I have seen a few nice layouts on Brass chassis, as well. Easier to
work than steel, and you can still solder to it. I built some tube RF
decks on 1/16" brass sheet stock, and mounted them into a steel cabinet
years ago.

I think RL Drake used copper chassis on their tube ham gear. Looked
real nice when new and shiny! I've build some equipment in home made
boxes made out of copper (you can get small pieces of sheet copper from
the hobby shop). Not cheap, but solders easy and makes a great ground
plane!
========
For equipment NOT involving heavy components like large transformers ,you
could consider making a chassis out of (scrap) double sided printed circuit
board material , which is very easy to handle (drill ,cut ,solder) .
Components can be directly soldered to the chassis and RF screens of the
same material can be readily added.
When screening sections ,feed-through capacitors can be easily soldered .
Over the years I bought cut-offs up to large sheets of double sided PCB (at
amateur radio flea markets) , which can also be used to make front panels
and small cabinets/ enclosures.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

"Frank Dinger" wrote in message
...

Over the years I bought cut-offs up to large sheets of double sided PCB
(at
amateur radio flea markets) , which can also be used to make front panels
and small cabinets/ enclosures.

My stock of double sided epoxy board is a 4 ft by 4 ft sheet I bought at a
hamfest for $20 or 25 IIRC. I have some smaller pieces left over from the
past.

If you don't want to solder partitions or sides, you might do as I and buy a
10-ft length of extruded aluminum angle, 0.25 inches on a side. This way you
can screw things together without worrying about overheating / delaminating
the PC board. You can also take things apart if needed :-(

"R J Carpenter" wrote in message
...

"Frank Dinger" wrote in message
...

Over the years I bought cut-offs up to large sheets of double sided PCB
(at
amateur radio flea markets) , which can also be used to make front
panels
and small cabinets/ enclosures.

My stock of double sided epoxy board is a 4 ft by 4 ft sheet I bought at a
hamfest for $20 or 25 IIRC. I have some smaller pieces left over from the
past.

If you don't want to solder partitions or sides, you might do as I and buy
a
10-ft length of extruded aluminum angle, 0.25 inches on a side. This way
you
can screw things together without worrying about overheating /
delaminating
the PC board. You can also take things apart if needed :-(


I'd be careful about using aluminum for this. You could set up a situation
where over the years, the dissimilar metals would begin to react and cause
all sorts of gremlins. I'd think you'd want to use copper or brass angle
stock, which is also available, albeit more expensive...or plastic; or even
wood. The plastic channel stock that is used to join masonite wall panels
comes to mind. If you used nonconductive material, it would be easy to
connect the chassis parts electrically with a few bits of copper braid or
brackets.

I could be wrong about this, but judging by the debacle during the 70's
where a lot of aluminum wiring got installed in a lot of homes--and later
caused at least a few fires--I'd at least be cautious. I've also seen
several places in my old houses where iron piping was screwed directly into
brass fittings. I just dug up the faucet in my front yard, which a
neighborhood kid had hit with a lawnmower. Water was bubbling up out of the
ground. The shock from the mower was the final straw which crumbled the
iron pipe at the threads where it screwed into the brass tee. When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded end left,
although the rest of the pipe was in good condition. I replaced it with a
plastic nipple...didn't really need a second faucet in the front yard
anyway.

jak

jakdedert wrote:
I'd be careful about using aluminum for this. You could set up a situation
where over the years, the dissimilar metals would begin to react and cause
all sorts of gremlins.

I could be wrong about this, but judging by the debacle during the 70's
where a lot of aluminum wiring got installed in a lot of homes--and later
caused at least a few fires--I'd at least be cautious.

That was mostly hype stirred up by Jeraldo Riviera. Back when he
was still caucasion.

The real problem with aluminum wiring was three fold. 1. For a
given current ration, the aluminum wire has to be bigger than
copper. 2. Special terminations (screw and or compression type)
marked CuAl shoud be used along with a gel like "No-Ox" to protect
the connection 3. Proper torque on the fastenings is manditory.

Given the special requirements and the attitude of most workers
that "I know what I'm doing" of course it was a disaster.

I've also seen several places in my old houses where iron piping
was screwed directly into brass fittings. [ snip ] When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded
end left, although the rest of the pipe was in good condition.

This is more the fault of the iron pipe. Not the bronze/brass
fittings. When you thread the end of a pipe, you remove the
galvanized coating. Exposed metal pipe = weak spot.

Jeff



--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
Tara Morice as Fran, from the movie "Strictly Ballroom"

Jeffrey D Angus wrote:


That was mostly hype stirred up by Geraldo Riviera. Back when he
was still caucasion.

The real problem with aluminum wiring was three fold. 1. For a
given current ration, the aluminum wire has to be bigger than
copper. 2. Special terminations (screw and or compression type)
marked CuAl shoud be used along with a gel like "No-Ox" to protect
the connection 3. Proper torque on the fastenings is manditory.

Given the special requirements and the attitude of most workers
that "I know what I'm doing" of course it was a disaster.

Jeff

Aluminum wiring really made the news after the "Beverly Hills"
Nightclub (Just across the Ohio river from Cincinnati, in Soutgate,
Kentucky) burnt down, and it was completely wired with aluminum wire.
The fire was so hot that there was little left to determine the quality
of the the wiring job. The nightclub was built with very nice, real wood
paneling (3/4" thick), and the heat of the fire vaporized a lot of the
wire and fixtures.

