Help me choose/source an enclosure for multi-effect rehouse project

Started by Kindly Killer, August 28, 2017, 03:44:47 PM

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Kindly Killer

I want to house 4 mini pedals and one 125bb size in a single enclosure. I am looking for pointers on selecting a material/construction type, and any other tips.

Criteria:

  • very lightweight. I have finally transitioned to commuting ~100% by bicycle, and it pays to count every gram. That's the main reason for the project. i usually use a digital modeler, and i've found that hauling 2.0kg vs 0.6kg modeler on my back... two very different experiences. basically if i get the whole rig (with guitar) under a certain weight my back never gets tired
  • no sharp corners - or some way to round off the corners. I want this to go into the exterior pocket of a gig bag, and i have learned that sharp corners will eventually work through any kind of cordura with any treatment
  • 10" on logest edge is a hard limit. i would like the thickness to be ~1.5" and the front-to-back <=6"
  • i want to add a battery box to this enclosure that very deftly accepts/spits out a single, eneloop-type, 9v battery to power the whole thing in a daisy chain. i will swap between freshly-charged batteries every gig (3-5/week) so this needs to be a relatively friction-less experience
  • not too hard to machine with easily accessible tools - i.e. on par with cast aluminum enclosures
  • price should be somewhere between cheap and exotic. this project is basically a try-and-see kind of experiment. let's say the enclosure itself should definitely be south of $100, and less than that would be appreciated

I got onto Mouser thinking I would quickly find an attractive ABS option, but my shopping skills are not what they used to be. Or maybe this project is harder than I thought. Haven't built anything in a few years.

One idea I had was 3d printing. Are any of the common materials at 3D hubs suitable for my needs? I used to do edge-loop type 3d modeling for character animation many years ago; I can imagine learning a contemporary dummy-CAD app in an afternoon - enough to design a box...

Plexi

My recomendation goes to the chinese aluminum enclosures.
Very light (1/4 compared to the Hammond ones), cheap (but must to purchase via Aliexpress/alibaba), easy to work aluminum...but still heavy core.

I don't know if are the same that Tayda sells.
To you, buffered bypass sucks tone.
To me, it sucks my balls.

thermionix

I'd like to second Plexi's suggestion, and try to steer you away from plastic enclosures.  Cast aluminum is pretty light, quite sturdy, and acts as a shield.  Most of the aluminum enclosures I've seen have rounded corners.

stallik

You could also consider getting hold of a bending brake and knock something up yourself.
It's not too hard to do and you end up with an enclosure that's idealy sized for your purposes. Using thin sheet is normally frowned upon but I've been playing with plastic braces which effectively connect the footswitches with the base of the enclosure. Highly effective but the switch click is amplified through the floor.
This one's made from a thicker steel and feels about the same weight as a 1590DD. Alluminium sheet would be much lighter

Acrylic bits at the side are to house the effects led's. Rust is just an indicator of how slow I am at building :)

Oh, and plastics, wood etc can be sheilded with stuff from a spray can. You have to firmly attach a ground plate to it but that's as simple as a bolt, nut and washer
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein