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| Apheared Joined: N/A |  Message [#1] posted on: 10-02-2000 06:45 PM CST (US).   |  |  Being a newbie to all this, I thought I'd share my discoveries up to date. First off, let me say that in less than 4 months I've probably built and cased more amps than most everyone here. I've built over 10 cmoy-ish, 1 jmeier old, 1 jmeier new, 2 gszekeres, 1 sstokes in progress, and 10 or so of just random appnotes, book designs, etc. All these are cased. My hardware skill was a little better than my electronics skill at the start but I have learned alot casing 30+ amps and I think you'll find tidbits here worth reading. Yes, it's obsessive compulsive disorder in high-gear. I know. :)
Apheared's Guide to Project Casing Tools
two panel mount component issues related to tools: Locating pins Think about it. You specify a design, but commercially you won't be assembling it. So you add another hole in your design beside the main mounting hole, to hold the control in the position intended. Great for mass production, but in our cases it really just gets annoying. Usually only found on round hole items, it's extra-annoying to find them on rectangular or odd-shaped items... it's redundant. There's only two options: drill the alignment pin hole, or cut the pin off the component. I cut them off. Skirts This is the overhang area from the part that mounts into the chassis and what covers the hole you just made. The bigger the skirt area, the more room for screwups and adjustment you have. Be extremely accurate when dealing with components with 1/8" or less skirt area on any side. Sticking an ulgy washer on it to keep it from falling through kinda defeats all this effort.
Below are what I've put together in my casing toolbox. I'm just working in readily available project cases from PacTec, SerPak, Middle Atlantic, Hammond, Bud, etc. All preformed and painted. Plastic, Aluminum, and Steel. If you are at the level of fabricating your own cases from plate aluminum you know this stuff already. :)
Without one, your odds of finishing a perfect case are GREATLY diminished. If you are working alot in plastic, the quality doesn't matter as much as for drilling aluminum or steel repeatedly. I cannot over-stress how important drill bits are. Buy, beg, borrow, or steal. A full bit set from 1/16" to 1" in 1/32" increments would be ideal, but these are very expensive, upwards of $80. Get what you can afford. NEVER brush off shavings! These sharp lil things will stick into your hands as well as scratch the finish of the panel. Just shake or blow them off. Even the fine dust left behind can scratch the surfaces, but it's gotta come off so damp wipe or brush off. Drill bits "walk". No matter how perfectly centered you are when you put the bit down, as soon as you turn on the drill it decides where the hole goes. Always make an indent where you want the bit to pierce; use a punch, a nail, even the reamer... just somehow indent the panel where you want to drill. This is extremely important if you're working on a protective layer of plastic or tape! it'll walk much worse on these. And while not important with plastic and to a certain extent aluminum, with steel the bit gets really REALLY hot. Use some lubricant or let the thing cool down when drilling massive amounts of holes.
It's just a sheet of metal or plastic with holes in it. You can make one, but they are only $5 or so. These things are perfect for deciding on what hole a component requires. Don't TRUST datasheets. :) Stick the component into various holes till you get the fit, read the value, and drill away. ZERO guesswork or additional reaming needed.
This thing is great, you can build an entire case with just this. But I don't like doing so. They take off alot of material at once... and you have to pay close attention at all times. You must remove it and test-fit or measure the hole many times to avoid screwing up. Always take off less material than you think is right. ALWAYS. It's quite easy to take off more, putting some back is another matter. They usually come with a bar to put thru the top; forget you ever saw this bar. There is NO NEED for you to ever be applying that much force!! Instead, wrap the top part where the T bar would go with tape. Alot of tape. Make it into a handle. If you have a rubberized screwdriver with the same handle diameter, just steal the grippy off the screwdriver. This is the only way you should EVER use a reamer in plastic! Reamers are tapered differently, chances are you'll be wanting a 1/8"-1/2". Get the longest one you can find. Longer means more gradual taper, and I'll say it again: these things are extremely good at taking material off. DON'T grip it like a knife!! Don't bear down with it!! Place it in the hole, and rotate it with your fingertips. A reamer is best used for SLIGHT hole modifications and deburring a drill hole. You are hereby cautioned. Metal rasp It's a file that's usually coarse. It will take off alot of material quickly, like the reamer. They're great for squaring off a hole for rectangular panel mount items. Be careful, they take off skin just as easily. $5. Extremely dangerous to finish, just touch an anodized faceplate with it's cutting surface and it's ruined. Mini file set Also called needle files... these are tiny files, smaller than a pencil.. they come in all sorts of shapes: flat, round, triangle, square, oval. These little beauties are how to finish off a mount! They are fairly fine-toothed, they don't take off material fast. On steel, be very patient. But the finished hole will look and feel like it was stamped professionally. Highly recommended. About $10 a set. Flexible steel ruler with cork backing Specific huh? But get one, any good arts supply store has em. The cork grips surfaces well, and doesn't scratch finishes. 1/32" markings are preferred but 1/16" is acceptable. A 15" one is around $4.00 Mechanical pencil, 0.5mm or smaller with soft lead This is the best thing for marking on cases directly and marking on protective tape. The metal tip glides well against the steel ruler for smooth accurate lines. It wipes off easily, be careful of your marks or you'll accidently erase them and have to remeasure. When the case prep is completed it washes off completely. Soft lead because you don't want to have to bear down and scratch a surface you're just trying to mark. And it is easily visible on black plastic and metal finishes. Looks like silver. About $2.00 with leads.
This one is so dangerous but so useful. See above ONE MORE TIME. Nibbler FORGET everything you ever heard about these things! They barely work on thin aluminum, and steel? Your hands will be very blistered, bloody, and sore. They have one good use, SOFT faceplate plastics. (they shatter hard plastics) Metal Shears ACK! Don't. These things bend the metal as they cut it, you'll have to use a rubber mallet to flatten it afterwards. Just don't. X-acto/Razorknife Also don't. They don't cut case plastic very well, and the amount of pressure you have to use even in soft plastic... if you slip, you better have 911 on speed dial, you will lose alot of blood really fast. NO NO NO.
Bad. They may or may not come off. If you only draw on the exact areas that will be removed, fine, but usually in centering and positioning you must draw beyond the dimensions that will be removed. Sharpies are a no no, only use them to sign the inside of your case when completed. (It's not egotistical when you spend 15 hours on it!)
I have to say it. A screwdriver is NOT a bore. It is not a reamer. In plastics widening a hole with a screwdriver leaves ridges on both sides, and in metal you can mess up a perfectly good screwdriver. Stop being so cheap, buy the right tools. While you're at it, stop using the butterknife for a screwdriver. USE the screwdriver. :) Welp, that's about it. I'm sure I'll find other tools to use and avoid as time progresses, unless I quit cold turkey tomorrow. Nah. it's too much fun. I really hated this part of the process in the beginning, but with tools it's much easier. I don't think I'll ever enjoy this part as much as the other... but it's not as bad as all that. |
| tooler Joined: N/A | Message [#2] posted on: 10-02-2000 07:00 PM CST (US). | | Thanks for the info, this is exactly what I need. Keep up the good work! |
cmoy  Administrator Joined: Apr. 13, 1999 | Message [#3] posted on: 10-02-2000 07:35 PM CST (US). | | Apheared, you did not mention the chassis punch (made by Greenlee, I think). These are great for punching large diameter holes in aluminum (maybe steel too, but I have not tried). They come in many sizes and a few shapes other than a circle. You need to drill a pilot hole in the metal first. Then attach the punch and use a wrench to turn the bolt and cut the metal. I don't know how much they cost - I remember seeing some for less than $20. Very nice posting!! If you add a section on lettering and maybe a section on applying different finishes (eg, hammertone, paint), it would be the finest DIY article of its kind that I've seen. Once there are a few more details, is it ok if I separate it out into an article for the Projects Library? |
aos HeadWizer Joined: Jun. 15, 2008 | Message [#4] posted on: 10-02-2000 08:26 PM CST (US). | | Great post, Apheared. From my little experience (two cases only), a drill and a round file is enough to do a simple aluminium case. You can use file to enlargen holes and they eat aluminium very fast. But the holes will look ugly. Very ugly. Luckily, "skirts" on components hide it. Looking forward to using your info for my big steel case to house my DAC. |
| cmoy Administrator Joined: Apr. 13, 1999 | Message [#5] posted on: 10-02-2000 10:38 PM CST (US). | | The coping saw is a great tool for cutting out large and/or unusual shape holes in plastic and thin aluminum. Just drill a pilot hole, slip the blade through, secure it the saw frame and begin cutting. Be sure to select the correct blade for the material being cut. |
| cmoy Administrator Joined: Apr. 13, 1999 | Message [#6] posted on: 10-02-2000 10:42 PM CST (US). | | Re the use of a razor knife, I sometimes use the knife and a straight-edge to score pc boards and plastic sheets a few times and then snap off the scored section. I align the scored line along the edge of a table or counter, and then apply a sharp force with my fist. Most times, I get a clean break! |
| Tomo Headphone Council Joined: May 4, 1999 | Message [#7] posted on: 10-02-2000 10:56 PM CST (US). | | Hello, Apheared simply must write an article about this. He has done very extensive reseach as we can see. This should be his right and his responsibility. Hehe I am lazy bum I am making other people do more work I ever do. You can just cut and paste have you have written here to a page or something. This should not get buried over time. Tomo |
| Apheared Headphone Council Joined: N/A | Message [#8] posted on: 10-02-2000 11:13 PM CST (US). | | Thanks. I did want to mention punches, but I haven't bought any yet. Most are not $20, more like $200.. the choices for manual punches are small compared to what's available for a punch press, but now we're well over $1000 for just the press and a few die shapes. For instance, a 55mm split-slug punch die is $500. This is stretching DIY just a bit. :) Chu, I too use a coping saw to make huge holes like that, I should add that too. (VU meters, tube holes, that stuff) works like a champ! This is what's in my toolkit right now. The good, and the bad. :) I didn't want to go into actual chassis preparation, the post would be 10x Apheard's normally long-winded ones. I can flush it out with techniques for measuring and mounting odd-shaped things, like those oh-so-lovely 6 sided IEC sockets, and specific troublesome things like pre-ganged RCA jack clusters. It's really basic but it does help to see stuff like that step-by-step. For others that want to "take up the flag" -- Finishes I can't do, I live in a NYC apartment. I am lucky I haven't been beaten by the wife so far, the smell of curing paint and newspaper spread all over the hallway will surely get the neighbors angry. Maybe on the roof on a good day. Nah, if you want a finish category, someone else will have to contribute. Lettering, there's a bunch of stuff I've researched but none actually done. You can use those rub-ons like TimH did, you can stencil and paint, you can use lettering punches (like the Grado wood case), you can even use the toner transfer sheets for making pcbs to make professional looking (colored!) lettering jobs... But I've decided I like the look of no lettering on the project cases. On the ones I'm having made I did a layout for silkscreening, but that's because I'm paying someone else to do it. :) Sure, break it out separate if you like. I'll drum up the catalog photos for the corresponding tools or snap them myself. I'll edit the original post here and make the images available, you can move it around when you feel like it. |
| rickcr42 Headphone Council Joined: Oct. 10, 1999 | Message [#9] posted on: 10-03-2000 09:04 AM CST (US). | | just thought I would add that for plastic cases I use a home made tool to start the holes prior to drilling. It is simply a 1 inch wooden dowel with a hole drilled in one end.In this hole I bang in a finishing nail head first leaving about 1/2 out. I heat the tip on a electric stove and push it through the plastic for a pilot hole. Using different size nails will give you a set of hole burners.These holes can then be drilled larger or simply filed. For metal I do it the old fashioned way,nail punch for a drill guide,drill,file |
| aos HeadWizer Joined: Jun. 15, 2008 | Message [#10] posted on: 10-03-2000 11:34 AM CST (US). | | I second Tomo in asking Apheared to make this into an article. Apheared, since you like to write and also like to take pictures, it shouldn't be that hard to work up your post into a HeadWize article. Also, remember that pictures take a lot of space so even a short article can look big :). |
| Nezer HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#11] posted on: 12-04-2001 08:09 AM CST (US). | | Let's bring this back to life again... Is there anything wrong with using a pair of nail clippers as a multi-purpose plastic tool (cutting, boring, nibbling, filing, etc)? As it turns-out I have no more butter knives anymore so I need to buy some real tools. ;) Honestly, the nail clippers do a great job for nibbling small peices off plastic and very, VERY light filing jobs. Granted, it's not the right tool for the job, but it works. |
| jmpsmash HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#12] posted on: 12-04-2001 08:19 AM CST (US). | | great thread. on a related note. anyone have recommendations on where to buy cases? i see there are some rather nice looking ones on Ampeared's pic up there. |
| Gariver HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#13] posted on: 12-04-2001 09:18 AM CST (US). | | Model Expo in FL sells wood ship models in kit form. And it is a good source for small hand tools such as metal files, reamers, rulers, etc. Prices are reasonable. Take a look... www.modelexpoinc.com [Edited by Gariver on 12-04-2001 at 01:20 PM.] |
| Serow HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#14] posted on: 12-04-2001 01:26 PM CST (US). | | I'll repeat what Michael said about the X-acto knives... Be very careful with them! I put one through my palm a long time ago carving balsa for a model airplane. |
| Daniel Pumphrey HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#15] posted on: 12-04-2001 03:09 PM CST (US). | | Other tools I use include a Variable speed Dremel with about 500 extra cutters for different jobs including saws, routing bits, etc. I do use an old nibbler I got many years ago and it comes in handy. This is a very high quality one I got in the Coast Guard 25 years ago when I ran the Aircraft parts and tool dept. I use it on metal, never plastic. I use calipers to measure parts for drilling. A jeweler's saw and a small hacksaw are used to cut everything from Circuit boards to enclosures. A vise or two and clamps for all manner of jobs are also very useful. The new 19.95 Panavise JR is a good choice for electronics work. It can be clamped in place with any of the new plastic clamps now available. Dan |
