Tube Protectors

[suncrush]

I'm building a Valvecaster, and I'm ready to put it in a box.  I'm trying to figure out how to protect the tube, since I plan to strap the pedal to my board, which means it will go in and out of a closet and the trunk of my car.

Protectors like this are easy to find, but I know I'm going to take the top off the tube at some point.



The protectors EHX uses on their pedals are much better, but I can't seem to find them anywhere (and I need one for a single tube.)




I know I could put a shield on the tube, or just put the tube inside the box, but I want to be able to see the tube because tubes look cool.

Any suggestions?

[Brisance]

How about sink it in to the enclosure and put glass over top?

[deafbutpicky]

To get something like the ehx  get a hole grid plate and bend it as you like, distance bolts are available too,

but I've been to more than one gig where fluid (beer!) got spilled on the stage and made some equipment (even amps) fail...

[electrosonic]

I would lay it sideways inside the enclosure and drill ventilation holes.

Andrew.

[Ice-9]

I have used the ones in your first picture before, but I have as they are a little short and expose the top of the glass what I have done is dismantle one protector and use one of the tiers in the other protectot making it a 4 tier protector. So if you want to use 2 valves then you can buy 3 protectors and split one of them to add to the other two.

[Philippe]

*curious* don't tube covers/metal sleeves keep the tube temperatures hotter? wouldn't a protective roll cage (i.e. those horseshoe shaped bars) kill two birds (cooling+protection) with one stone?

[peterg]

U bolts work:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg943066#msg943066

[PRR]

> don't tube covers/metal sleeves keep the tube temperatures hotter?

Non-issue for "small" tubes like 12A_7. They never get hot enough to hurt.

Don't cramp your POWER tubes (EL84, 6V6, etc).

[blackieNYC]

IKEA and other places have a variety of cool looking drawer handles ("pulls") that look like they would make nice Roll Bars
http://m.imgur.com/gallery/E1lZzlt
How about this one? It is 4 1/16" long. Little expensive but these could look awesome.  Could fit lengthwise on a 1590BB.  Unless your tube socket is already fully flush with the enclosure surface:
http://m.libertyhardwareforless.com/product/20251/liberty-hardware-pn6504-pull-citation-ii-collection-aluminum

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

a piece of 1" aluminum pipe (1/8"wall) cut in half and two 1.25" hex standoffs is what the electro harmonix tube pedals have, it seems easy enough to do with a hacksaw/files and a drill press.

[puretube]

a piece of 1" aluminum pipe (1/8"wall) cut in half and two 1.25" hex standoffs is what the electro harmonix tube pedals have, it seems easy enough to do with a hacksaw/files and a drill press.

Mark, drill and de-burr before, or after cutting in half? How clamp it?

The original role-models for the E-H Pure-Tube-Protectors
were just rectangular flat pieces of cut aluminum-plate (1.5 mm), hand-drilled, filed, and deburred,
then hand-bent over a wooden household broomstick...





once you bent three of them, your grip gets weaker and you`ll prefer to just make`m like this...



(bend over the table-edge,,,)

[J0K3RX]

If yer gonna use something make sure it actually protects the tubes and doesn't just look pretty!  

otherwise, lay'em down...

[Brisance]

yep, that's what I said, put a glass in front for bonus points.

[puretube]

"I know I could put a shield on the tube, or just put the tube inside the box, but I want to be able to see the tube because tubes look cool.
Any suggestions?"

`s what the OP said...

Those usual tube-shields aren`t very strong, mechanically...

If you wanna go heavy duty, just take some metal
loudspeaker grille
or similar steel-maze (1 - 2 mm thick) from your local metalshop,
and cut with a strong tin-snip or plate-shears, file the corners...

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu335/puretube/Pure-Tube-Haddock238.jpg
http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu335/puretube/Pure-Tube-HaddockDSC02839.jpg

bend, and paint it black...







...even works well for power-tubes...




Those boxes once were available directly from E-H,
and even Aron`s own DIYstompboxes Shop...

Maybe Hoffman got some left???



http://el34world.com/projects/tube_box.htm