Adding weight to your enclosure???

[Bill Mountain]

Like many of you, I use the Hammond style aluminum enclosures for my projects.  I don't know about you guys but I hate how light they are.

I like to use my pedals on top of my amps and on work benches and the weight of the cables always drags them around (and they usually end up falling).  I know Hammond is making zinc enclosures now but they seemed pricy.

I wondering if any of you guys found a simple solution.  I was thinking about gluing some weights to the back of the enclosure or cutting a piece of steel to use as a bottom plate.  Maybe some heavy feat (I don't generally use a pedal board).  Or some steel enclosures (if they exist for cheap).

Anyone have this issue?

Any ideas?

[armdnrdy]

Old solution....

Velcro

Put the nice fuzzy stuff on top of your amp...and the ruff, hook stuff on the bottom of the pedal....

or....cast the bottom cover out of lead.    but...if you choose the latter idea...you shouldn't lick your pedals anymore!

[knutolai]

How about using 1W resistors (or bigger), big bulky electrolytics and so on? every little bit help

[R.G.]

Sadly, the best solution is politically incorrect. 

Plumbing supply houses carry (or used to... it may be a crime for them do do this now) lead sheet. Various thicknesses. Cuts with scissors. Cut a couple of sheets the size of the inside of the bottom of your pedal and glue them in.

Heavy stuff.

Probably soon will join laboratory glassware and the majority of chemicals as being too dangerous for individuals to possess.

[Bill Mountain]

Someone just needs to start producing MXR style boxes.  The size and weight on those things are perfect!!!

[knutolai]

how about using one of those lids that you can drill onto a surface?

[GibsonGM]

You can get lead flashing from a masonry supply place.  Very much the same as what R.G. suggested.  They still have and use it.   Nothing is better for flashing

[deadastronaut]

plastic bags full of lead shot..

[Bill Mountain]

I'm thinking about two options at the moment.  Heavy feet that can be removed for pedal board use or buying a small sheet of steel/lead from the hardware store and cutting it down to a 1/4" or so smaller than the enclosure and epoxying to the inside cover.

[R.G.]

Hmmm. Or just through-drill it so the holes are in the same places as the bottom cover and use much longer screws to mount the feet and the weight panel to the bottom.

[amptramp]

Splurge and get the flanged lid version of the Hammond box.  Then screw it to your pedalboard.  Added advantage: definitely harder for someone to steal it at a gig.

[davent]

A là Rob's idea, I used lead shot i had, with epoxy, inside a little plastic ipod dock to give it some necessary weight. Lead/steel shot in the lid with epoxy or resin.
dave

[Tony Forestiere]

Maybe just figure a way to secure the cables, etc. from pulling your stuff off the amp.

[J0K3RX]

How bout a magnet? You could use the ones that can be found inside a magnetron inside old microwaves... Those would give you the weight and a very strong magnet.. Or the magnets inside old hard drives, small but very powerful.  Or, go to a weld shop and ask them for some scraps of 1/4 inch plate.. screw it to the bottom of your pedal.. that would make it nice and heavy

[Jdansti]

plastic bags full of lead shot..

A là Rob's idea, I used lead shot i had, with epoxy, inside a little plastic ipod dock to give it some necessary weight. Lead/steel shot in the lid with epoxy or resin.
dave

I've used lead shot to make telephone bases, free-standing paper towel holders, and other things heavier. I use hot glue to embed the shot, but epoxy and plastic bags would work also as Dave and Rob mentioned. If you use shot, just make sure it can't get loose.

[Mark Hammer]

There's a tools and fasteners store near my home.  Whenever I lose chassis screws for my Hammond boxes and go there to get some replacements, inevitably I find chassis screws that have just the right thread, but are too long and can't be inserted flush to the bottom lid.

BUT...

Such screws might be perfect for holding a couple of large steel washers against the bottom of the pedal.  I can't speak to just how much additional weight those washers would provide, but:
a) it wouldn't force you to forfeit any room inside the pedal to find a place for added mass.
b) it is entirely reversible if you tire of the pedal and wish to sell it; simply install the original chassis screws.

Phone jacks with longer collets also allow you to add thick steel washers on both the inside and outside of the enclosure, held in place by the retaining nut.  Same goes for the stompswitch, too.  No reason why you couldn't replace the inside nut with a nice thick washer.

If you want enclosures that won't move even when you want them to, I encourage you to find some LIne 6 Tonecore pedals.  Those suckers is HEAVY.

I would NOT suggest attempting to add weight by seeking out the biggest status LED you can find. 

[CodeMonk]

Old solution....

Velcro

Put the nice fuzzy stuff on top of your amp...and the ruff, hook stuff on the bottom of the pedal....

or....cast the bottom cover out of lead.    but...if you choose the latter idea...you shouldn't lick your pedals anymore!

There's this fabric store in town that sells something they call "Trunk Lining".
Its a lot like the fuzzy part of velcro.
Buy some of that.
I once built a pedal board and covered it with that stuff.
Worked great for velcroing pedals to the board.

Downside was it attracts all sorts of debris like white pants attracts black cat fur.

The lead shot balls sounds like a good idea.
Mix some in with some cement? 
Ball bearings and epoxy or hot glue?

[Transmogrifox]

I like the idea of weight.

Plumbers putty might be a good option.  It isn't terribly expensive, not electrically conductive, and you can form it into about any shape to fill all the voids around your circuit board.  Helps damp vibration and protect the circuit when you throw one at a mouse running across the floor.

As for lead, if you have something like lead shot, or access to excess tire weights, then you can use a propane torch to make a little lead bath in the bottom of your box before you build anything.  One advantage is you can insert screws on the spacing for your PCB so you already have the mounting hardware cast into your box without having to drill.

[vigilante397]

Some very novel ideas so far, but personally I'm a big fan of velcro. I know everyone's needs are different, but for a gigging guitarist where all the pedals are on a board usually in a case I definitely appreciate having lighter pedals, and my Crybaby is the heaviest thing I have on there, and frankly I still wish it were lighter

[duck_arse]

fishing sinkers, melted into the ridge around the base inside. poisonous, of course.

if using velcro, keep it AWAY from screw holes/heads, as the glue turns to rope with the application of screwdriver bit.