Small Diecast Enclosures (3"X1"X1")?

[AlexK]

I've been on a kick lately making really small boosters and was wondering if anyone knew where I could find a small enclosure that's around 3"X1"X1".  I'm looking for an enclosure similar to what Keeley uses for his "japanese apartment" pedal.  I searched through Mouser and found a 3.5"X1.5"X1"...that might be what he used, does anyone know?  I've already built one in a Bud 2"X2"X1", below is a pic for fun 

Thanks,
Alex

[TimF]

how about a hammond 1590-A

http://hammondmfg.com/dwg.htm

it's small but it don't think you could fit much in it.

[vanhansen]

Yup, the Hammond 1590-A.  It's real tiny.  A 9V won't fit with everything else in it but if you're going DC power only it's no big deal.  I've got a buffer in one.  Nice and compact.  Keeley's FX-Loop box is also in one.

[AlexK]

Thanks guys, that's the one I saw that I thought might be it.  On Keeley's webpage he says the enclosure he uses is 3"X1" so he must have just rounded down 

Thanks again,
Alex

[Pushtone]

I'm going booster crazy too! I've build a few into the 1590A boxes.
The 1590A is great (sans battery) for them and so cute!
And with 90 deg plugs on both sides its only a little larger than a 1590B without the plugs.

Here's a pic of a Stratoblaster in a 1590A.
I used 16mm pot, DPDT - Millennium2 bypass LED and GGG PCB.

[Processaurus]

I posted this before, its a triple fuzz in a Bud box, same thing as the hammond


I like the keeley bypass loopers too. 

the only problem with these boxes is they'll tip over some times unless they're velcroed down. Maybe it needs training wheels.
Those alpha PCB mount 9mm pots would be good for these, like on the Zvex sequencers.  It would be really cool to see someone do some double sided surface mount circuits and stuff them into these.  To get a little more room, you can use the teeny alpha dpdts or pcb mount DPDTs like small bear sells, open frame jacks stuck close together, and the DC jacks that stick out.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

There are some very small 12v batteries (intended for cameras) that might be good for small space applications, with the virtue (fro boosters) of more headroom. Maybe one would fit vertically in the box. (maybe not). You would want to design for minimum current, they aren't cheap (lose the led?).

[Pushtone]

I generaly will just use an external battery with battery snap soldered directly to a 2.1mm plug. This is just for showing the pedal off where there might not be a Boss PSU handy but I see no reason why you couldn't just leave the battery out and on the pedalboard. Would make for the easiest of battery changes.  Not as sexy as a 12v internal but sexy is for young folks who have all their hair. Building stompboxes caused me to pull mine out 

[AlexK]

Processaurus,

That's an awesome cram job!  It looks similar to my booster but even more crammed in.  What pots did you use?  Also, what DC jack did you use?  It looks different than the standard round boss type that smallbear sells.  I used the smallbear type and they take up quite a bit of interior space if you don't add a couple nuts on the outside, but then it looks like crap.

Pushtone, that Stratoblaster looks great!

Thanks guys,
Alex

[Pushtone]

Looks like Processaurus and I used the same DC jack, but Processaurus has a better method for mounting it.

The jack has tabs on the top and bottom with holes for screws. I kept mine vertical and snipped off the bottom tab and used one screw but it wobbles so I reinforced it with hot glue.

Processaurus has a much cleaner method mounting the DC jack sideways and using two screws/nuts to hold it. Now why didn't I think of that.

In both cases the jack will protrude out of the case by about a centimeter and will look lsomething like this...
Dist + in 1590A


And heres a pic that shows scale against a Boss pedal.

[birt]

it's hard to make holes for those DC jacks

[Pushtone]

Actualy not hard.

Drill out a round hole and use a narrow flat file to make the flat part. Takes all of one minute. The hard part is not removing too much metal. Those Hammonds are soft!

[Gilles C]

Not long ago, while searching for power jacks for the Spyder PS, I found a couple of these types of jacks locally

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/KC-300371.pdf

I thought it was the good occasion to mention it in this older thread, being motivated from a recent post (where this plder thread was first mentioned again...) to build in these small enclosures...

I like the idea of a small dc power jack instead of using a battery.

Gilles

[any]

also posted before, my mayhem ringmod/fuzz design:



2 switches, two pots and a LDR not to metion the DC jack, switch and jacks...
Thoughtfull planning will come a long way!

[burnt fingers]

Not quite as small as the hammonds but I've been using the little Raco boxes for one knob boosters.  No led No dc jack. 

I decided to see if I could cram A Dist+ in there with led,DC jack, and still keep the battery.  Here are my results

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album49/dist
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album49/dist_guts
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album49/dist_and_250

And these things are cheap.  Like $1.47 at home depot.

Scott

[Processaurus]

Any, you are the new king of tiny box with that one.  I may have a secret weapon now, though, when stopping in a electronics shop in Tokyo (Tokyu Hands) I found some tiny plastic 2.1mm DC jacks that only have two contacts (no transfer switching for a battery), that have a sturdy metal lining for the barrel, and stick into the box very little.  Not sure what it says about me but it was an exciting moment. 






"NERD!"

[Gilles C]

Seeing these nice little boxes made me wondering about how to fit everything inside a small box.

I reminded me I also used a small box like you did Alex in your picture, but didn't use jacks. It's only a volume box for my HRD.



But it seems I didn't try hard enough, you were able to fit 2 pots and 2 jacks in there 

Gilles