[aphexii]

Acrylic Panel is here! Even at 1/16" its a tiny tiny bit too thick for the ET1 case, so I had to shave down the edges a bit to slide it in. Need to do a tiny bit more work on it, but its very close to a perfect fit now.

 

[patton713MW]

Just to throw it out there, the screwdriver method to pull the tube socket pin worked great for me. My sockets have the thick bottom. I inserted a fine flat-head screwdriver into the notch, and carefully twisting it was able to open the gap to ~1mm. Then I used a larger flat-head, and lifted the pin from the bottom of socket. It worked great!

 

[patton713MW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphexii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Acrylic Panel is here! Even at 1/16" its a tiny tiny bit too thick for the ET1 case, so I had to shave down the edges a bit to slide it in. Need to do a tiny bit more work on it, but its very close to a perfect fit now.

Very nice!

 

[linuxworks]

acrylic case was GREAT!

very well executed.

 

[aphexii]

Thanks guys! Working on the photoshop mockups to see if it would look better with a raw aluminum (silver) faceplate or black anodized.

 

[tomb]

Very nice, aphexii!!

 

[oneplustwo]

loving mine...

I built it using the "can't miss" boutique bits but it still needs a knob. but now I'm thinking about selling it to fund a B22. stupid upgrade-itis!

 

[ruZZ.il]

I've actually started to understand the schematics of the beta22 so I think my time to build one is nearing too

I can't sell my max though. specially the mini. It's still so wonderful to listen to and so easy to whip out and take to another room or something.. I dunno, I guess I've been so busy lately though, that I'm hardly in a hurry to do anything right now ;(

 

[oneplustwo]

That's a good point... I would hate to sell the minimax. But I have a feeling it would be scarcely used if the B22 is as good as everyone says it is.

 

[patton713MW]

I can't say for sure as I haven't heard either yet, but I would think that one doesn't necessarily replace the other. SS sound with the B22, and tube sound with the Millett. Anyone with more experience have any thoughts?

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneplustwo /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's a good point... I would hate to sell the minimax. But I have a feeling it would be scarcely used if the B22 is as good as everyone says it is.

Why? Seems astounding enough to see you mention the two in the same paragraph - the B22 only costs about 5 times as much.

 

[aphexii]

Finished up with the mock faceplates. I think i'm leaning black but time will tell which I end up ordering. The Silver is a bit off in color as I didn't have a silver knob so I had to fake it for an approximation, and the black would likely get black on black text (though no in-fill is a possibility as well)

What do you guys think?

 

[cetoole]

The only real issue with FPE, besides cost, is that they cut panels from preanodized stock, so if you get black, the edges will still be raw aluminum. It is less noticeable with clear anodize, so that is something to think about. The only way I know of to get around this is to either send in your own metal or anodize it yourself.

 

[aphexii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cetoole /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only real issue with FPE, besides cost, is that they cut panels from preanodized stock, so if you get black, the edges will still be raw aluminum. It is less noticeable with clear anodize, so that is something to think about. The only way I know of to get around this is to either send in your own metal or anodize it yourself.

Yea, I'm kinda annoyed they don't have the option to anodize it after they make the cut. All the previous models i've seen look good with the black anodize, but I worry it might clash too much with a black front, 4mm silver edges and a clear acrylic top. Going ALL silver on the front might make it look a bit cleaner.

How difficult is it to anodize yourself?

 

[cetoole]

DIY anodize involves acid and electricity, so more dangerous and difficult the deeper you want the anodize layer (so depending how durable you want it). I have never tried it, probably never will. There are companies who can probably do it for you, though of course, doing this will leave you with only one color on the faceplate. You would have to redo any infilling. Best bet would be to send them preanodized stock of the correct size.