I'm building my first stompbox for a project in school (I'm an electronics student). I'm building a Rat pedal. Any suggestions on where I can buy casing, or what to use to build one? I'm new to the site, it looks pretty damn cool.
A lot of us use Hammond cast aluminum boxes (which are like MXR-style boxes) that you can get through most electronics suppliers like Mouser and Digikey.
You can get pretty much anything you need for pedal building through www.smallbearelec.com Small Bear sells Hammond and similar boxes.
If you're in a pinch, I believe Radio Shack still has some metal enclosures, including a clamshell-style box that should be suitable for a stompbox. Stay away from plastic enclosures unless you're never going to leave your bedroom with them, and you don't care much about sheilding....
Roger
Thanks, Rodg'!
My deadline is comin' up. I gotta finish this project, it counts as 33% of my grade in AC/DC class.
If you're really into the Rat in particular, ProCo sells the enclosures they use for their direct input boxes. Didn't see a listing on the website, but I just found them at You Do It Electronics near Boston. Pretty beefy case, but wicked spendy ($19). Also I picked up two 1590Ns there (the mxr size aluminum Hammond case) and on BOTH of them two of the bores for the screws that hold the thing together were screwed up, so that when I tried to tighten the cover all the way down the screws snapped in half! I'd never seen such shoddy construction from a Hammond product before.
One good source for Hammond boxes is:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/616/985.pdf
another is:
http://dkc3.digikey.com/pdf/T033/0994-0996.pdf
I've never had any issues with Hammond 1590 series (knock on wood). Great boxes, slick looking...., and you can get prepainted ones with a nice black krinkle finish for only a couple dollars more. They look great with white legends.
The 1590BB size gives you plenty of room.
Best of luck with your project and your grade! :D
-Peter
Redbeard,
You can use almost anything for an enclosure. Some guys go to thrift stores, dumpster diving, dollar stores. Anything that can fit the parts, that is a bit sturdy, that you may be able to paint or not......The possibilities are endless..............
Arn C.
Electrical junction boxes.
Quote from: RedbeardThanks, Rodg'!
My deadline is comin' up. I gotta finish this project, it counts as 33% of my grade in AC/DC class.
AC/DC class? that sounds awesome! As long as Jack Black is your teacher!
Roger
you can go to lowes and get a gang box or a pvc end cap.
I bought like 4 RS boxes and use them now just mainly for testing [well there's the CMOS I use that's in one and a Phaze 90 in one] but the cheeziness factor with the fit and the screws into alum sheet etc. doesn't make them the first choice for me.
I use RACO's, I have one I got ready for mounting in minutes with 'artwork' 'JB quick weld' [glom/float method].... just a couple passes with the credit card loaded with mixed JB over each punchout, might sound silly but anylize the amounts and application technique motion and practice it before applying] [IMO quite necessary if you plan to drill holes] just keeep it on the flat areas and you don't have to sand] the darker grey over galv-grey actually looks industrial-kool.
You can use 'Bondo on RACO', to set the punchouts from folding under drilling stresses but that takes two coats for an 'improved' surface and more likely three [or more] for a perfect box.
The RS plastics look better and the fit makes sense, but you might want shielded and the sturdiness factor is not known. ? Needless to say they are not on near the top on my list, however I'm sure they're easy to work.
If I were judging the criterion would be like this 1.shielded [Y/N] 2. Sturdy [how sturdy] 3.practical [size shape jack accessability etc.]
4.Appearance [how good does it look]
Being a great appreciater of practical things, this list could well be the reverse of what the first time efkts buyer [say frinst] might have.
Appearance is the one that takes the most time [anything stunning that is] from what I've tried to figure out., but I've never had a nice polished aluminum box/workpiece to start with...one of those would be totally acceptable IMO, but I like werkin with stuff or am too cheep so far to try one [maybe it's fear Ill start liking them too much], my best or most recent ckt endeavors are all in bondoes or JB's RACO's CUz they're so sturdy and meet the practicle crits.
thanks for all the help, everybody. I got one of those ugly RadShack boxes, it's kind of ugly and the screws they provided don't fit into the holes, but it'll work. I'm not worried about the looks of the thing, I just need it to work. It's aluminum, do I need to think about sheilding anything?
Aluminim should work fine. The worldwide endorsed Hammond boxes are cast aluminum, so...
