Pictures!

[Freppo]

Thanks
They are just toner transfers with clearcoat.
I had little luck with etches

[Fender3D]

Hey Freppo, it's me on your HM... 

[italianguy63]

Hey Freppo, it's me on your HM... 

A celebrity! 

Hey Freppo-- can I ask how you get the toner to transfer so cleanly?  i.e. how do you transfer it so there isn't any paper residue?  Is it on waterslide or something?  It's a great look.

[Freppo]

Hey Freppo, it's me on your HM... 

heehee, best game ever! <3

Hey Freppo-- can I ask how you get the toner to transfer so cleanly?  i.e. how do you transfer it so there isn't any paper residue?  Is it on waterslide or something?  It's a great look.

I sand with 240 grit to make the surface smooth and finish it up with 320 grit sandpaper. Before the toner transfer I clean the box with Acetone. I use magazine paper (thin, kinda glossy) that I recycle from old magazines- pages with mostly text. I start by just resting the iron (maxed temperature) on the paper/box for about one minute. Then I press down the iron firmly (covering the whole box) for another minute. After that I press down (not too hard) and use small circular motions to go over the image carefully from top to bottom. Now and then I rest my arm and just let the iron sit on the paper/box for a few seconds.. then I continue to go over the box again 3-4 times.. It takes me about 10-15 minutes all in all.. Before I gently remove the paper I press down the iron again hard for about one minute covering the whole box. I had best results removing the paper while the box is still hot as hell.. when it cools down just alittle the paper tend to stick and leave residue..

[apollomusicservice]

Wooden engraved enclosure.

[peterg]

Wooden engraved enclosure.

That is crazy! Any gut shots?

[Jdansti]

Cool stuff Freppo and Apollo!

18 pots later, I finally finished my MFOS Subcommander.   I just need to adjust the trimmer on the VCA.  If anyone has done this before, I'd appreciate any tips.

It's in an aluminum chassis with oak bolted on and a coat of Envirotex on top.

[WhiskeyMadeMeDoIt]

John that's awesome!   Great job and it's so nice and tidy. 

[alanp]

Impressive! What really catches the attention is how tidy the wiring harness is, considering the sheer AMOUNT of it going to the front panel.

[Mario44]

Thats badass. I really like the wood. 

[italianguy63]

Hey Freppo--

I sand with 240 grit to make the surface smooth and finish it up with 320 grit sandpaper. Before the toner transfer I clean the box with Acetone. I use magazine paper (thin, kinda glossy) that I recycle from old magazines- pages with mostly text. I start by just resting the iron (maxed temperature) on the paper/box for about one minute. Then I press down the iron firmly (covering the whole box) for another minute. After that I press down (not too hard) and use small circular motions to go over the image carefully from top to bottom. Now and then I rest my arm  and just let the iron sit on the paper/box for a few seconds.. then I continue to go over the box again 3-4 times.. It takes me about 10-15 minutes all in all.. Before I gently remove the paper I press down the iron again hard for about one minute covering the whole box. I had best results removing the paper while the box is still hot as hell.. when it cools down just alittle the paper tend to stick and leave residue..

Thanks for the tip-- I'll try it again.  I always seem to get the paper stuck-- with the grey residue, or the toner lifts off.  I have not tried recycled paper though.  Probably the trick!

John-- that's awesome!  I can't imagine... I don't like wires on more than about 4 pots at a time-- let alone 18.  My OCD would scream.  I hope that is not an heirloom doilie of your wife's you're working on.  I rebuilt an engine in my kitchen once.  I'm divorced from that one now....
MC

[deadastronaut]

@john, that is uber cool... all of ray wilsons stuff looks/sounds great.

i keep looking at that, it just looks like a mass monster build , and the off board wiring is even more than my stuff...

very cool..how ya liking it?..

[Govmnt_Lacky]

@John

DEMO..... DEMO..... DEMO.... 

[bluebunny]

Nice job, John.  Liking the retro wood look.

. . . and the off board wiring is even more than my stuff...

Just think of it as doing four Abductor Delays at once.  

DEMO..... DEMO..... DEMO.... 

+1!!

[Vallhagen]

18 pots later, I finally finished my MFOS Subcommander.   I just need to adjust the trimmer on the VCA.  If anyone has done this before, I'd appreciate any tips.

Ey, thats extremely cool! I finnished mine a few years back (shown here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg861764#msg861764). If i remember correctly, it wasnt much of a problem adjusting that trimmer. If you have a 'scope, use it according to the mfos instruction. If not, just place it close to the middle-point and listen. Fun and playable box!

Cheers

[loylo]

Death by Audio Interstellar Overdriver clone. Built for Adrian Dutt from Spectres, if anyone's familiar with their work. Finally found an idiotproof finish; Rustoleum Textured. No sanding or buffing, no special tricks to get it to wrinkle or dimple correctly, tough as @#$% and only a few minutes between coats (which is @#$%ing important when spraying outside under the ridiculously changeable British weather)



-Fuzmzonger

Very nice job, Fuzzmonger! 
I can find Rustoleum Textured paint localy, so I'm eager to know how do you rate the durability of this finish.
I understand that you didn't use any primer. Are there risks of chipping as we can find with regular aluminium enclosure finish?
I've also read that Rustoleum paints don't work well with primer...

[davent]

Wow! Hats off John... great project... heaps of patience on your part.

[Jdansti]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I mounted little squares of vero on the backs of the pots and then mounted the pots in the chassis. I put the board in a PCB vise with it standing vertically and then put the chassis and vice on a grocery sack. That way I could wire the pots and rotate the board and chassis simultaneously as needed.



@Italianguy-yeah, I haven't tried rebuilding an engine in the kitchen - yet. Thats a piece of non-slip rug pad that keeps stompboxes from sliding onto the floor.

@Vallhagen- That's a beautiful build you did!  I don't have a scope, and the trimmer I bought is one of those multi-turn jobs, so it's hard to find the center. I might replace it with a single turn trimmer. My the LFO for the VCA has a terrible tick, so I don't know if that's because I have the incorrect trimmer setting or if there's a problem with the build. Still trouble shooting that piece.

I'll get some sound clips after I work out the VCA issue.

[Mustachio]

That is AWESOME John! Wow I love the front plate and the wood sides! Great stuff. You used pour-on for the front plate ? It looks like it has that nice gloss

Would love to know how it sounds and what you think of it once you get some time to play with it.


Apollo, love the cnc wood enclosure your stuff is really cool, keep posting your stuff I'm interested!

I got myself a cnc machine not long ago and have been learning and building different things with it. Last night I milled my first successful pcb with it. I've milled a few others as tests that may have worked but I wasn't happy with them overall. This one was a lot better although I will probably do the next few tests with less passes. This was at 5 passes.



I am really liking not having to drill all those holes by hand!



You can see the first attempt to the right , it got a little too deep.

[bluebunny]

That looks very cool, Jim.