Making a chassis
My projects are usually built on 1/8" thick aluminum plates available from a local sheet metal shop precut to my specific requirements. I usually start out with laying all the components [tubes on sockets, caps, transformers chokes, etc.] on top of the plates.
Once I've decided on the final layout scheme I make use of my drafting skills acquired in high school and draw all pre-punch drill points on the plates. A drill press comes in handy as well as those E-Z hold clamps. Greenlee punches work great for Hammond/Bud steel or aluminum chassis but are really not up to the task of boring holes on1/8" thick plates. Nowadays I rely on step-drill bits.
After all the holes are drilled I buff the surface with a sander, smoothed out to my satisfaction and further clean it up with a combination of soap/hotwater and fine brillo scrub pad and then leave it to dry. Once the surface is dry, I apply and rub the surface with acetone to make sure it is free from grease and grime before spraying with acrylic clear. Here are pictures of a finished amp and preamp chassis.
If I have plenty of time to spare, I usually make wooden bases out of oak or poplar. The boards are available in precut sizes from Lowe's or Home Depot and I cut them to size using a power miter saw.
Updated: 06/20/04, all rights reserved.
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