It was a very nice place. One of the TV manufacturers used to have
their annual classes there. I think it was Admiral, but its been so long
I really don't remember.

http://www.cincypost.com/bhfire/
--


Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"Jeffrey D Angus" wrote in message
...
jakdedert wrote:
I'd be careful about using aluminum for this. You could set up a
situation
where over the years, the dissimilar metals would begin to react and
cause
all sorts of gremlins.

I could be wrong about this, but judging by the debacle during the 70's
where a lot of aluminum wiring got installed in a lot of homes--and
later
caused at least a few fires--I'd at least be cautious.

That was mostly hype stirred up by Jeraldo Riviera. Back when he
was still caucasion.

The real problem with aluminum wiring was three fold. 1. For a
given current ration, the aluminum wire has to be bigger than
copper. 2. Special terminations (screw and or compression type)
marked CuAl shoud be used along with a gel like "No-Ox" to protect
the connection 3. Proper torque on the fastenings is manditory.

Given the special requirements and the attitude of most workers
that "I know what I'm doing" of course it was a disaster.

I've also seen several places in my old houses where iron piping
was screwed directly into brass fittings. [ snip ] When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded
end left, although the rest of the pipe was in good condition.

This is more the fault of the iron pipe. Not the bronze/brass
fittings. When you thread the end of a pipe, you remove the
galvanized coating. Exposed metal pipe = weak spot.

That might be the case if every iron pipe also exhibited this effect. The
only place I've found it was when an iron pipe was mated with a brass
fitting. A similar situation occurred in my kitchen wall, where the faucets
(mounted on the wall) were connected to the brass elbows nailed to the studs
with a short iron pipe. The ends of both pipes were corroded to hell within
the brass. I had to dig the rotton bits of iron out of the brass threads
(not as difficult as it sounds, the iron was completely oxidised and
crumbling) without damaging the brass. Otherwise, I'd have to had opened up
the wall to replace the elbows. Just a few years later, when the kitchen
was remodeled and a more conventional sink installed, the replacement pipes
were already noticably corroded. Any time two dissimilar metals are placed
in contact with each other, galvanic action occurs. Given a bit of
moisture, corrosion occurs; thus the No-Ox paste for copper to aluminum
terminals.

A Galvanic chart appears on this manufacturers website:
http://www.katonet.com/Techinfo/News...may-jun-00.htm

jak

Jeff



--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
Tara Morice as Fran, from the movie "Strictly Ballroom"

In article ,
jakdedert wrote:

I've also seen several places in my old houses where iron piping
was screwed directly into brass fittings. [ snip ] When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded
end left, although the rest of the pipe was in good condition.

This is more the fault of the iron pipe. Not the bronze/brass
fittings. When you thread the end of a pipe, you remove the
galvanized coating. Exposed metal pipe = weak spot.

That might be the case if every iron pipe also exhibited this effect. The
only place I've found it was when an iron pipe was mated with a brass
fitting.

The hardware stores around here sell special unions, with insulated
threaded fittings, for mating iron/steel pipes to brass. I've
pondered whether these might be useful for making certain forms of
(non-DC-connected) copper-tubing J-pole antennas.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 22:13:47 -0000, (Dave Platt)
wrote:

In article ,
jakdedert wrote:

I've also seen several places in my old houses where iron piping
was screwed directly into brass fittings. [ snip ] When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded
end left, although the rest of the pipe was in good condition.

This is more the fault of the iron pipe. Not the bronze/brass
fittings. When you thread the end of a pipe, you remove the
galvanized coating. Exposed metal pipe = weak spot.

That might be the case if every iron pipe also exhibited this effect. The
only place I've found it was when an iron pipe was mated with a brass
fitting.

The hardware stores around here sell special unions, with insulated
threaded fittings, for mating iron/steel pipes to brass. I've
pondered whether these might be useful for making certain forms of
(non-DC-connected) copper-tubing J-pole antennas.

We used similar fittings when building water-cooled RF coils, used in
plasma deposition vacuum systems. Since the skin effect means that
most of the RF is transmitted on or near the outer surface anyway,
there was little loss compared to a solid copper rod. We could have a
complete plumbing circuit with an electrical discontinuity.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Dave Platt wrote:
The hardware stores around here sell special unions, with insulated
threaded fittings, for mating iron/steel pipes to brass. I've
pondered whether these might be useful for making certain forms of
(non-DC-connected) copper-tubing J-pole antennas.

Those are specifically mating up old iron piping with new copper.
For the prevention of galvanic action.

Jeff

--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
Tara Morice as Fran, from the movie "Strictly Ballroom"

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 22:13:47 -0000, (Dave Platt)
wrote:

In article ,
jakdedert wrote:

I've also seen several places in my old houses where iron piping
was screwed directly into brass fittings. [ snip ] When finally
I got down to it, there was practically nothing of the threaded
end left, although the rest of the pipe was in good condition.

This is more the fault of the iron pipe. Not the bronze/brass
fittings. When you thread the end of a pipe, you remove the
galvanized coating. Exposed metal pipe = weak spot.

That might be the case if every iron pipe also exhibited this effect. The
only place I've found it was when an iron pipe was mated with a brass
fitting.

The hardware stores around here sell special unions, with insulated
threaded fittings, for mating iron/steel pipes to brass. I've
pondered whether these might be useful for making certain forms of
(non-DC-connected) copper-tubing J-pole antennas.

We used similar fittings when building water-cooled RF coils, used in
plasma deposition vacuum systems. Since the skin effect means that
most of the RF is transmitted on or near the outer surface anyway,
there was little loss compared to a solid copper rod. We could have a
complete plumbing circuit with an electrical discontinuity.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom