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Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: pickdropper on July 23, 2017, 09:53:23 PM

Title: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 23, 2017, 09:53:23 PM
It's been a long time since I've posted a build report, but this one was sort of interesting, so I thought I'd throw some pics up.

Somebody contacted me and asked if I'd build them a 3-in-1.  He wanted an etch of The Great Wave off Kanagawa on it. 

I suggested using acrylic plates for it (which I still think look better) but he wanted it directly etched on the enclosure and seems very happy with the results, so it's all good.  I didn't get very good shots of the inside, but there is one gutshot.

This is the final build:

(http://i.imgur.com/73exgY4.jpg)

This is one of the acrylic plates:

(http://i.imgur.com/zTbF5cn.jpg)

This is a an acrylic plate with a reverse etch:

(http://i.imgur.com/738dJua.jpg)

And this is the gutshot (obviously):

(http://i.imgur.com/0gQXQFt.jpg)

The circuits are a FF + EA Trem + DBD
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: alanp on July 23, 2017, 10:01:30 PM
That is so art-like :) I like how minimalistic your silkscreens are on the pcbs.

The name always makes me think of that book, "The Wave" by Morton Rhue.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: BrianS on July 23, 2017, 10:03:10 PM
Oh my that's a great looking build.  That etch is, uh, I don't have words of how sharp it looks.  So nice in and out.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: EBK on July 23, 2017, 10:31:15 PM
Can you tell me more about this acrylic plate etch stuff (pointing me somewhere else would be ok too  ;))?
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Leevibe on July 23, 2017, 10:35:47 PM
Man, I like all 3 versions. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 23, 2017, 10:52:14 PM
Quote from: EBK on July 23, 2017, 10:31:15 PM
Can you tell me more about this acrylic plate etch stuff (pointing me somewhere else would be ok too  ;))?

Basically, here is the process:

1.) Take a piece of acrylic
2.) Paint one side of it with the color you want (I used black for both pieces)
3.) Setup your artwork in the vector program you like (I use Adobe Illustrator)
4.) Flip the artwork horizontally so that the image is backwards (because you are going to reverse the underside of the acrylic.
5.) Laser etch and cut acrylic.  I used a 30W Epilog laser for this.

For the reverse etched one, I inverted the colors.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: stringsthings on July 23, 2017, 11:10:02 PM
Wow!
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: midwayfair on July 24, 2017, 03:21:17 AM
Lovely etch, but can we talk about how perfectly sized and spaced the boards are inside?
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: diablochris6 on July 24, 2017, 03:24:47 AM
Agreed. Great layout inside and ingenious method for plate design.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Willybomb on July 24, 2017, 10:40:10 AM
Those guts are a thing of beauty.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 24, 2017, 11:46:03 AM
Quote from: midwayfair on July 24, 2017, 03:21:17 AM
Lovely etch, but can we talk about how perfectly sized and spaced the boards are inside?

When you use boards laid out for 1590A builds, it sort of just works out that way with 3-in-1 builds.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: bcalla on July 24, 2017, 01:04:15 PM
That's beautiful!
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: mrclean77 on July 24, 2017, 01:53:32 PM
Great build - I love the little boards and the insides (I usually do love your gutshots). The customer chose wrong - shoulda went with the reverse etched acrylic, oh well. One could say this is a matter of opinion, but nope....customer was wrong.  ;D
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: EBK on July 24, 2017, 02:55:24 PM
For the acrylic, would the switches and knobs be mounted only to the underlying enclosure and not physically touching the acrylic (due to carefully oversized holes)?  Wondering about cracking....
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: m-Kresol on July 24, 2017, 05:40:43 PM
perfect in every way!
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Tuxedo3 on July 24, 2017, 05:56:38 PM
Totally beautiful. Awesome build.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: wgc on July 24, 2017, 05:57:29 PM
Very cool!  fantastic etch, didn't realize how much I missed access to a laser until just now.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 24, 2017, 06:51:40 PM
Quote from: EBK on July 24, 2017, 02:55:24 PM
For the acrylic, would the switches and knobs be mounted only to the underlying enclosure and not physically touching the acrylic (due to carefully oversized holes)?  Wondering about cracking....

The hardware mounts to aluminum enclosure from the bottom and the acrylic plate from the top.  You'd have to really over tighten to crack the acrylic.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: nzCdog on July 24, 2017, 08:08:23 PM
Wow!  Most impressive build, congrats Dave  :)
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Philthy on July 24, 2017, 10:53:47 PM
Lovely.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: flanagan0718 on July 24, 2017, 11:01:27 PM
We haven't seen a build from you in a while...glad to see you're still SLAYING IT!!!


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Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: peAk on July 26, 2017, 03:13:31 AM
Wow!

Not much I can say that hasn't already been said.

Beautiful
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Boba7 on July 26, 2017, 08:32:47 AM
Fantastic, amazing, beautiful, great great job!!
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: Coda-effects on July 27, 2017, 07:33:23 AM
Wow, just wow!
Amazing as usual.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 27, 2017, 11:39:29 AM
Thanks for the kind words.  I really appreciate it.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: gordo on July 28, 2017, 01:20:51 AM
Anyone else totally in awe of the tiny bits of heat shrink managing the wire runs?  Silly attention to detail.
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: EBK on July 28, 2017, 03:25:32 AM
Quote from: gordo on July 28, 2017, 01:20:51 AM
Anyone else totally in awe of the tiny bits of heat shrink managing the wire runs?  Silly attention to detail.
Yes!  At first glance, I even thought the gut pic was pre-wiring.  Very neat and tidy. 
Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: PhiloB on July 29, 2017, 04:33:11 AM
Amazing all around.  That reverse etch really caught my eye!  Where Doug you buy your pieces of acrylic and do you recommend a particular thickness?


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Title: Re: The Wave
Post by: pickdropper on July 29, 2017, 11:42:17 AM
Quote from: PhiloB on July 29, 2017, 04:33:11 AM
Amazing all around.  That reverse etch really caught my eye!  Where Doug you buy your pieces of acrylic and do you recommend a particular thickness?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I usually get them from either McMaster Carr or Delvie's Plastics.  You'll want to use 1/16" thick acrylic.  Anything thicker than that and you won't be able to screw down the nut on the potentiometers.  Even with 1/16", you can't use 9mm pots, but 16mm pots will work fine.