[bigfatpaulie]

Well, I am back on the wagon (ie, my wife is out of town for the weekend)!
 
I finished wiring everything on the main board…
 

 
 
Some of the capacitors are really, REALLY small.  Nothing makes you feel old like trying to read one of these.  First, I squinted.  Then I used a magnifying glass.  To my horror, I still couldn’t read them.  Out came the macro lens.  Geeze… 
 
 

 
 
I mean look at that printing!!  Wow.  Anyway, my wire forest is built and ready for some boards!
 
 

 
 
The Mainline built sans boards.
 
 

 
 
The Bias Regulator Board attached and floating.  The amp really is a sophisticated design.
 
 

 
 
The first C4S board, hooked up and ready to go!!
 
 

 
 
The assembled Mainline!  Now it’s time for some testing.
 
 

 
 
Which went perfectly…  Until I go to the LAST step – Bias side B.  It is supposed to read 145v and adjusted by one of the 2 on board potentiometers.  Well, I twiddled and noting…  The voltage on the B side stubbornly stayed at 90v no matter what I did.  I lifted all the boards, looked over everything and I could not find a miss solder anywhere.  I tried biasing again.  Nothing.  I tested the resistances on the pots and they are fine.  After about an hour, I realized I forgot to cut one of the leads on one of those tiny blue resistors and it was making a connection with a free tab on the socket.
 
 

 
 
Grrr….  Whatever.  Life goes on.  I found it, no sense on dwelling on the past.  At least the fuse was installed in the amp, right?
 
 

 
 
Everything works and now it for the final touch!
 
 

 
 
The time it takes to build a one is nothing compared to the time it takes to deserve one…
 
 

 
 

 
 
It’s alive!  IT’S ALIVE!!!
 
 

 
 
Well, folks that’s it until my new caps arrive.  I was going to install them today as Canada Post tried to deliver them on Friday, but was at work. 
 
 
 

 
 
The notice clearly says I can pick them up “Tomorrow after 13:00”.  I went to get them but it really means is “Tomorrow after 13:00, if tomorrow is a business day”.  So I guess it will be Monday.  Once that’s done, it will be time for some seriously listening!!
 
 

 
 
It’s been a last building this amp.  Thank you to everyone in the community and Doc for all your help.
 
 
All the best and happy listening everyone!
 
 
-Paul

 

[JamieMcC]

Paul that's a Stella update congratulations on being up and running. I have noticed you Mainline guys are setting some pretty high standards with neatness of the hooking up. Great pics by the way I am just hopeless with my camera the more I try the worse they come out.
 
Mainline vs the Stratus sounds a bit like a prize fight between to heavy weight contenders which I guess is exactly what it is! Enjoy your front row seat. I wonder if it will be a knock out punch that decides the outcome or will they will they go toe to toe for the full distance with a split decision at the end? 

 

[Loquah]

Congrats Paul and, to echo others, thanks for the great updates!!
 
I love the look of your tube shields. Did you polish them or paint them?

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Very nice congrats!

 

[bigfatpaulie]

  Paul that's a Stella update congratulations on being up and running. I have noticed you Mainline guys are setting some pretty high standards with neatness of the hooking up. Great pics by the way I am just hopeless with my camera the more I try the worse they come out.
 
Mainline vs the Stratus sounds a bit like a prize fight between to heavy weight contenders which I guess is exactly what it is! Enjoy your front row seat. I wonder if it will be a knock out punch that decides the outcome or will they will they go toe to toe for the full distance with a split decision at the end? 

 
Thanks, Jamie!  I see you were asking around about the size of the Mainline: making sure you have enough carbon fiber 

?  Well, it is a pretty intricate amp so I think it is good practice to be neat and keep everything organized.  A group I suspect you would fit right in with!  Haha...  Okay I'll stop
 
Initial impressions with the Mainline have pretty much guaranteed it will be a toe-to-toe match.  I absolutely LOVE the Stratus and I can't say enough good about it with the HD800's so when I say I think it will be a bit of a close race, that is really high praise for the Mainline.  But it's early and I want to give the Mainline time to settle in before I say much.
 

  Congrats Paul and, to echo others, thanks for the great updates!!
 
I love the look of your tube shields. Did you polish them or paint them?

 
 
My pleasure!  It was a treat building the amp.  Yes, the tube shields are pretty sharp looking - they are a satin-esq finish and that's how I got them from Bottlehead.
 

  Very nice congrats!

 
Thanks!!

 

[skeptic]

Congrats on the completed mainline Paulie! Looks great and no doubt sounds great too! I will be looking forward to your comparative comments vis-a-vis the stratus when the time is right.

 

[Doc B.]

Looks great Paul. Must admit to a little bit of personal satisfaction when someone finishes a kit the in the more "natural" look like we do them on the website.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

Thanks, Doc!  I sanded it with 400 grit then applied 4 coats of polyurethane: no stain.  The wood is gorgeous just the way it is.
 
You've built a helluva BEAST!!  

 

[Armaegis]

Say has anyone here tried the Quicksand with headphones?

 

[skeptic]

Looks great Paul. Must admit to a little bit of personal satisfaction when someone finishes a kit the in the more "natural" look like we do them on the website.

 
Quick question on this topic - since it has been a number of years, and I have yet to take any steps to finish the bases on my crack or mainline.  Is a quick rub down with mineral oil a reasonable/viable option?  I understand mineral oil also offers some protection against rust.  Any reason not to apply a little to the transformer bell?

 

[Loquah]

I can't speak for the metal question, but I used linseed oil on my Mainline base with some mixed results (it remained slightly sticky after even quite a long time), but I think that issue was largely my error for using too much oil and a thickened oil. What I found even better was a simple bee's wax based polish and finishing wax (a 2-stage process) which is really simple and provides a beautiful natural finish and good protection too.
 
The brand I used was this one: http://www.gillystephenson.com/ and it's applied using 000 grade steel wool and a soft cloth for buffing. Very easy to use and provides beautiful results.
 


 
 
 
@Doc B., apologies for the alterations to my kit from your original vision / design

 

 

[skeptic]

Thanks for the suggestion on the wax. Looks like a beautiful finish! I may well go that route.

 

[JamieMcC]

The graining of the alloy top on Paul's Mainline looks particularly good and quiet attractive.  The wood floor is a really nice back drop who ever does your polishing does a super job?
 

 

[412519]

I just posted this question over at the T1 thread but this seems to be the more proper thread. Had someone the chance to compare one of the Bottlehead amps to a Meier oder Violectric amp and can post his impressions?

 

[skeptic]

  Thanks, Doc!  I sanded it with 400 grit then applied 4 coats of polyurethane: no stain.  The wood is gorgeous just the way it is.
 
You've built a helluva BEAST!!  

 
Any further thoughts on your mainline now that you've had a little while to enjoy it paulie?
 
Also, for anyone feeling the itch, bottlehead has a serious mainline sale on through Sunday - don't know that they've had them this cheap since the preorder.  Still totally enamored with mine.  The build is incredibly rewarding and results in one of the best sounding hp amps out there to my ears - particularly with hd800's.  http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=7581.0