I noticed that a lot of members are primarily using Hammond (or similar style) enclosures like this:
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGMNNL9b/1590B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGMNNL9b)
I personally used hammond knock-offs, tins, wooden boxes (with shielding on the inside) and some random enclosures from other products as enclosures. The thing i found is that the hammond style (a box with one side as a lid which screws on) are the most annoying ones to put the pedal in to, and the best luck i have had was with boxes which have more pieces, so when opened up, everything is more easily accessible, like this:
(https://i.postimg.cc/5HM2jw7K/s-l500.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5HM2jw7K)
Why are the hammond-style boxes so popular?
Because they are so easily available everywhere, they are relatively cheap, come in a range of sizes while retaining a common look, are acceptably solid under foot, easy to finish or supplied painted, simple to drill and modify are some of my guesses.
Most builders can cope with fitting everything into the enclosure including the seemingly impossible builds in the 1590a community.
Different enclosures can and often do look .... Well, different and attractive but personally, I like what I'm used to. Perhaps that's the main reason?
Quote from: stallik on October 23, 2018, 03:12:42 PM
Because they are so easily available everywhere, they are relatively cheap, come in a range of sizes while retaining a common look, are acceptably solid under foot, easy to finish or supplied painted, simple to drill and modify
Nailed it.
Quote from: stallik on October 23, 2018, 03:12:42 PM
Most builders can cope with fitting everything into the enclosure including the seemingly impossible builds in the 1590a community.
There's a certain building-a-ship-in-a-bottle satisfaction to stuffing these things.
Yes Eric, I stupidly gained confidence seeing some of those builds and thought I could do it. Then I tried stuffing a 1 knob sho into one and realised they are actually tardis boxes suitable only for those with magic wands or possessed of Jedi abilities
Quote from: EBK on October 23, 2018, 03:21:34 PM
Quote from: stallik on October 23, 2018, 03:12:42 PM
Most builders can cope with fitting everything into the enclosure including the seemingly impossible builds in the 1590a community.
There's a certain building-a-ship-in-a-bottle satisfaction to stuffing these things.
Yeah, i never understood the whole 1590a craze. I prefer bigger boxes, both for building and buying/using pedals.
Quote from: vigilante397 on October 23, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
Quote from: stallik on October 23, 2018, 03:12:42 PM
Because they are so easily available everywhere, they are relatively cheap, come in a range of sizes while retaining a common look, are acceptably solid under foot, easy to finish or supplied painted, simple to drill and modify
Nailed it.
My local electronics store has them, but they're really expensive (1590b -ish box for €18[≈$20,60]) and most of them have mounting tabs on the sides of the box (very ugly)
I think ill order some of these from China:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy/s-l500-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy)
They also come in gold and aluminium
I've noticed those more than once on Aliexpress, too. Take care that the size is right (some of those are quite small, and you can't tell from the photos) and be sure to report back on your results.
I actually like the diecast box. The only problem I have is I wish the larger ones were not all so high. Wider and/or longer I sometimes need, but I seldom want anything higher than 40mm.
Yeah, they are supposed to be 100x76x35mm, so 16mm wider, 4mm taller and 12mm shorter than a 1590b, so its not too different
Yeah ill report back when the boxes are in i and I've had my first build with one.
The problem with folded sheet metal boxes is they usually don't have enough stiffness to allow you to stomp a switch without any noticeable deflection of the box. The cast boxes are much stiffer.
As for 1590A boxes, they usually have jacks on each side which means you need enough space between the 1590A and the next pedal to fit the right-angle jacks. You could use larger boxes with the jacks on the top edge (where the DC jack also comes in) and put larger boxes together to take the same space on the pedalboard.
Quote from: iainpunk on October 23, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy/s-l500-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy)
One question with something like this, where do you mount the jacks? It's hard to tell if there's room on the sides of the top/bottom pieces. Having things mounted to different pieces of the enclosure, so that when you open it it's like an accordian held together by a bunch of wires...well, that doesn't appeal to me personally. I repaired an extruded-case pedal once, where everything slid in from the sides, and it was a royal pain in the ass. Drilling steel also sucks.
Cast aluminum boxes are quite easy to machine, compared to steel chassis.
The 1590A craze picked up in conjunction with three other trends: 1) the increasing use of power bricks for pedalboards, allowing room normally reserved for batteries to be left out, 2) the increasing need to have more effects on a pedalboard without requiring dramatically more room, and 3) the widespread availability of inexpensive 9mm pots that could provide workable controls in a very small footprint.
I've built a number of things into 1590A boxes, most of them perfboard, and I dislike the format immensely. I would liken it more to banging your head against a wall, than to building a ship in a bottle; it feels so good when it stops.
A very fortunate coincidence for me; I don't want to build any 1590A pedals, and I don't want to own any 1590A pedals. Works out great!
I have a TC flashback mini that actually put me off the smaller boxes. Kept on stepping on the knobs and changing things (so I used the editor to disengage the knob functions). So now I like big boxes with no knobs haha.
Another thing with 'hammond' boxes is that they seem to vary in alloy consistency (or at least the ones I get locally).
