How to build an amplifier chassis????
 

I've seen several books that detail the electronic how to when it
comes to building an HF RF amplifier from 100 watts to 2 KW. Great!
They also show the amps sitting in these finely crafted metal
cabinets. Ok well.... I don't know how to build a nice metal cabinet,
and the books don't tell me. So....Now that I've decided I really
want to build one of those nice home brew amps I need to know how to
make the metal cabinet to put all those electronic parts in. Is
there a book or web page that teaches how to build a nice metal
cabinet to put those homebrew amplifiers in?

Curious George

In the traditional world, the chassis and enclosure are related but
separate items. The common technique is:

1. Electronics built on aluminum chassis box. Available
pre-fabricated from Hammond etc. Or make your own from sheet metal.

2. Front panel bolted to the chassis box. Knobs and switches and
meters go on the front panel. And are either wired to the stuff inside
the chassis or control variable caps etc. on the chassis via long
shafts. Front panel for a big project is often 19" wide rack-mount
panel (again a standard size available from Hammond et al.)

3. Enclosure is a sheet metal box that slides on from behind. Made
using sheet metal tools.

At the high end, "sheet metal tools" are a big shear for cutting and a
brake for bending. At the low end you make you own brake out of 2x4's
and hinges, and cut with hacksaw/table saw/aircraft snips (depending on
type of cut, thickness, and material.)

For the really classy look all the holes you need can be cut with
punches. More likely for a hobbyist is drills and hacksaws and files
and the most valuable tool of all: the nibbler.

Tim.

Electronic Techniques: Shop Practices and Construction (Hardcover)
by Robert S. Villanucci, Alexander W. Avtgis, William F. Megow

Zack Lau W1VT

Tim Shoppa wrote:
In the traditional world, the chassis and enclosure are related but
separate items. The common technique is:

1. Electronics built on aluminum chassis box. Available
pre-fabricated from Hammond etc. Or make your own from sheet metal.

2. Front panel bolted to the chassis box. Knobs and switches and
meters go on the front panel. And are either wired to the stuff inside
the chassis or control variable caps etc. on the chassis via long
shafts. Front panel for a big project is often 19" wide rack-mount
panel (again a standard size available from Hammond et al.)

3. Enclosure is a sheet metal box that slides on from behind. Made
using sheet metal tools.

At the high end, "sheet metal tools" are a big shear for cutting and a
brake for bending. At the low end you make you own brake out of 2x4's
and hinges, and cut with hacksaw/table saw/aircraft snips (depending on
type of cut, thickness, and material.)

For the really classy look all the holes you need can be cut with
punches. More likely for a hobbyist is drills and hacksaws and files
and the most valuable tool of all: the nibbler.

And if there's a good sheet metal shop in your area (there is in mine), you
may be able to get the owner to custom-make stuff for you for prices that
merely make you want to scream. But that way you'll get what you want, or
at least what you told the owner you wanted.

My preference, when I get to indulge it, is for rackmount panels with one
or more chassis boxes bolted to it, and subchassis inside those as seems
appropriate.

--
Mike Andrews W5EGO 5WPM
Extra
Tired old sysadmin working on his code speed

"Curious George" wrote in message
...

I've seen several books that detail the electronic how to when it
comes to building an HF RF amplifier from 100 watts to 2 KW. Great!
They also show the amps sitting in these finely crafted metal
cabinets. Ok well.... I don't know how to build a nice metal cabinet,
and the books don't tell me. So....Now that I've decided I really
want to build one of those nice home brew amps I need to know how to
make the metal cabinet to put all those electronic parts in. Is
there a book or web page that teaches how to build a nice metal
cabinet to put those homebrew amplifiers in?

Curious George


CG -

Chris, G3WOS has a nice story with extensive photos of building a 50 MHz
DXpedition amplifier using the Eimac 8877.
http://www.gare.co.uk/amplifier/

He built an actual cardboard mock-up of the amplifier case
http://www.gare.co.uk/amplifier/dxpe...er_mock_up.htm

created a set of cabinet plans (Adobe Acrobat) from that mock-up
http://www.gare.co.uk/amplifier/DXpe...e%20design.pdf

then had a metal fabrication shop to build the actual cabinet.
http://www.gare.co.uk/amplifier/dxpe...ase_design.htm

Chris also used the G3SEK Triode board !
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek/board...e/triode-1.htm

w9gb

Mike Andrews wrote:

Tim Shoppa wrote:


In the traditional world, the chassis and enclosure are related but
separate items. The common technique is:





1. Electronics built on aluminum chassis box. Available
pre-fabricated from Hammond etc. Or make your own from sheet metal.





2. Front panel bolted to the chassis box. Knobs and switches and
meters go on the front panel. And are either wired to the stuff inside
the chassis or control variable caps etc. on the chassis via long
shafts. Front panel for a big project is often 19" wide rack-mount
panel (again a standard size available from Hammond et al.)





3. Enclosure is a sheet metal box that slides on from behind. Made
using sheet metal tools.





At the high end, "sheet metal tools" are a big shear for cutting and a
brake for bending. At the low end you make you own brake out of 2x4's
and hinges, and cut with hacksaw/table saw/aircraft snips (depending on
type of cut, thickness, and material.)





For the really classy look all the holes you need can be cut with
punches. More likely for a hobbyist is drills and hacksaws and files
and the most valuable tool of all: the nibbler.



And if there's a good sheet metal shop in your area (there is in mine), you
may be able to get the owner to custom-make stuff for you for prices that
merely make you want to scream. But that way you'll get what you want, or
at least what you told the owner you wanted.

My preference, when I get to indulge it, is for rackmount panels with one
or more chassis boxes bolted to it, and subchassis inside those as seems
appropriate.



I hope that when you build your amplifier you use tubes with glass
envelopes and a window in the front panel of the Amp to show the glow .
The window would probably have to be heat proof glass with a copper
screen behind it for shielding. I would just love to have an amp that
showed off the finals and maybe even the rectifiers is you decided to
use tubes in the power supply as well.

Paul