[GrindingThud]

That is a very cool website....

Right here man: LINK

 

[skeptic]

For anyone that's put in some big/upgraded caps, how did you mount them?  I'm thinking of using a metal punch to punch holes in the alloy top plate and then using some screw-in zip tie mounts, but would like to hear what anyone else has done.  The caps will be Mundorf M-Cap 100uf/250v, so they're just under silly-huge size for the chassis .

I used a cheap cordless drill to punch through the top plate, but otherwise this is exactly what a number of us have done. Be prepared to dispose of your bit afterwards. The adhesive on the zip tie mounts is pretty strong in its own right but can theoretically fail over time due to heat. Screws are a worthwhile precaution imo.

 

[Beefy]

For anyone that's put in some big/upgraded caps, how did you mount them?  I'm thinking of using a metal punch to punch holes in the alloy top plate and then using some screw-in zip tie mounts, but would like to hear what anyone else has done.  The caps will be Mundorf M-Cap 100uf/250v, so they're just under silly-huge size for the chassis .

I used these, attached to the top plate with screws, exactly as you plan to do: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/uv-black-mounting-base-bag-of-8/977480
It works very well, but I would recommend drilling rather than punching.

I used peel and stick zip tie anchors, 2 per cap.  But, I also routed the fly wires so they helped hold the large caps to the bottom of the plate.

Those mounts WILL fail due to heat over time, and your caps will be hanging by their wires. Not a good outcome. The zip tie anchors should absolutely be held in place with screws.

 

[rs01]

Cool, thanks for the responses everyone.  The capacitor holder looks pretty much perfect Ben, but I might just go forward with the zip tie anchor with screws and ties since I can grab everything I need from Home Depot on the way home from work. 

 

[Doc B.]

Quote:

. Be prepared to dispose of your bit afterwards. 

The panel is aluminum. Any decent bit will come out unscathed, particularly if one uses a proper cutting fluid. A spritz of WD-40 will work, as will a bit of candle wax on the tip of the bit.

 

[silverhead]

Is there a generally agreed upon 'giant capacitor' to upgrade to?  I know that they all have some sort of impact on the sound quality, but is there a universal holy grail that people would flock to if money was no option?   I don't plan to put the speed ball upgrade onto this one I have because I like something about the lack of solid state anything on board.  I guess the tiny LEDs technically count... but yeah.
 
I'm thinking about ordering another kit so I can get the pleasure of building it myself as well as having one of them at work so I could be listening right this instant.   And it's the beginning of the month, so I just got paid (yeah!)

 

[ben_r_]

Quote:

Is there a generally agreed upon 'giant capacitor' to upgrade to?  I know that they all have some sort of impact on the sound quality, but is there a universal holy grail that people would flock to if money was no option?   I don't plan to put the speed ball upgrade onto this one I have because I like something about the lack of solid state anything on board.  I guess the tiny LEDs technically count... but yeah.
 
I'm thinking about ordering another kit so I can get the pleasure of building it myself as well as having one of them at work so I could be listening right this instant.   And it's the beginning of the month, so I just got paid (yeah!)

There are really only two that anyone gets now a days and I doubt anyone could tell the difference between them. They are the Mundorf's and the Obligatto's.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

The panel is aluminum. Any decent bit will come out unscathed, particularly if one uses a proper cutting fluid. A spritz of WD-40 will work, as will a bit of candle wax on the tip of the bit.

 
Huh, I've never heard of using candle wax before. I'll have to give that a try sometime.

 

[liamstrain]

Quote:

I know that they all have some sort of impact on the sound quality, but is there a universal holy grail that people would flock to if money was no option? 

 
This is not generally agreed upon, and especially not in this particular circuit.

 

[rs01]

Quote:

 
This is not generally agreed upon, and especially not in this particular circuit.

I agree - personally I'm not really expecting a noticeable sonic change by adding the big caps, I'm doing it more out of my desire to keep tinkering with the amp.  I've already changed the pot, added a bypass cap, added the Speedball, rolled a bunch of different tubes, etc, and adding new output caps is just another step on the tinkering path.

 

[amcananey]

That was exactly why I did it. I installed Clarity Cap ESA 100 mfd 250V caps that I got from Madisound here.
 
I wound up using some plastic straps used to mount the large vent tubes from clothes driers to hold the caps in place. Ultimately, I thought this solution worked quite well, because there was adequate separation between the caps and the rest of the chassis. The plastic straps are extremely robust (they can hold hundreds of pounds), can be easily cut to size using household scissors, are quite cheap and won't scratch the caps. For pictures, see here.
 
On the downside, this means I have to desolder the caps every time I need to do anything to the amp, because the caps are secured to the side of the wooden case, and need to be separated from the metal plate. But since you have already upgraded everything else, this should be less of a concern.
 
I should also add that the size of the caps, and the need to create clearance between the caps and the other components, means that I also had to raise the wooden case a bit. I wound up using adjustable/extendable feet, but you could do whatever works best for you.
 
Best,
Adam

 

[rs01]

Quote:

That was exactly why I did it. I installed Clarity Cap ESA 100 mfd 250V caps that I got from Madisound here.
 
I wound up using some plastic straps used to mount the large vent tubes from clothes driers to hold the caps in place. Ultimately, I thought this solution worked quite well, because there was adequate separation between the caps and the rest of the chassis. The plastic straps are extremely robust (they can hold hundreds of pounds), can be easily cut to size using household scissors, are quite cheap and won't scratch the caps. For pictures, see here.
 
On the downside, this means I have to desolder the caps every time I need to do anything to the amp, because the caps are secured to the side of the wooden case, and need to be separated from the metal plate. But since you have already upgraded everything else, this should be less of a concern.
 
I should also add that the size of the caps, and the need to create clearance between the caps and the other components, means that I also had to raise the wooden case a bit. I wound up using adjustable/extendable feet, but you could do whatever works best for you.
 
Best,
Adam

The 78mm diameter is crazy, the Mundorfs I bought I think are 48mm and they'll be enough of a challenge to mount. 

 

[amcananey]

Quote:

The 78mm diameter is crazy, the Mundorfs I bought I think are 48mm and they'll be enough of a challenge to mount. 

 
Where is the challenge in that?

 
It's the tinkering that is fun...the harder the better!

 

[amcananey]

Actually, when I first got them, I didn't think they were going to fit.
 

 
 So I first tried different orientations:
 

 

 
Actually, I was initially tempted to just send them back. But I finally found a mounting solution that worked:
 

 
As you can see, these straps provide excellent clearance from the metal plate and components. The caps aren't touching anything else. The straps themselves were cheap. A whole roll of that light gray plastic material only cost a couple of bucks and worked like a charm.
 
Here you can see the adjustable feet I installed to raise the height of the case to clear the caps hanging down:
 

 

[Armaegis]

Every time I see these giant caps I get this funny idea to build an amp into a Tonka truck and use the caps as wheels...