Amp enclosures/chasis cabinets

though i have started some initial design work on some cabs

i did the following in the meantime.(the RCAs and Alps Pot are procured , the knob is modded the volume control/input selector rod is custom made with M3 tapping - total lenght 13inch)









 
hmmm

not much yet
i got busy designing a new rack

but i need to get building soon since the components for my own power amp are to arrive any time

If there is any urgent need please do contact me with specs required
i'll get on it asap
 
started work on a couple cabs today
two of them are 3U
one of them is 2u
Details later

First start was the sinks
A sink as shown below was selected - i had to buy a couple 2 foot lengths
The sink has a 1 inch gap at the centre - this is the mounting area for the chip
Sink specs
8inch extrusion
42mm fin height
5.5mm base

First hurdle
Cutting the sinks to size

As you all know hacksaw cutting is most inaccurate and hence ruled out

the only option was the circular saw to achive a perfect 90 degree cut
Two equal lenghts of the heatsink were required in this case ( one for each channel )

there are two ways to do this
one is an amateur way
use a setsquare and scale
make a marking
clamp job
and cut

however though this option will give you a 90 degree cut the problem is that when you want a second piece of the exact same size you will not be able to achieve it using this mark and cut method
especially since the circular blade is 4mmthick which will never gaurantee the exact same size when you reclamp another piece by marking

the way to overcome this is use a gauge
(its the small rectangular block on the rod connected to the base of the saw)
the gauge acts as a stopper and is locked in position)
this allows us to get perfect 90 degree cuts and also pieces of the exact same size)


Pic details
The sink
For the sticklers - note the hologram for the extruder and extrusion code


Below
the first two pics are caliberating and leveling of the saw
The third pic probably shows the gauge
The last one is of the cut heatsinks ( 2u and 3u - one for each channel)

 
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Great Stuff Magma!!

I will be needing some heatsinks for my F5 and also the GC. Can you supply the stuff? Are you able to source any HS from AfcoSet in Mumbai?

Cheers
 
thanks rahul for the encouragement

i dont know who afcoset is
Google throws up a result saying he is a manufacturer/supplier of heatsinks

As i posted earlier
i get my sinks from the extruder himself
Hes the guy that probably supplies TO Afcoset

P.S i have taken quite a bit of risk in posting the pics of the heatsink above
My extruder may get into a pickle if mainstream manufacturers and suppliers ( like AfcoSet probably) realise hes giving stuff to me especially if they are customised sinks for their sole use or they are dies whose patents havent yet expired

Before buying though i did ask his permission and he said it was fine

For the smaller heatsinks i advice you buy it locally
As i stated earlier i dont want to ask for favors for something you guys can buy off locally

Group buys will work out cheaper for all and will also help me.
I get put in a spot asking for retail quantaties from a guy who normally sends me a couple tonnes of extrusions
Also he is not allowed to cut the section. i have to buy of the entire 6 foot lenght

Magma ,
For you. How smooth is the surface? I actually need one with a flange. Have you heard of Afcoset in Mumbai?

Cheers

i havent come across any flanged ones yet like the ones conrad sells in Australia
i guess they do exist though

as for the surface
well its pretty darn smooth

Remember the same extrusion design can have two qualities
One is drawn by Hindalco India - these are made of pure Aluminium Ingots
other are made by local extruders from melted scrap aluminium

After anodising sometimes its not easy to tell the difference
but the difference is large in functioning

tip : look for the sharpness in the lines and the smoothness of the section to know what youre buying
 
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As promised Heres a sneak into some cabs that were designed and executed by me for a passionate DIYer
He was generous enough to give me a free hand with expenses and the result shows ( at least i like it)

Two cabs were built one 2U and one 3U case height
INTERNAL dimensions are 17inches by 8 inches

The cab is pure aluminum
Aircraft grade was used here - 6.2 mm thick panels
Slots were CNC milled or router cut
Though i would have liked to provide spiked feet we used 30mm dia steel feet with Neoprane buffers as requested by end user.Absorption took precedence over isolation

Switches are taiwanese ( though the exact chinese replica is availble in the indian market)
The final Rcas are neutrik (the 3U case has balanced inputs) and speaker binding posts the sturdiest and best i could procure (far better than the NAds and marantz amps ive used)
The power inlet has an inbuilt fuse holder for untoward incidents.

Heat sinks have been tapped on a drill press with micro tolerance to accept the amp chip directly

Finish: Brush finish Matt black (15 microns)

All that is needed is a transformer and the amp chip and the power amp is ready

2U chasis



3U chasis

 
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That's a really classy finish, and big enough to accommodate a wide variety of power amps, both discrete and chipamp-based.
 
Magma,

Great design and finish. If you are planning to make it available for others to buy, I will definitely want to buy one.

Cheers.
 
Count me in to buy one if the cost is right, as well, Magma. That's a very clean, and professional design.
 
hello all
thank you all for your kind words and continued encouragement and support

i think this was pretty much one of my most time consuming projects yet
The initial design stages were a headache;especially the planning about where and how the chips would mount and how the panels would screw onto the heatsinks etc
Holes needed to be in small tolerances
An array of machinery was needed

The person who commissioned this was another finicky guy who accepted nothing other than perfection and goaded me to achieve it.(i thank him and curse him too for that !)
This had an effect on the costs

I have still not even assimilated how much these cabs have cost me
i was given a free reign on expenditure
I am yet in the process of adding up my costs
I should have an idea in a couple days when i clear my vendors' bills for the labour

i dont mind making this availble for others to buy (as long as you are fine with the costs which unfortunately are not low )
i have put in my best efforts and have made no compromises with material or labour
Another one thing is certain
I take my own time on builds and dont like being rushed
i took about a month and a half on this build and one should expect similar time frames
 
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