Finishing Homemade Amplifiers

Probably the easiest thing is to have them shot with basecoat/clearcoat
automotive finishes by a local collision repair body shop. Often you can
"piggyback" them on to another job for a few dollars if they aren't too
busy. These materials are quite expensive but if they are already set up
and have a gun cup mixed it's pure extra revenue for them.

Anodizing on aluminum is very popular and cool looking if your surface
prep is good and your panel or chassis is all aluminum.

Gun bluing is another option on steel panels. See the gunsmithing
literaturee for details. It can be overshot with lacquer to avoid the need
for oiling.

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"BretLudwig" <bratzirules@gmx.us> wrote in message
news:2039a20b75471941da84befba404feb6@localhost.talkaboutaudio . com ...

Hi Bret. Good to see a thread on this subject. It is something that
causes most home-made amp builders trouble. And a good chassis
can transform a home-made amp into a hand-made amp (a totally
different category altogether:-)

> Probably the easiest thing is to have them shot with basecoat/clearcoat
> automotive finishes by a local collision repair body shop. Often you can
> "piggyback" them on to another job for a few dollars if they aren't too
> busy. These materials are quite expensive but if they are already set up
> and have a gun cup mixed it's pure extra revenue for them.

Yes. A painted chassis looks good. Raymond's recent project
is a fine example.
>
> Anodizing on aluminum is very popular and cool looking if your surface
> prep is good and your panel or chassis is all aluminum.

Anodising is my favourite at the moment. The workshop
where I have a bench, bought a linishing machine so that
we can prep aluminium panels prior to anodising.

* w w w .kolumbus.fi/iain.churches/Workshop/Linisher.html

The pic shows a sanding belt which is used for the initial
removal of scratches etc, but the best final finish on
aluminium is obtained with a "bear's tongue" a belt
with very soft plyable metal bristles, rather like a pot
scourer.

Preparation needs to be done with great care, as every tiny
mark and scratch shows through. One should also wear
cotton gloves, and avoid finger contact with the surface.
Wrap the panels in soft tissue paper - they have to be
pristine when they go to anodising.

The anodised surface does not conduct, and so threaded
holes for ground screws etc, should be plugged with a
plastic screw before anodising.
>
> Gun bluing is another option on steel panels. See the gunsmithing
> literaturee for details. It can be overshot with lacquer to avoid the need
> for oiling.

I don't have any experience of that, but some people like polished
stainless steel or copper. A colleague of mine spent almost a week
polishing a s/steel chassis. When I complimented him on his patience,
he replied that it was a quick and easy job compared with sanding
down an acoustic guitar body!

Iain

"BretLudwig" <bratzirules@gmx.us> wrote in message
news:2039a20b75471941da84befba404feb6@localhost.talkaboutaudio . com ...
> Probably the easiest thing is to have them shot with basecoat/clearcoat
> automotive finishes by a local collision repair body shop. Often you can
> "piggyback" them on to another job for a few dollars if they aren't too
> busy. These materials are quite expensive but if they are already set up
> and have a gun cup mixed it's pure extra revenue for them.


It doesn't look quite as nice as automotive paint, but powder coating can
give a nice and very tough finish. There are powder coaters in most cities
and it is a reasonably economical process.

Keith