from the junk everywhere.... there's also finished stuff... that's right, everywhere! My 'big rig' is indeed big- I might as well have 30Hz horns, given all the crazy biamping and whatnot in the 'big rig'.
And the 'little bedroom rig' has stereo sealed 15"s..... PLUS a sub....
But what are you gonna do with the diy speakers you did such a nice job on?
There's more to be sure. and plenty of that has been covered by other posters.
1) Junk Everywhere
I am a nut... so I have parts and unfinished projects EVERYWHERE. I NEVER get to finish them, as I always skip on to the next thing
2) Getting free time to actually get a job done before my interests move me to the next latest 'n greatest (see #1)
3) Parts and value everywhere- All this cash tied up in stuff I won't sell because I'd never recover the cost.
4) Finishing
I want it to look great... but it's a proof of concept. There's no 'right' way. If you do it ugly and it sounds great, you have to re-do it. If you do it nice and it sounds bad, you futz the chassis reworking the circuit.
5) Space.
Apart from the junk everywhere.... there's also finished stuff... that's right, everywhere! My 'big rig' is indeed big- I might as well have 30Hz horns, given all the crazy biamping and whatnot in the 'big rig'.
And the 'little bedroom rig' has stereo sealed 15"s..... PLUS a sub....
But what are you gonna do with the diy speakers you did such a nice job on?
There's more to be sure. and plenty of that has been covered by other posters.