In the quest for cheap enclosures: the IKEA Soupa Fuzz

[zjokka]

Just wanted to pop this one in, as I was looking for enclosures. Bought some velleman boxes, but they are ribbed on the inside, and make it very difficult to mount jacks (input, output, dc). Then I found tucked away in the kitchen, these cereal/soup bowls we never used. Payed maybe a EUR something a piece:



Didn't even sand or anything, just straight away primer (or three)



Acryl car lacquer:



After clear lacquer, lettering, more clear lacquer:




Can do, no?
ZJ

[bancika]

why not, looks interesting

[donald stringer]

At the dollar store they sell those type of bowls [stainless steel] for 4.99$ Not a bad price for a diy enclosure. They're selling them as cat food bowls. They even have a rubber protective ring around the edge.

[KerryF]

^- Look what the world has come to...  The dollar store doesnt even sell things for $1 anymore! 

[tcobretti]

I've thought about doing this many times but couldn't think of a good way to mount a bottom on it.  What are you gonna do?

[Elektrojänis]

Cool... I've had that kind of a bowl in my hand several times when I've been forced to go to Ikea. Every time I've been thinking about Fuzz Face.

The thing that has stopped me from building it has been that I haven't figured out what to use as the bottom part of the enclosure an how to attach it.

[ildar]

Maybe a rubber gasket around the bottom edge and a piece of plastic (ABS, PVC, etc.) cut to fit?

[petemoore]

I've thought about doing this many times but couldn't think of a good way to mount a bottom on it.  What are you gonna do?
1  Skip the bottom, there's maybe enough shielded enclosure, the bottom will probably be near a ground plane [actual ground] anyway, many modern effects seem to do fine with plastic enclosures and ground plane under the circuit board.
2  attach 3 screw points to the bottom inside rim of the sides, [little wood blocks or metal angles] then try to find a pie pan bottom or other metal plate that fits...I used a small Speaker Grill w/black cardboard over it, I like a bottom made of 'anything' to keep parts in/ keep schtuff out.
3   These bowls don't show any/much lip, if it's going on to a pedalboard's substrate, three little notch-slits could be cut, then washers or wide topped screws can be precision' placed to catch the slit as they're screwed down into the PB substrate, perhaps with a sheet of something conductive like an '0 shaped' copper sheet can simply be placed under the bottom....or round with three tabs for the mount screws to go through.

[mongo]

I was thinking of doing exactly the same thing!!!  but I'm putting an ATARI PUNK CONSOLE  and some other stuff...

Andy

[Elektrojänis]

1  Skip the bottom, there's maybe enough shielded enclosure, the bottom will probably be near a ground plane [actual ground] anyway, many modern effects seem to do fine with plastic enclosures and ground plane under the circuit board.

This would probably work just fine from the interference point of view, but I'm worried about keeping the parts in and the dirt out (as you mention in 2).

2  attach 3 screw points to the bottom inside rim of the sides, [little wood blocks or metal angles] then try to find a pie pan bottom or other metal plate that fits...I used a small Speaker Grill w/black cardboard over it, I like a bottom made of 'anything' to keep parts in/ keep schtuff out.

This is probably what I would use in the end. I might even use more than 3 screw points, depending on the size of the bowl and the stiffnes of the bottom material.

Another option (4:)) would be to use a bottom that would be a bit bigger in diameter than the bowl and use a single bolt and nut from the center of the bowl to the center of the bottom. This would also require that tho bottom is quite stiff.

[zjokka]

yeah, of course the bottom is the big question. after posting this, I suddenly remembered some unconscious inspiration from Paul Marossy's build of the Easy Drive -- he used a tuna can as bottom lid    -- I hope it will be that 'easy':

http://www.diyguitarist.com/Images/EasyDrive.jpg




http://www.diyguitarist.com/Images/EasyDriveBot.jpg




In case you wondered: i didn't before i started drilling; it's indeed stainless steel, but not so thick. Much easier drilling hammond boxes, although they are thicker.

I used rub-on lettering, not many alternatives with a spheric surface.

ZJ

[coffyrock]

At the dollarama near my house I bought some small stainless steel bowls that have tupperware-style translucent plastic lids. They're for lunch kits or something, and they're 2 for a buck. The lid's on the top (or the bottom, when turned upside down) creating easy access to batteries. Glue some rubber/velcro on there and it's not going anywhere. The only problem is they're small, so you could fit a booster or small-parts-count effect inside, but not a multi-knobber. They'll be perfect for my a/b switch and LPB, or maybe even a ruby or green ringer.

I'll take a pic. It might be a cheap solution for bowls... look for plastic yogurt/margarine lids that fit & use them?

[Paul Marossy]

That Easy Drive shell is cool, isn't it? I think I got it for $1 at a thrift store around the corner from my office.

I've been thinking that possibly another way to do a bottom for one of these bowl type enclosures is perhaps using a piece of 1/4" plywood. That might work pretty well for the larger enclosures. The trick would be figuring out how to fasten the bottom to the top. If the bowl had a flange on it, three of four little machine screws & nuts might do it...

[jonathan perez]

already beat you to it, buddy. 

nah, but these are just night lights i made for a friend.

notice the flowers on the top? they change colors.

[goosonique]

doode....are u really in metal band 

[jonathan perez]

 

i shred, dude   

[zjokka]

all, didn't want to keep it a secret, but you cannot believe what i used as bottom (not a lid though, still glued on). already posted in the pictures thread, but still:





guess i was just lucky.
zj

[alderbody]

guess i was just lucky.
zj

great job!

do you by any chance remember the actual name IKEA uses for these bowls?

btw, i remeber BEHANDLA is the name for their wood stains...    

[zjokka]

guess i was just lucky.
zj

great job!

do you by any chance remember the actual name IKEA uses for these bowls?

btw, i remeber BEHANDLA is the name for their wood stains...    

No, I'm sorry, went looking on their website and couldn't even find bowl on there (only salad bowls).
It says the following on the bottom:

Ikea
Design and Quality
IKEA of Sweden
Stainless steel 18/10
Made in Vietnam
17743

[runmikeyrun]

IKEA of Sweden

Made in Vietnam