DIY Earth-Friendlier Stompboxes (the thread)

[railhead]

I ordered some of the stuff, simply because I'm always looking for a super-hard clear coat (which I haven't found).

[earthtonesaudio]

New question:

Does anyone know of a natural/sustainable or otherwise "green" alternative to the little rubber adhesive feet you stick on the bottom of stompboxes to keep them from sliding around? 

Also the big rubber pad on the bottom of Boss-type pedals. 

I was thinking cork, but the kind from wine bottles is pretty flimsy and wouldn't hold up very long I don't think.  Any suggestions?

[letsgocoyote]

I buy cork feet from home depot.  they are basically the same price as the clear rubberplastic you get form smallbear/etc. but they are ncie.  1/2" circle, abotu 1/16" thick.

[earthtonesaudio]

Thanks for the reply.  How is the durability?  Are they natural cork?

[letsgocoyote]

durability is fine and its just normal cork as far as i can tell!

[hday]

They sell large sheets of cork for corkboards and things at craft stores, if you want the big Boss type.

If you really want to go green just use rocks. 

Rocks might actually make cool knobs. Or a big, flat one for a stomp switch cover.

[frank_p]

Hi Alex,
PCB wise...

I saw a TV program (Daily Planet, on Discovery)  where they tried to make a "green" racing car.  They changed the body parts so they did not have to use fiberglass or carbon composites.

Basically what they did was to replace the matrix with some cellulose fiber and changing the artificial polymers with a chemically modified vegetable oil that could be polymerised.  They made some attempts that were so-so durable and they finally found a good combination.

I don't know if you could find the program on the web...  I tough it might interest you.

[earthtonesaudio]

Sounds cool, thanks Frank. 

[petemoore]

  ...Old, worn down Knobby Bike Tires !..the innertube too !
  I use every bit [almost].
  They make excellent amplifier 'suspensions', I can 'plop' my amp on a hard surface and it just makes a 'mump' noise ['bump' with an M instead of a hard vowel like 'B'].
  This keeps the tubes on a 'cadillac' suspension when it's riding on a rough riding cabinet, this will help extend tube life, I've never seen such mushy yet durable looking feet on any amp.
  I used the steel cable in these tires [a rubber-clad rim 'cable' seats to the wheel rim can be cut out]...I just cut out a stretch, bend it just right...whizzamm...a springy guitar head grabber...and I made a 3 guitar rack that hangs on a door ! Slick and quick to get a spring loaded head grabber shaped and 'pushed' into shape by the spacing and angling of the holes I put in the 'mantle piece' [an old bed headboard]...drill a couple holes in a board and shove the bent up, rubberized cable through.
  The method produces a springy 'open loop' [ a 'U' shape with two long feet, the feet stick through the 'mantle' board holes] holds the rubber clad cable tight around the guitar neck/head, hanging and retrieving the guitars is easy.
  I'm sure either the tire or the innertube might be able to offer a good rubbery foot for a stompbox too, trim and epoxy I think.
  Saves: Shipping fuel, new production rubber fuel, etc. 

[earthtonesaudio]

Awesome ideas, Pete!

[frank_p]

Also if you really want to be energy efficient:
http://www.robotroom.com/Solar-Soldering.html

[cloudscapes]

I've been going the non-toxic paint route for a little while now. water-based acrylics that I paint with a brush rather than spraycan.

[earthtonesaudio]

Awesome link, Frank!

I've been going the non-toxic paint route for a little while now. water-based acrylics that I paint with a brush rather than spraycan.

...and the results are beautiful, from what I've seen of your work!

[Taylor]

For those who have access to cool junkyards: I'd love to buy weird old boxes for electronic projects, but I do not have a car and there is no nearby junkyard. Would anyone be interested in creating sort of a salvage trading post on this forum? People could buy more cool stuff than they could personally use, then people like me would buy it from them. I realize that by shipping this stuff we'd be expending fuel, which is antithetical to being green, but it would at least keep this stuff from landfills, and the fuel would be negated by the fuel that isn't expended by buying boxes from Mouser or Small Bear...

The Electronic Peasant has something like this, which I check from time to time:

http://www.electronicpeasant.com/tpost/tradingp.html
http://www.electronicpeasant.com/sources/salvage.html

Anybody into this idea?

[earthtonesaudio]

Great idea!  Re-using something is inherently more efficient than modding or buying new. 

Check out freecycle.org and see if there's on in your area.  It's like Craigslist, but free.

[earthtonesaudio]

I just opened up a retired faxmodem and found a bunch of worthwhile (but mostly surface mount) parts inside:

LM386
TL082
74VHC04
a diode bridge, 5V LDO, assorted 16V electrolytic caps, and lotsa LEDs, diodes, and passives, all of which could be used for many linear circuits.
Plus a little speaker.

I don't know if anyone mentioned modems here yet, but apparently they're good for parts scrounging, if you don't mind the small size.

[DWBH]

humm... I have an old 56kbps modem that I could tear apart
Thanks for the idea!

[Taylor]

Modems are also often useful for their enclosures, depending on the size. Later ones are too small to be of much use, but some older ones, and related stuff like external hard drives and disk drives, are perfect for small amps or stompboxes.

[StarGeezers]

This thread is Fascinating !!!   Being a Green guy  and always casting a gaze at local trash piles , I noticed much castaway furniture , with lots of wooden knobs       Possibility there ... and furniture with round legs , spindles, etc.... Schmaybe' another knob source with a little sawing and drilling.. ?? 
Our Friend KY builds stompboxes in common electrical outlet boxes...   lots of those to be found in the trash at a renovation site... Older used ones look more Vintage and Bad a**
Our drummer was tossing his old utility case (black resin /cardboard stuff)   looked for all the world like Fender eyelet board material ..   tested non conductive ... so might be a good board material ... I told him to save it for us ... boards for years ...  FREE!!! and re-cycled

So many possibilities...  You guys are Great !!!!