Showcase of $1.60 enclosures and painting experiments - pics

[bwanasonic]

If I can figure some way to make a seal around the srew hole slots, I might try a few junction box builds. They need a little more beverage proofing for my needs. Look nice though!

Kerry M

[mojotron]

If I can figure some way to make a seal around the srew hole slots, I might try a few junction box builds. They need a little more beverage proofing for my needs. Look nice though!

Kerry M

You could line the top, just around the inside rim of the base, and plug all the holes with a really sturdy silicon caulk.... I used the basic bathroom caulk for the feet and I think that would make an excellent seel and is bonds to steel really well.... just a thought...

[Doug_H]

If I can figure some way to make a seal around the srew hole slots, I might try a few junction box builds. They need a little more beverage proofing for my needs. Look nice though!

Kerry M

I build mine on the box itself and use the lid for the bottom (like aluminum boxes). So I end up with a couple screw holes on top that I cover. I've done 2 different things, both work well: 1) Cut off thumbtack heads and JB Weld them over the holes. 2) Use small rubber feet that have adhesive backing. Either method covers well with paint.

Doug

[vanhansen]

electrical junction boxes are never plastic (it'd be against code just about everywhere). They're steel. There are also aluminum exterior ones...go to any hardware store and look in the electrical department.

It depends on where you are,I guess. I have plastic boxes in my house and you can get steel or plastic ones at the local Lowe's hardware store.

Anyhow, those are pretty cool looking for Raco type enclosures! Using just the lids and some kind of large enclosure, you could make a modular pedal board. That's kind of a cool concept (to me)...  

The plastic ones are used for your light switches and plugs inside the house.  They are easier to put in and much lighter so there isn't so much weight on the sheetrock, even though they are usually mounted to a stud.  In the event a stud can't be found, they can be affixed to the sheetrock very easily.  The metal junction boxes are for splicing in additional circuits throughout the house, or splitting one circuit in to two, etc.  Look in your attics, you'll see some up there, and in basements too.

[robotboy]

Heat the enclosure for 15 minutes, let it cool to about  90 degrees, 1-2 coats self-etching primer, 2 hours later put down 1-2 coats Plasti Kote (walmart) lacquer Metal Flake, apply decals with SOL, then put down 1-2 coats of Plasti Kote clear lacquer - letting it dry for about 2 hours between all coats. It's really durable, there are very few signs (non in the case of 2 clear coats) where the decals were applied, and it looks great.

Great looking boxes! Could you be so kind as to tell me where I can buy self-etching primer and what brand you use? Also, I'm not on the acronym up and up, so could someone tell me what SOL is? If I wanted to do a multicolor paintjob, is there a masking technique that you guys use? Anyhoo, awesome stompboxes. I'm sure they sound sweet.

[mojotron]

Great looking boxes! Could you be so kind as to tell me where I can buy self-etching primer and what brand you use? Also, I'm not on the acronym up and up, so could someone tell me what SOL is? If I wanted to do a multicolor paintjob, is there a masking technique that you guys use? Anyhoo, awesome stompboxes. I'm sure they sound sweet.

Smallbear sells Eastwood self etching primer and SOL decal solvent (SOL is actually the name). That's the best place I can think of to get this stuff... although an auto paint store might have the primer and a hobby shop might have the solvent.

Thanks!

[petemoore]

Well I tried it and.
 I did all the soldering with the iron mounted in the brick.
 Wiring the switch was a breeze, the very short wires coming off the jacks were pivoted to push exactly where I wanted them on the switch lugs by turning the jack slightly...I soldered the wires to the jacks first, then trimmed and bent 'em perfect...was Easy, did Perfect switch wiring first time !!!
 I got steel toed boots, 'clamping' [lol stepping on] and drilling was a breeze also.
 Laying out the box was no-brainer..just turn the plate over, lay the circuit on...place all the holes...N/P.
 No need to mess with preparing/drilling those pesky punchout holes.
 Basically it went fast, has better accessability, and looks cool, all the shafts stick straight out too, no trying to tighten pots to a lumpy surface.

[ErikMiller]

Good-looking work, there, moj.

Your stuff is a great candidate for silk screened graphics, with those nice, flat tops. If you go into production, I highly recommend it.

[robotboy]

Great looking boxes! Could you be so kind as to tell me where I can buy self-etching primer and what brand you use? Also, I'm not on the acronym up and up, so could someone tell me what SOL is? If I wanted to do a multicolor paintjob, is there a masking technique that you guys use? Anyhoo, awesome stompboxes. I'm sure they sound sweet.

Smallbear sells Eastwood self etching primer and SOL decal solvent (SOL is actually the name). That's the best place I can think of to get this stuff... although an auto paint store might have the primer and a hobby shop might have the solvent.

