[wankski]

Hey guys,

looking to build both a MMM amp and s11 PS.... all in the one box.... so i needed a pretty big case...

my idea was to cannibalise a broken VCR...

opinions:

1) leave off the fascia and use a flat bit of wood, stained or painted for the front panel..

2) use the VCR fascia, and rough it up, blank the holes and use some sort of filler putty.... wire in the POT remotely and have a large 35mm alu knob sitting where that hole is on the right hand side... i am starting to like this idea more and more.... it would then end in a sand-able primer and some paint color, maybe silver, maybe black

in either case, the alu top cover panel is scratched up and i'd likely have to paint that either silver or black, or maybe a striking color like dark red or blue to offset the either wooden panel or modified VCR panel....

thoughts? pointers?

am i nuts?

cheers,

joe

 

[c12mech]

I like both ideas, but would be more inclined to use the wood panel. Use something with good grain character and paint the box a contrasting color.

 

[elliot42]

I like the wood panel idea better. It would be easier to get a much cleaner finish that you're happy with and with a lot less work.

 

[Juaquin]

I saw this while looking for some heatsinks yesterday - if you're interested in a wood enclosure, it's certainly a good deal. It's the Comp-T halfway down the page: Metal Project Boxes

 

[earthpeople]

Another vote for wood here.

 

[Uncle Erik]

You don't have to use wood if you don't want. If you look around locally, you should be able to find a piece of aluminum locally. It's easy to cut with a jigsaw and would fit with the rest of the case.

And a big +1 for repurposing a case! That's the spirit!

 

[wankski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juaquin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I saw this while looking for some heatsinks yesterday - if you're interested in a wood enclosure, it's certainly a good deal. It's the Comp-T halfway down the page: Metal Project Boxes

Dude that is great! cheers for the link! would be good if i lived in the US, but i don't (down under)...

i rekon casing would be no issue at all over there (or buying components generally!)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif You don't have to use wood if you don't want. ... And a big +1 for repurposing a case! That's the spirit!

haha, cheers.

not so much not wanting to use wood, it's just that the moulded over idea would be far more consistent, especially after applying filler - and then it could be painted whatever color after building the whole thing up with sand-able primer.... it has the ability to look really good with the right paint, and to be commerical rather than very DIY looking (not that that is a bad thing)...

i'll try the wood first, and try mocking up the front panel... see how i go.... (see if i can even get a 35mm alu knob here, that would help, lol!)

thanks for the comments guys!

 

[Juaquin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wankski /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dude that is great! cheers for the link! would be good if i lived in the US, but i don't (down under)...

Yes, that would be a bit of a problem, haha. You should list your location in your profile so it shows on your posts (and prevents me from making stupid suggestions

).

 

[wankski]

fixt

and the suggestion was still helpful... always good to get ideas and see how good others have it!

 

[Forte]

Wood panels look great but you need a few tools and some skill to get a good finish.

Get some Auto body filler and spray primer and see what you can do with the standard front panel, would definitely look different to most other amps, just try lo leave as much of the moulded shape as you can.

 

[Voodoochile]

Another vote for a slab of wood. An aluminum plate would be nice, too, and could be either harder or easier to work with depending on what tools you have at your disposal.

I like recycling cases like this, when it works. I've used a few network switch chassis made from steel, adding a wood faceplate. You can also make a faceplate from aluminum, and make it wide enough to cover the end grain of some wood side panels, ala '70s receiver style.

One more nice thing about the wood option is that you can mount a pot to the steel panel behind the wood, and counterbore for the knob. Lacking a full solid surface behind, you can still counterbore the pot and thread it in from behind, using the nut as a jamnut from the back, rather than the front. Same thing with power switches, no need for a nut on the front.

There are two DACs and one amp built this way flanking the tube amp in this picture; the wood is figured maple-

 

[Voodoochile]

Here's another picture that shows the knob. The HP jack is also recessed a bit.

The board on top is unrelated to what is inside, BTW, I was just using the amp to test it.

 

[wankski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoochile /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are two DACs and one amp built this way flanking the tube amp in this picture; the wood is figured maple-

DUDE! that is frikken sick!

I have already started on the case - i decided to do something different and cover the alu top and sides panel with a textured deep blue vinyl.... ended up FAR cheaper than paint (like $4 and i could do 3 cases with the length of material bought), and having recently stripped and painted a bike, i no longer have the patience for that!

so i've definitively decided to go for the contrasting bit of wood for the front panel... if it all goes to plan, should look part hi-fi and part 70s furniture

 

[Voodoochile]

Sounds cool. I figure that worst case, one can always gut it and go for a better chassis, but sometimes you can end up with something that looks really nice, and is also something not readily available. Not to mention it would cost a ton it it was.

OT: How did the bike come out?

 

[wankski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoochile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds cool. I figure that worst case, one can always gut it and go for a better chassis, but sometimes you can end up with something that looks really nice, and is also something not readily available. Not to mention it would cost a ton it it was. OT: How did the bike come out?

haha pretty well, thanks for asking!

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