Nice work!
I too have built my own enclosures with similar techniques. A couple of my
projects can be seen here: http://sadxa.org/n7ws.html#amp
Although at the time I had access to a prototype workshop, I have done similar
work at home with comparable results. If possible, I avoid bends. In all of
this stuff I used 0.062" 6061-T6 material so it wasn't going to bend anyway.
The harder alloy drills like a dream. For all of the corner joinery I used 3/8"
square stock, 8/32 threads and stainless steel screws
In the protoshop, I had access to a shear but all of the sheared edges were
still smoothed by hand. I had a granite surface plate and used a vernier height
gauge for layout so similar parts were interchangeable. In the home shop I lay
out as carefully as possible and match drill on a drill press. Most people can't
tell the difference. With a lot of elbow grease a hacksaw works, although after
a lot of furniture building and finish sanding, I needed rotator cuff surgery so
I don't do that anymore. With extreme care and I do mean extreme, a carbide
toothed blade on a table saw will cut aluminum if it's thick enough and the
blade has fine enough teeth. Otherwise I use a bandsaw, which is always safer,
if less precise.
In the protoshop I had access to chemical dip baths for passivating the
aluminum, silver plating the RF parts and a panograph engraver for panel
lettering. Silver looks nice, but is highly overrated as an RF conductor.* In
the home shop, before the un-elected bureaucrats in DC decided we were too
stupid to handle lye (judging by the electorate they may be right), I would etch
aluminum in a lye bath, rinse and neutralize with vinegar and a final water
rinse. This would yield a nice satin finish. The best I have found since is
oven cleaner.
Another finish, if you like the look, can be had by using a random-orbit sander
Play with the grit until you find something you like. Sanding it wet with a
little cutting oil can be fun, albeit messy, too.
Tube amplifier still have their virtues and, along with antennas, can be great
roll-your-own projects that can work better than what you can buy.
Wes N7Ws
* http://k6mhe.com/n7ws/Plating.pdf
On 8/1/2016 9:36 AM, EricJ wrote:
If you can build whatever you want, you can easily build the enclosure. Here
is an EC2 clone I built last week in about 6 hours. I made the side panels
with a hacksaw, file and drill press. The front panel I cut and formed with an
inexpensive 8" shear/brake. This one is branded Grizzly, but Harbor Freight
has them as well. I didn't use the Elecraft 2D fasteners because I only had 2
on hand and didn't want to make a bunch of little fussy pieces. I used 4 long
sections of 1/4" square aluminum stock and drilled them with the same hole
pattern as the 2D fasteners. The front panel will get painted after I drill
and punch it for the current project.
https://flic.kr/p/KBivtc
The smaller K1 enclosure is nearly the same design (slightly different top
cover) so it scales down easily. It would scale up for a large amp just as
easily. The cost of the EC2-clone was about $4 in materials (0.080" and 0.050"
sheet and 1/4" bar stock). All can be built with a hacksaw, file and a hand
drill. A bandsaw and a drill press make it more precise. A shear/brake makes
it even easier.
Eric KE6US
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