| Gariver HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#16] posted on: 12-05-2001 03:19 PM CST (US). | | The jewler's saw is very, very useful for case work. However, good jewler's saws are not easy to find. Constantine's in NY has some of the best. They also have wonderful exotic wood veneers. Take a look... I suggest that you order a free catalog at Costantine's site. Why? The online site does not show all the tools they have for sale, but the catalog does. For example, their jewler's saw is not shown online. They only show the different jewler's saw blades online. [Edited by Gariver on 12-06-2001 at 07:15 PM.] |
| Apheared HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#17] posted on: 12-05-2001 11:08 PM CST (US). | | geez Nez, you went fishin for this one. No, clippers are not a casing tool. :) Stop ruining all the butter knives... they can be used to pop a striker plate in an emergency but -that's it- Yea, actually my X-acto jeweler's saw (#7043) gets alot of use. Not that expensive ($20) but as said, you won't just pick one up at the hardware store... either a micro-tool kinda place, or a hobby shop, maybe an art supply house. (watch the blade tension - too loose it'll buckle, too tight it'll snap)
And, well, I got a Dremel Multipro and a vertical drill press stand. I was planning on making PCBs with it, but come to find out they're involved, messy, stinky, and require a crapload of prep work. I can't do them here, nor can I do them like I was imaging... I was imaging like "file, print" :) They're a bit more than that, I bet most people that prototype themselves do boards in batches and then dedicate a saturday (and a few beers!) to drilling the damn things. Or using protoboard. Or spending $35 /ea and letting a proto house do it! So now IT'S my case prep tool of choice (cause like most Dremel owners, I've got a bagfull of crap that goes with it; rotary cutters, micro bits, even tiny router bits) |
| Apheared HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#18] posted on: 12-06-2001 07:16 PM CST (US). | | jmpsmash, re: the cases and where to get... prices are from memory and estimated... Looking for options for your EMP rebuild? :) ----- (black beauty on bottom) left to right (with line of holes) (white w/black face) (open halves) (black with alu faceplates) (small black shrinkwrapped) (black sectional sideways) |
| Herakleitus HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#19] posted on: 12-07-2001 12:48 PM CST (US). | | Wow. After all of this discussion, I don't feel like such a lunatic for planning to custom mould the case for my amp. Still waiting by the mailbox for the resins to arrive. I will relate my experiences of 'pour your own' casing when it is finished. I'm still looking for ideas on what to do with the free-form capabilities of using. Apheared, what would you build if you weren't modifying pre-fab cases? |
| Gariver HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#20] posted on: 12-07-2001 04:15 PM CST (US). | | Herakleitus and others... You can make custom cases with exotic wood veneers easily. Just follow the Constantine's link above for the veneers. All you need is a steel ruler, an e-xacto knife and some glue. Easy, really! The results can be very elegant. Need more elegance? Well, you can add a fancy gemstone, such as a picture jasper or a crazy lace agate, if you wish. The results can be stunning! www.gemhut.com Right now, I'm planning to put a mahogany wood front on an Eagle die-cast aluminum case. These are black-nylon covered cases (Mouser: 400-4621 or 400-4622). On the mahogany wood front, I will glue a green Malachite cabochon with epoxy glue, and the wood front will be carved and dyed with a dark, near black dye. Anyway, let's see what happens. These are only "brainstorming" plans at the moment. Artistic, right? Well, I'm both an architect and an artist. So I do have the experience needed to do something nice. [Edited by Gariver on 12-07-2001 at 08:32 PM.] |
| Nezer HeadWizer Joined: N/A | Message [#21] posted on: 12-07-2001 05:43 PM CST (US). | | Hmm... I want to build a tube amp in a black chromed case with silver chrome knobs. *I* think that would look sharp but I would have to have the case custom machined and have the chrome plating done somewhere. It would be *very* pricey so it would *have* to sound at least as great as it looked. Perhaps I should build a tube amp for the Stax Omega-II earspeakers. |
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