Measuring on the sides of Hammond enclosures

[disorder]

Something that I never quite grasped was how to measure along the sides of Hammond style enclosures.
I believe all four sides are "splayed" out in that they are not perfectly perpendicular with the top and bottom lid of closure.
This presents the issue of not being able to use a carpenters square on these four planes.

For example if you want top mounted jacks, you would measure each jack from either center point or from each edge. Both measurements are hard to do when your reference edge isn't truly "plumb".

Just wondering how everyone else does it.

[davent]

Center lines splitting the enclosure in half, both N-S, E-W, up the side across the top and down the opposite side. Measure everything from those.

I have CAD enclosure templates i do all my layout on, the templates also have the center lines. to attach the template to the enclosure i punch a hole  through each of the four center line segments for the top of the enclosure, i can then attach the template and see to align my centerlines of the template with the center lines drawn onto the enclosure.
dave

[kaycee]

I use a sliding gauge and odds it by eye on the tilt. I put masking tape on the face and sides and use the gauge to mark one side, then transfer across the face to the other. Once I have a layout that works, I copy the holes on the box to a card template that I use to rough mark a similar holed enclosure. I also use the card as a template to wire up the board.

[anotherjim]

^This. The horizontal side centre lines are done just like keying a car (if that was the sort of thing you'd do). Squares can work for the top and vertical side mark up.

[amptramp]

With cast aluminum, you have to have a draft angle that allows you to pull the casting out of the mold.  For Hammond, I believe this angle is between 3 and 5 degrees.  This means the part of the casting away from the split is smaller than the split area between the chassis and lid.  You can only avoid this with a mold made in a number of parts and for a cheap enclosure, that's not going to happen.

[ElectricDruid]

Something that I never quite grasped was how to measure along the sides of Hammond style enclosures.
I believe all four sides are "splayed" out in that they are not perfectly perpendicular with the top and bottom lid of closure.
This presents the issue of not being able to use a carpenters square on these four planes.

For example if you want top mounted jacks, you would measure each jack from either center point or from each edge. Both measurements are hard to do when your reference edge isn't truly "plumb".

Just wondering how everyone else does it.

I use a jig of some kind. For one set of pedals that I was making a few of, I folded a copper sheet and drilled marking holes in the copper. I could then use a punch through the holes to transfer the locations onto the enclosure.
These days, I mostly just use a paper print-out stuck to the top face and folded down the sides. Again, you use a punch to transfer the required marks through to the enclosure and then off you go and drill. Then if I need another enclosure, I just print another sheet of paper. It's a lot easier to work out the locations in theory on a nice flat image than mess about with carpenter's square on a box that isn't square!

[davent]

I made geofex type templates using a CAD program for the different sizes of enclosures i use. You can open a pdf in a program like Inkscape, design your enclosure then print it out wrap it around the enclosure and attach, you have your drill layout.

You can even use the Vector pack with it in Inkscape to dress it up design your graphics.

Geofex BB template
http://www.geofex.com/FX_images/hmbbtpt.pdf

Pedal vector pack

http://www.ontheroadeffects.com/vectorpack/
dave

[disorder]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I was already approaching this in similar ways, thought maybe there was a tool that would give you a true 90* reference to the top plane of the enclosure.

[davent]

Hammond also has PDF's, AutoCAD .dwg files and 3D Solid Models files available.

http://www.hammondmfg.com/dwg.htm

[anotherjim]

The easy DIY tool is a block of wood which with a pencil/marker laid on top gives the required height at the point. Put the box on a flat smooth surface and draw the marker with the block around it. This would be a type of Scribing Block. Proper engineers models have a cast base and adjustable steel spindles to set a scriber point. You would apply a marking ink to the box so the scribed line shows without cutting into the box too much. You could also hack one from a Helping-Hands tool.

A Carpenters mortice gauge could also be used although they tend to be chunky. Finer ones exist for model/dolls house hobbies.
Also, Odd-leg or Jenny Calipers if you can find them with a notched end to guide along the edge of your box.

[garcho]

You're discovering one of many reasons many pedal manufacturers don't use diecast aluminum enclosures a la DIYSB world.