The last 1590B I drilled was like butter. Which didn't help when I wasnt taking my time enough, and my holes wandered. I managed to drill almost every hole off mark (center punched, pilot holes, step bit). Had to file down the lid lip to get the battery to fit cause the footswitch had shifted down a touch. Easy to file though.
I almost turfed the box, but it's for a green ringer, so I figure some chaos is allowed.
I wish the cast wasn't so blotchy though. Extruded and sheet alu is so much nicer to sand.
Quote from: iainpunk on October 23, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
I think ill order some of these from China:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy/s-l500-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy)
I've done a couple of these extruded aluminium boxes, but they're a complete b!tch to drill, compared to the buttery-soft diecast stuff. I guess if you have a pillar drill and solid clamping, it's less horrific, but I hand-drill. :icon_neutral: YMMV.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on October 23, 2018, 07:27:43 PM
I've built a number of things into 1590A boxes, most of them perfboard, and I dislike the format immensely. I would liken it more to banging your head against a wall, than to building a ship in a bottle; it feels so good when it stops.
It is somewhat like smoking: You know it is unjustifiable, unhealthy and simply stupid - and yet....
I managed to stop smoking more than a decade ago but after a short 1590B (and even BB) interlude I am back to the bottle ships.
Quote from: lars-musik on October 24, 2018, 06:30:42 AM
after a short 1590B (and even BB) interlude I am back to the bottle ships.
And we all enjoy seeing your bottle ships 8)
Quote from: thermionix on October 23, 2018, 07:12:27 PM
Quote from: iainpunk on October 23, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy/s-l500-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPrxbVGy)
One question with something like this, where do you mount the jacks? It's hard to tell if there's room on the sides of the top/bottom pieces. Having things mounted to different pieces of the enclosure, so that when you open it it's like an accordian held together by a bunch of wires...well, that doesn't appeal to me personally. I repaired an extruded-case pedal once, where everything slid in from the sides, and it was a royal pain in the ass. Drilling steel also sucks.
Well,,, i just mount the jacks on the top, i prefer that in general over side mounted jacks.
The enclosure is extruded aluminium, not folded steel tho.
I've been slowly getting a Roland AP-7 Jetphaser clone ready to mount inside an extruded aluminum chassis that was once the housing for an old Hayes or US Robotics modem. I had to machine side panels for it, but that wasn't too hard. That said, the inside of such boxes often have rails for mounting boards that get in the way of drilling jack holes on the rear skirt. So this one will have jacks mounted on the side panels.
Quote from: iainpunk on November 07, 2018, 11:48:01 AM
The enclosure is extruded aluminium, not folded steel tho.
Yeah I know, I was just back to the general "why Hamond style?" question, and Amptramp above me had mentioned folded sheet metal boxes. I'm not always the best communicator.
Anyone here use the Bud cast aluminum boxes?. I thought maybe they were extinct, as the old MXR pedals in the BUD boxes are so valued, until I found out they were still around. Are they just too expensive compared to other options?.
Al
Quote from: zombiwoof on November 08, 2018, 11:06:18 AM
Anyone here use the Bud cast aluminum boxes?. I thought maybe they were extinct, as the old MXR pedals in the BUD boxes are so valued, until I found out they were still around. Are they just too expensive compared to other options?.
Al
I've used a Hammond cast zinc alloy box, which I was told by someone is similar to the Bud boxes (I don't really know anything about actual Bud boxes though).
Quote from: EBK on November 08, 2018, 11:15:06 AM
I've used a Hammond cast zinc alloy box, which I was told by someone is similar to the Bud boxes (I don't really know anything about actual Bud boxes though).
I have used these as well. They are quite nice. They are noticably heavier than typical Hammond boxes but they seem to drill just as easy.
The nice thing about the cast boxes (regardless of the material) is there is no noticeable "clang" when you operate the footswitch. If you are into loud music, this may not matter. But if you have some dynamic range to your music, it matters.
I looked up the Bud equivalent of a die cast aluminum 1590B on Mouser. It appears to be a Bud CU-124 and costs $7.20, which is about the same as the Hammond part. As far as I know, both of these companies have been around for a long time making a zillion types of enclosures, instrument chassis, and so on. I see them all the time in lab equipment and one-off electronics that have been around a while (I work in a science research department). It's possible the pedal market is a blip on their radar - maybe a lucrative blip, but the real money may be in the 19-inch rack business.
Quote...but the real money may be in the 19-inch rack business.
Don't get me started on the price of those things. Also getting your search engine to find enclosures instead of racks/cabinets.
Actually, as I found out making a 2 channel F2-B clone, the 19" enclosure is one of easiest to make from scratch. You only see the front, it doesn't need to be all that strong, it can all be flat work and ali' angle from hardware stores makes the rack ears and joining corners. For a 1U, a length of angle can make the entire front panel.
On why Hammond cast boxes, along with the previously mentioned ones, there is history: MXR used them early on , probably for the previously mentioned reasons. History is powerful, especially when a large section of the DIY pedal movement started out trying to reproduce the pedals of the 1960s and 1970s. We're now 20+ years into the DIY pedal craze and the newer people are no longer as tied to reproducing the originals.
Quote from: amptramp on November 08, 2018, 09:20:13 PM
The nice thing about the cast boxes (regardless of the material) is there is no noticeable "clang" when you operate the footswitch. If you are into loud music, this may not matter. But if you have some dynamic range to your music, it matters.
Have to agree here, I've just thrown a fuzz (bit of an experiment) into an old, folded sheet aluminium enclosure I had laying about and it positively rings when stomped. Feels solid though, maybe not 'world tour' levels of ruggedness but certainly ok for day to day use.
As for 1590A enclosures: I *totally* admire the skill that goes into them but just don't get them... maybe for a tap tempo or simple utility pedal. Maybe it's aesthetics for me, I don't see the appeal of cramming three or more controls into that kind of space, why make things more fiddly? And the jacks seem to overpower them, I guess you save space compared to regular pedals (though not with carefully top mounted socket pedals) but then get a fiddly, closely packed board. I guess I like things to be 'people' sized, things that fit in your hand comfortably etc. Or I'm getting old and need things simple. But again, I wholeheartedly salute the 1590a'ers out there. Maybe I'm just jealous of your skills. :)
Quote from: garyg on November 10, 2018, 09:18:37 AM
As for 1590A enclosures: I *totally* admire the skill that goes into them but just don't get them... maybe for a tap tempo or simple utility pedal. Maybe it's aesthetics for me, I don't see the appeal of cramming three or more controls into that kind of space, why make things more fiddly? And the jacks seem to overpower them, I guess you save space compared to regular pedals (though not with carefully top mounted socket pedals) but then get a fiddly, closely packed board. I guess I like things to be 'people' sized, things that fit in your hand comfortably etc. Or I'm getting old and need things simple. But again, I wholeheartedly salute the 1590a'ers out there. Maybe I'm just jealous of your skills. :)
I'm with ya 100%. I've never used a 1590A pedal, but it sure looks like they'd be prone to tipping left or right if you stomp the switch at anything other than a perfectly perpendicular angle. I understand the benefit is space saving, but the costs are multiple.
1590As seem like unnecessary wranglin' to me. I think if you're gonna cram, top mounted jacks in a 1590B makes more sense aesthetically and ergonomically.
With a reasonable amount of velcro I've never had problems with my 1590A pedals moving during on-stage usage, but some people may get excited and stomp a bit harder than I tend to.
Quote...but the real money may be in the 19-inch rack business.
This though. 1590B's will always be my go-to for general building, but since I'm not currently in a band I've been focusing more on recording, and I have a lot of studio preamp-type prototype stuff I would love to get into 19" rack boxes, but I think the cheapest I've found is about $50. No thanks. ::)
Well as a relatively new builder (1 Dallas Arbiter clone kit and an attempt at an A/B box using Radio Shack components- ended up a noise generator, didn't have anyting grounded my guess) the Chinese fuzz kit came with a cast then machined box (Hammond copy I now know).
Pretty robust, easy to drill and mount components, nonconductive, easy to finish or leave bare (won't corrode) I'm pretty happy with it.
For me, the problem with folded metal enclosures, the ones that look like two 'U's is that they limit connector placement. You either have everything mounted to the same piece of the enclosure or you'll have to use 'long' off board wiring.
I just grabbed one of these Takachi TS-1 enclosures.
https://my.rs-online.com/web/p/desktop-enclosures/4116632/
Dimensions look good, price was ok so thought it was worth checking out. They have come up one or twice on the forum according to a quick search.
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=78270.msg706701#msg706701
I've been after a sloped enclosure for ages but they all seem to cost an absolute bomb. I'm painting a lot with hammertone at the moment and there's something about hammertone on a 1590b just doesn't look right. Hopefully this will look better.
From the photos in that thread the thickness looks ok, i'll look into reinforcing around the footswitch if needs be
Quote from: patrick398 on November 22, 2018, 03:53:06 PM
I just grabbed one of these Takachi TS-1 enclosures.
https://my.rs-online.com/web/p/desktop-enclosures/4116632/
Dimensions look good, price was ok so thought it was worth checking out. They have come up one or twice on the forum according to a quick search.
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=78270.msg706701#msg706701
I've been after a sloped enclosure for ages but they all seem to cost an absolute bomb. I'm painting a lot with hammertone at the moment and there's something about hammertone on a 1590b just doesn't look right. Hopefully this will look better.
From the photos in that thread the thickness looks ok, i'll look into reinforcing around the footswitch if needs be
Nice!
I've been looking for sloped too. Those don't come up on my RS-online.za site, but that link works nicely.
It arrived this morning (i ordered it at around 7pm last night, madness) It's pretty lightweight which was concerning at first but the actual strength seems good. I can't depress the front plate really, maybe it'll be different when concentrating force onto a switch.
Any suggestion on how to paint it? There's not much information about the material but from what i can gather it's a 1050 aluminium alloy?
It's smoother and shinier than regular hammond boxes and the bottom and side panels are black aluminium, so powder coated or anodised?