madbeanpedals::forum

Projects => General Questions => Topic started by: jposega on July 13, 2017, 05:45:34 PM

Title: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: jposega on July 13, 2017, 05:45:34 PM
Anyone put a circuit in a plastic enclosure?

Not just a spare Tupperware but one of the Hammond or similar plastic boxes.

There are some in translucent colors that would look pretty neat with the LED just tucked inside the box.

I'm mildly concerned about structural integrity and the circuit not being properly shielded.
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: jimilee on July 13, 2017, 06:25:11 PM
I have, but it was a noisy cricket circuit. As long as both jacks are grounded and depending on the circuit, I don't know if you'd experience any interference.


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Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: jposega on July 13, 2017, 07:39:52 PM
Thanks Jimi. I think I'll give it a try, maybe even sacrifice a Tupperware as a test bed, see how it goes.
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: matmosphere on July 13, 2017, 08:03:10 PM
I've done it too. It works fine and looks cool.
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: mjg on July 13, 2017, 09:49:39 PM
I've got one that picks up the local radio stations when you touch the toggle switches....so yeah, you can have shielding issues sometimes. 

Structural integrity is fine with the Hammond plastic boxes that I've used.
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: selfdestroyer on July 13, 2017, 11:24:27 PM
I have built in a plastic radio shack project box and lost my footing one night and crushed it. The foot switch jack broke through the top of it. For the most part it was stable and rugged but it does not like a huge amount of weight on it (which I am).

Cody
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: somnif on July 14, 2017, 12:15:54 AM
I use a plastic enclosure for my LED tester (which is just a couple sockets and a pot), but not sure I'd trust one for stomp-box purposes. There is a definite bit of give if I squeeze the sides of mine, and my foot is none too gentle.
Title: Re: Plastic Enclosure: Yay or Nay?
Post by: junkemail86 on July 14, 2017, 01:49:07 AM
I've built about 100 pedals in those decent quality Radioshack and similar project boxes without any structural integrity issues.  Haven't had much problem with noise other than real high gain circuits (and even then, I don't really know if it's worse than my metal enclosures).