Is it an ALL aluminum box? If so, no extra shielding necessary. :)
-Peter
After buliding a board how do you guys mount the board in the hammond box without it wobbling around ?
Some double stick foam tape works...comes off easlily, and prevents crosses. or if you're good with metal, you can screw the board into a "U" shaped piece of metal at each corner, and rivet that to the box...Or just old skewl it, and let it hang :-D
Hey how do you find your easy face ?
pretty hot :-D
it does that crunchy bluesy tone pretty well. I find that weather effects it...I think temperature effects how the Ge transistor breaks up. So on a warm stage, its pretty awesome, as my amp already has the crazy overdriven sound covered. More importantly, though, I think it was a good clean build, and a great first pedal. Besides from that, I would probably go with a 2 Ge fuzz face if I were to build another one.
For mounting in RACO's I take a piece of square molding about 3/4 by 3/4 inch by 4. inches [thats just long of the inside of the box] and file it so it's tight in the corner [that would be the corner without switches or jacks that need to be there], the cut some holes in the end of the Perf [which I love] and screw it down...a little epoxy between the mounting board and the metal side holds.
or...ckts that have two pots only, I make wires the right length for using the pots to clamp the ckt which is shielded and elevated slight from the metal by 'carefull 'lol' fitted and bonded [lighter] and trimmed [scissors] plastic transistor bags... I just gotta watch what's NOT touching .. socks them in ther pretty darn good and quick ! I come off the bottom and sides of the perf for a couple spaces so the connections are 'protected'. I just have the board right between the pots in the middle of the box and clamp it in...using the one pots phelonic board as I tighten it's nut....lol
I've used this way many times...if you're into neatness, try to forget I posted it, if you're into fast and donesville, I haven't had a problem [seems to hold good] or found a quicker way to get the ckt to hold still and be happy. I figure it's so dark in there...practicality takes over.
Keeping the board from moving around once it's all in the box?
try these from mouser:
561-LAD375 (3/8" standoff)
561-LAD500 (1/2" standoff)
Theyre sticky on one side, and the other side snaps into a 5/32" hole you drill into your pc board.
More enclosures:
http://www.muzique.com/lab/enclosures.htm
regards, Jack
Lately, there have been some great deals on eBay for Hammond boxes. At $3.25 american for a 1590BB, it's almost not worth it to me to struggle with those Raco boxes.
Regards
RDV
sometimes I do my fx with plastic box, similar to hammond box.... :)
sometimes "open-back" aluminums....I still have to cover the side and bottom though...much work..... :)
Samuel - are you sure that was really a Hammond product (where the screws broke)? I had the exact same thing happen, but it was a Chinese knockoff, not a real Hammond. The screws were the worst I have EVER seen - they broke with a trivial amount of force (say no more than 10% of the force required to break a normal 6-32 screw!). All the boxes I have right now are Hammonds or Buds and the screws are fine. If I ever use the Chinese ones again, I will replace the screws first.
Does anyone have any ideas for something different? (in regards to pedal 'boxes')? I have used the aluminuim hammond boxes (which are great) But does anyone have any ideas for something really different? I was thinking it would be cool to make a 'functional art-piece' pedal- with a case thats different to the standard metal box (not quite like the roger mayer space ship though :wink: ). Any ideas on a cool, diferent and interesting medium to house a pedal's innards?
Cheers,
luke
I put some ckts in an old crossover case [19'' rack mount]...plenty O room in there, pre drilled holes in the front, EZ drill aluminum top and bottom...put the stopmer switch near the edge or re-inforce it toward the center.
I have an EZ vibe in there now, but plan to put a FF and a Tycho in there too...nice and flat, with the top surface open to hook RACO's or Hammond boxes on...with velcro or 3M dual lok.
Quote from: LukeDoes anyone have any ideas for something different? (in regards to pedal 'boxes')? I have used the aluminuim hammond boxes (which are great) But does anyone have any ideas for something really different? I was thinking it would be cool to make a 'functional art-piece' pedal- with a case thats different to the standard metal box (not quite like the roger mayer space ship though :wink: ). Any ideas on a cool, diferent and interesting medium to house a pedal's innards?
Cheers,
luke
Goodwill can cough up the occaisional "different" enclosure. This was a heavy duty trailor brake!
http://users.rio.com/senorris/junk/tek3ss.jpg
Thanks ... that looks great!
Cheers,
Luke