Thanks!

OK awesome... I'm going to try this. I do have one more question though. I designed the following layout in illustrator, and I would like to render it as a real paintjob. Would it be possible to just do a base coat of yellow and then do the rest with a decal overlay? I'm curious about the opacity of decals on top of real paint. BTW, thanks for the great info!

[Hal]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=29935

:-D:-D

[Paul Marossy]

The plastic ones are used for your light switches and plugs inside the house... The metal junction boxes are for splicing in additional circuits throughout the house, or splitting one circuit in to two, etc. Look in your attics, you'll see some up there, and in basements too.

Actually, the ones in my attic are plastic, too. All new residential contruction here where I live are built with plastic J-boxes...  :shock:

[Hal]

they just don't make things like they used to :-D.

Home Depot actually carries WAY more plastic now than metal.

[vanhansen]

The plastic ones are used for your light switches and plugs inside the house... The metal junction boxes are for splicing in additional circuits throughout the house, or splitting one circuit in to two, etc. Look in your attics, you'll see some up there, and in basements too.

Actually, the ones in my attic are plastic, too. All new residential contruction here where I live are built with plastic J-boxes...  :shock:

Holy crap!!!  You're kidding me.  That is insane.  :shock:

[mojotron]

Good-looking work, there, moj.

Your stuff is a great candidate for silk screened graphics, with those nice, flat tops. If you go into production, I highly recommend it.

Thanks...

You mean, sell stuff like this the way I have them in the electrical boxes? I dismissed this idea, but do you think someone would buy one of these with silkscreened graphics?

[mojotron]

...
OK awesome... I'm going to try this. I do have one more question though. I designed the following layout in illustrator, and I would like to render it as a real paintjob. Would it be possible to just do a base coat of yellow and then do the rest with a decal overlay? I'm curious about the opacity of decals on top of real paint. BTW, thanks for the great info!...

It's been my experience that this would work if you used an enamal paint - then covered it with a few coats of MinWax Polyurethene clear gloss... You won't get the durability of the lacquer, but you will get good durability...

The problem with lacquer is that, well really there are 2 issues....
1) limited number of colors...
2) working with biger decals is much tougher, especially ones that are more round.... you could probably do it.. but may take some practice..

[mojotron]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=29935

:-D:-D

Great minds think alike!!  

[JIG]

Good-looking work, there, moj.

Your stuff is a great candidate for silk screened graphics, with those nice, flat tops. If you go into production, I highly recommend it.

Thanks...

You mean, sell stuff like this the way I have them in the electrical boxes? I dismissed this idea, but do you think someone would buy one of these with silkscreened graphics?

I wouldn't :? A J-box is sooo obvious,  :roll:  It says "Duh! I could have done that!" That is my DIY frame of mind any way. Plus it isn't water proof. And not that it is a BIG deal, but for unltimate convenience, a simple, no tool battery door is a must. But I did buy the MXR ZW-44 because it sounded so GOOD.... and it is in a Hammond type case. A lot of commercial stompers have been sold in the Hammond packeage.

Good luck on your venture!

JIG

[Doug_H]

Thanks...

You mean, sell stuff like this the way I have them in the electrical boxes? I dismissed this idea, but do you think someone would buy one of these with silkscreened graphics?

There have been some boutiquers that have used RACO boxes in the past, but I haven't seen any lately. (There have also been some that have used sharpie pens to do their labeling but I won't go there... )

OTOH... I use the RACO boxes all the time for my hobby projects I build for myself. They are dirt cheap, sturdy, and I have the drilling down to a process now. So I can work with them pretty quickly and easily. However, after working with them for a while my perspective changes to a larger scale and weight.

Once I see a pedal done in a 1590B or 1590BB box, it is really shocking. The difference is like night and day, lower weight, smaller profile, etc. "Very professional" is the first reaction that comes to my mind. If that's my reaction, I can only guess the reaction of the avg musician when he has to wedge my large and heavy RACO box onto his pedalboard that is crammed full of 1590** style boxes.  :lol:

So IMO, yes you could probably sell some pedals built into RACO boxes, but I think you are much better off with die-cast aluminum for production quality gear.

Doug

[Doug_H]

And not that it is a BIG deal, but for unltimate convenience, a simple, no tool battery door is a must.
JIG

Yeah, I think battery doors are nice, but not essential. I think there's a tradeoff between convenience and the hassle of implementing them in the design.

Doug

[Chemers]

Hey, those junction boxes look pretty great, what are you using as lids?  Are they just fairly normal metal plates, or metal covers that you would normally drill a hole for a light switch or something?  It seems as though I can find the boxes themselves everywhere, but not the style of lid that you're using!