[aloksatoor]

Is it going to be a speaker amp? I personally would shrink the height otherwise

my currrent custom chassis in wood is around 2.5 inches tall for the beta22 .....

 

[pila405]

@MoodySteve - Thank you very much for this very helpful info! I will see what I can do with it. I personally won't be able to do it but will look for a pro to do it.

Doing it without the glass/Polycarbonate - Will it be smooth and straight as glass? Will the finish look the same? How think the cover will be? and last question about it - Can you give me names of good materials to do it [companies/products exact name], please?

Will it be glossy at the quality of Steinway Lyngdorf audio systems?:
http://www.steinwaylyngdorf.com/Model_D-45.aspx - look in the gallery [right bottom side] on the amplifier [2nd/3rd picture].
http://www.slashgear.com/gallery/dat..._Model_D_2.JPG
http://www.hemagazine.com/files/Stei...f%20c%2022.jpg
http://theawesomer.com/photos/2008/0...steinway_3.jpg

About the gold printing - I don't remember atm who, but any company that uses silk-screen, will be able to print gold.

@IPodPJ - I know and I am very sorry. It looked exacly as I wanted and had no power to make one by my own. Sorry again.

@aloksatoor - How did you managed to do it? What about the heat-sinks??? They are quite toll I would say...
What is the height of your beta22 without the enclosure?

Another question - Will this jack using the rounded ring painted in gold look like the one I illustrated? -> http://www.neutrik.com/us/en/audio/2...AU_detail.aspx

 

[MoodySteve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pila405 /img/forum/go_quote.gif About the gold printing - I don't remember atm who, but any company that uses silk-screen, will be able to print gold. Another question - Will this jack using the rounded ring painted in gold look like the one I illustrated? -> Neutrik - Audio - SlimLine - NRJ6HF-1-AU

Yikes - you are probably going to be unpleasantly surprised at the cost of silk-screening one panel.

Regarding your question about the jack - I wouldn't try that. Painting the fastening nut gold won't look nearly as good as an actual plated nut, and you're going to be tightening and loosening it throughout its life, which will quickly chip the paint.

The only attractive gold headphone jack that I know is currently available is the Planet Waves headphone jack, which you can get at Warmoth Guitar Parts (Planet Waves Stereo Jack, Gold Plated). I have two and they're quite nice.

There's too much information about finish to stuff into this thread - I would suggest that you read this very informative thread on DIYAudio (A 'how to' for High Gloss Finishing - diyAudio). Bear in mind, however, that it is very difficult to get automotive-grade or piano-grade finishes without high-end HVLP equipment and without access to dangerous 2-component paints and clearcoats. You can get a very nice, glossy finish using spray paints and sanding, but just don't expect a professional piano finish or you may be sorely disappointed.

 

[amb]

If the front panel will be metal, then the headphone jack must be isolated (The sleeve contact must not connect to the chassis).

 

[IPodPJ]

It's okay Pila, I was just messing around.

You can use it if you like it. Good luck on putting the LED in there though (if you don't use a piece of acrylic or fiber optic). I decided to kill that idea because I didn't want the amp to have so many lights on it.

With regards to your printing gold in silk screen on it, the rubber based ink will not appear very metallic at all. What you want is a gold inlay or foil emboss. On paper, that's easy, but on a chassis you'll have to look around for a company that can do that. There are promotional & incentives companies that make awards and specialize in that sort of thing. You will need to track one down and find out if they will do one piece for you.

 

[aloksatoor]

Its still a work in progress (recasing of my beta 22) but the internal clearance would be 2.5 inches and the beta 22 board is around 1.5 inches for heatsinks plus say an 1/8 more for the board etc.... mount it on top of a hdpe sheet and shud be ok... for heat issues I would cut slats in the wood panels on top and the sides

 

[pila405]

@MoodySteve - Thank you very much again, I will try it for sure.
About the jack - it is hexagonal and I need rounded one.

@amb - Do you have any suggestion to 6.3mm isolated jacks that looks as I want?

@IPodPJ - Will gold inlay / foil embossing be expensive?

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pila405 @amb - Do you have any suggestion to 6.3mm isolated jacks that looks as I want?

There are plenty of good isolated jacks, but I don't know of any with a gold nose. If you want something inconspicuous, and the panel is thick enough, you could make the panel hole threaded so that the jack will simply screw in without the need for a front nut. Then use an isolated jack (i.e., plastic nose), such as the Neutriks you posted in your other thread.

 

[pila405]

@amb - And how will I be able to put golden ring around it?

@IPodPJ - what about silkscreen with clearcoat over?

 

[Steve Eddy]

Silkscreening can work just fine for doing gold lettering and graphics.

I used it on my first commercial product back some 20 years ago. Just have to use the right ink.

Since you're doing just one, how expensive it will be will depend on the setup charge of the particular screen printer. I don't know what going rates for that are in Israel, but here it can run from just under $100 to over $200.

Look for some local screen printers who do more than just t-shirts.

se

 

[Steve Eddy]

By the way, what software are you using to do your rendering?

se

 

[n3rdling]

That looks really, really nice. Classy. I like the first version with the B22 text up top. The only thing I'd change is that blue dot on the knob; make it black. This is assuming you're not using a LED in the knob.

 

[pila405]

Thank you Koyaan I. Sqatsi and n3rdling.

@Koyaan I. Sqatsi - If I will use clearcoat over it, will it have reflection [like glossy finished gold?]. I know a place where they do this, but I don't know if it is possible that it will have glossy finish...

I use Photoshop CS4 for the rendering.

@n3rdling - I do look for a way to put blue LED in the knob.

 

[pila405]

Thank you Koyaan I. Sqatsi and n3rdling.

@Koyaan I. Sqatsi - If I will use clearcoat over it, will it have reflection [like glossy finished gold?]. I know a place where they do this, but I don't know if it is possible that it will have glossy finish...

I use Photoshop CS4 for the rendering.

@n3rdling - I do look for a way to put blue LED in the knob.


Maybe I will paint all the chassis as MoodySteve recommended - in glossy finished black.

 

[MoodySteve]

I *strongly* doubt you're going to find an isolated headphone jack with a gold finish – gold headphone jacks are rare enough as it is. As a fan of the glossy black & gold look, I've been on the hunt for a few years now.

The Planet Waves that I linked to is probably your best bet; Warmoth Guitar Parts also sells a ‘deep panel stereo’ headphone jack with a gold finish that looks round from the front, but I’ve had bad experiences with it (two arrived to me DOA). I really wouldn't recommend holding out for a round fastening nut - most will come with round washers anyway so they will still look the part.

I’ll tell you what I did to mount the jacks to the front panel – hopefully you’ll find some of it helpful. My front panel was ¼” aluminum plate; I couldn’t go much thinner and still have thick enough metal for good tapped blind holes. I machined a rectangular pocket in the middle of the panel that was about 0.1” deep, and then sheared a piece of stiff plastic that was slightly smaller than the pocket (so it would fit). I then clamped the plastic subplate to the rear of the panel (in the pocket) and drilled 4 guide holes that barely penetrated the metal panel. Then, I used a drill press on the metal alone to turn the guide holes into 0.125” deep blind holes (very close to the outer wall) and tapped them for 4 -40. After drilling the guide holes on the plastic subplate for 4-40 clearance, I fastened the subplate to the panel with 4-40 bolts to ensure that it was secure. Next, I turned the panel around (front side facing the drill), marked the centers of where the headphone jacks would be mounted, and drilled a small through hole (going through both the metal and plastic subplate) so that the holes would be concentric. Next, I unfastened the plastic piece and enlarged the two holes on it to 3/8” to mount the headphone jacks. Then I enlarged the holes on the panel to 5/8”. To finish, I secured the headphone jacks to the plastic subplate, secured the subplate the main panel, and made sure that the jack was not shorted to the panel.

As you see, you can make a lot of work for yourself if you’re dead set on a certain look.