The past year i am going through a financially not so good period of my life as i am tryin to help the family business, find a job relative to my degree and find my own place to live. So not a lot of money are spended for guitars,pedals and amps. In contrast with the above the diy fever is stronger than ever before so I always try to find ways to keep the budget low and still make it possible for me to build stuff.
So with no further ado this is a guide on DIRT CHEAP enclosures
Step 1:
Go to your local metal supplier :P (the place that ussually have heavy machinery to cut,bend or weld metal) and search for
- 1,5mm or 2mm thick square pipes
- Standart dimentions i found that are suitable for pedals are
4cm X 10cm wide and long as much as you want and
4cm x 12cm
- and a 4cm wide strip of metal for the sides (you will see it in the next steps)
*PROTIP search for leftovers i purchased the two pipes in the photo for 7euros
PIPES
(http://i66.tinypic.com/24zeyj6.jpg)
STRIP for the sides of the enclosures
(https://system.na1.netsuite.com/core/media/media.nl?id=4371&c=3937524&h=4c46bbec210822082618)
Step 2:
-Cut the pipes in the desired size
-Cut the back opening of each enclosure
-Then weld the side strip from the inside with small dot like welds or anyway you like it to form the box
Unfortunately i didnt take photos of these steps but you can see what i did in the finished product
After the welding
(http://i63.tinypic.com/eg670w.jpg)
After the paint preparation
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2mplmad.jpg)
Detail of the back opening and the side welding
I also weld two smaller strips afterwards to screw the backplate on
(http://i64.tinypic.com/2gwtmvl.jpg)
Detail 2
(http://i68.tinypic.com/dnikjs.jpg)
Step 3:
You can now drill the enclosures or just paint them and store them for later use.
I bought 350ml Automotive paint and paint preparation for around 12 euros
You have to drill the holes for the backplates and make the threads for the screws
(http://i63.tinypic.com/ycuv9.jpg)
Step 4:
Enjoy your diy heavy duty enclosures
I spend 20euros overall (7 for the material + 12 for the paint + 1 for sandpapers) but i had a variety of tools at my disposal (cutting and welding machines) + some hard work is involved too so its better to do a big batch all at once
now some finished enclosures in action :P
(http://i64.tinypic.com/21l76dl.jpg)
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2dvllro.jpg)
(http://i65.tinypic.com/10f13b6.jpg)
I hope you liked it
DAMN this is impressive! Great job!
those are super cool! The industrial-looking unfinished ones look pretty nice too, have you done any that are left unfinished?
Daaaammmmnnn, there's your money maker right there!
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Great job ... machining your own anything is always a step beyond :)
Super impressive.
That's awesome, and the finished pedals look good.
But for me personally, it's worth all the extra $$$ not to have to do all that!
Quote from: G.G. on March 08, 2016, 03:36:40 PM
those are super cool! The industrial-looking unfinished ones look pretty nice too, have you done any that are left unfinished?
I painted all of them , but i guess if you like the raw look you could clearcoat the enclosures so it doesnt rust or if you want something really raw you could artifically rust it and then clearcoat
Also bump for knowledge! I d like to hear a word from the chemists in the forum on how to easily rust an iron enclosure (not aluminium) fast?
Quote from: Willybomb on March 08, 2016, 05:18:59 PM
That's awesome, and the finished pedals look good.
But for me personally, it's worth all the extra $$$ not to have to do all that!
After drilling and threading (for the backplates) and painting (i think that was the most painstaking tasks) i have to agree on that. Its easier and cost effective only if you have the tools the know-how and only in large numbers. I learnt alot though but still next time maybe i buy my enclosures
That's awesome stuff man. They look great. Makes me wish I has your welding skills.
I feel you on the broke front. I'm right there with you and it kinda sucks. I was thinking I'd have to stop the pedal building for a while so I could work in a guitar build, but right now I think I'll have to stop both for a while.
that's badass
amazing!
Great work! I didn't even realize you could make enclosures that cheaply. Awesome! :)
Quote from: Matmosphere on March 08, 2016, 05:54:40 PM
That's awesome stuff man. They look great. Makes me wish I has your welding skills.
I feel you on the broke front. I'm right there with you and it kinda sucks. I was thinking I'd have to stop the pedal building for a while so I could work in a guitar build, but right now I think I'll have to stop both for a while.
Sorry to hear that - I stopped for a while as well :( .
Until now the few pedals i made was gifted to close friends or stayed with me and to be honest I dont think its worth selling my first builds, considering the work i put into them (if you remember the Jack Daniels boost for example, most of them are really one of a kind). However as i see the footswitches,female jacks and pots to disappear I think i have to make a couple of ''easy'' builds (like some boost,od or distortion) to sell to some of my friends (the ones not close enough to get them for free ::) ;D ) so i can at least buy some components to fuel my hobby.
Fantastic, George! Those came out so nice!
As far as rust goes, there's nothing easier than rusting mild steel. Just degrease it and lt it get wet. Salt water will do the trick really fast.
Quote from: George on March 08, 2016, 05:34:18 PM
Also bump for knowledge! I d like to hear a word from the chemists in the forum on how to easily rust an iron enclosure (not aluminium) fast?
Heat, oxygen, acidic water and a little salt.
Put them in hot water with some acid (vinegar is probably a good cheap and easy option) and table salt. If you have an old fish tank pump, then you can use this to bubble the solution. If not, try a shallow tray with water just covering the enclosure and give the solution a swirl from time to time.
p.s. cool enclosures - the finish is very impressive, but you are not the first by at least 15 years: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/steelstud/steelstud.htm
Quote from: samhay on March 08, 2016, 08:33:15 PM
Quote from: George on March 08, 2016, 05:34:18 PM
Also bump for knowledge! I d like to hear a word from the chemists in the forum on how to easily rust an iron enclosure (not aluminium) fast?
Heat, oxygen, acidic water and a little salt.
Put them in hot water with some acid (vinegar is probably a good cheap and easy option) and table salt. If you have an old fish tank pump, then you can use this to bubble the solution. If not, try a shallow tray with water just covering the enclosure and give the solution a swirl from time to time.
p.s. cool enclosures - the finish is very impressive, but you are not the first by at least 15 years: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/steelstud/steelstud.htm
excellent advice. the metal will rust faster with acid for sure. hydrochloric will do the trick (Chlorine is one of the things that will make steel rust fast), BUT it also eats the rust if too concentrated, so if you use it, use it in low concentrations. actually vinegar would be the safer choice, hydrochloric is pretty nasty (gas, strongly acidic/etching) so not really something for hobbyists.
Quote from: samhay on March 08, 2016, 08:33:15 PM
Quote from: George on March 08, 2016, 05:34:18 PM
Also bump for knowledge! I d like to hear a word from the chemists in the forum on how to easily rust an iron enclosure (not aluminium) fast?
Heat, oxygen, acidic water and a little salt.
Put them in hot water with some acid (vinegar is probably a good cheap and easy option) and table salt. If you have an old fish tank pump, then you can use this to bubble the solution. If not, try a shallow tray with water just covering the enclosure and give the solution a swirl from time to time.
p.s. cool enclosures - the finish is very impressive, but you are not the first by at least 15 years: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/steelstud/steelstud.htm
Dayum!!! Sometimes i feel that if you search hard enough you can find everything in the internet :D . This could help me with this project
Quote from: m-Kresol on March 08, 2016, 08:44:09 PM
Quote from: samhay on March 08, 2016, 08:33:15 PM
Quote from: George on March 08, 2016, 05:34:18 PM
Also bump for knowledge! I d like to hear a word from the chemists in the forum on how to easily rust an iron enclosure (not aluminium) fast?
Heat, oxygen, acidic water and a little salt.
Put them in hot water with some acid (vinegar is probably a good cheap and easy option) and table salt. If you have an old fish tank pump, then you can use this to bubble the solution. If not, try a shallow tray with water just covering the enclosure and give the solution a swirl from time to time.
p.s. cool enclosures - the finish is very impressive, but you are not the first by at least 15 years: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/steelstud/steelstud.htm
excellent advice. the metal will rust faster with acid for sure. hydrochloric will do the trick (Chlorine is one of the things that will make steel rust fast), BUT it also eats the rust if too concentrated, so if you use it, use it in low concentrations. actually vinegar would be the safer choice, hydrochloric is pretty nasty (gas, strongly acidic/etching) so not really something for hobbyists.
I have some hydrochloric mainly for cleaning brass but i could use some for this purpose.
everything in our lab is rusting like hell as we clean our glassware with HCl on a daily basis, but I have no idea how good this will work in practise when trying to do it on purpose ;). as mentioned, Cl is basically a rusting agent but rust dissolves in hydrochloric acid. in principle it should work, though. If anything, it will eat away the protective oxide layer and will accelerate the process.
For the wooden strips, it could look really good to have them as the actual side, like a wood-end-panelled synth or something :)
The heaviest pedal board to carry ever. Nice work though.
Quote from: jtaormina on March 09, 2016, 06:18:48 PM
The heaviest pedal board to carry ever. Nice work though.
lol i hope that i wont have all these on one pedalboard. In case that happens my pedalboard will no only make my sound better but also my looks, building muscle as i carry it around :P 8) 8) 8)
those look strong enough to survive a bomb!!! good job