PVC Pipe Enclosure: Yay or Nay?

[Inventor]

As part of my Guitar Motion Sensor project, I need to build a simple stomp box.  It will have a USB interface to the computer (it's a computer effects project), plus two foot switches, a rotary potentiometer, and a 1/4" pedal jack.  I have a small box to put it in, but I was thinking it would be kinda cool to create an enclosure from a large diameter PVC pipe. 

It would be a large diameter pipe, say 4 inch or 6 inch diameter, and sawed in half with a reciprocal saw.  Then I would sand the bottom smooth, glue on some wooden blocks to receive screws from a wooden bottom plate, and perhaps leave the ends open to act as handles for grabbing the thing.  I figure I'd make it 12 inches wide or maybe 16 inches wide. 

I also intend to leave the finish as-is, no paint, with stenciled letters in place for an industrial look, plus use cut-out magazine letters under clear tape to give it a sort of criminal / harsh appearance. 

Thumbs up or Thumbs down?  Suggestions / improvements? 

[iaresee]

Only downsides I can think of are all that PVC dust that'll get kicked up sawing it in half. And the shielding that you'll have to do.

[mth5044]

12" seems kind of big. Maybe I'm just envisioning it wrong. You will also want to consider interfearance, with it not being in a sheilded enclosure. Sounds neat though. Could be a good idea for some kind of amp switcher.

[frank_p]

 
Be careful when screwing in PVC.  Some of the pipes does not have a lot of impact modifier (an ingredient that they add in the PVC mixture as to prvent it to crack when putted under ground).  Be sure to drill a OK-corresponding to your self tap (wood screws) hole in the pipe.  Otherwise it may crack or chip.  PVC is very rigid and very britle: they put carbonate calcium (as filler for reducing material costs) so this make it sometimes even more prone to cracking.

[Inventor]

Thanks for such well thought out posts, I did not anticipate the need for sheilding being a guitar newbie.  Actually I found an aluminum enclosure that I can use, it just needs screws.  I just think the PVC design is kool.  How about a metal pipe instead?  I once bought some small sections of metal pipe, it seemed drill-able and file-able.  Just a thought...

[Focalized]

I was just thinking now reading this that it might be cool to take a strip, maybe 2 feet, of PVC cut in half with  a few different effects built across it. Like a analog multi-effects strip built into a pedal case. Maybe two strips one above the other. Powering it any way you'd like.

[petemoore]

  yOu're Talking about a half circle...?..lay the pipe flat and cut horizontally down the middle or so.
  That'd be lightweight and strong, curved surfaces can have the 'eggshell strength' thing going for them, and with the SSWitches aligned along a row, they'd be pretty accessible, the outside of a curve is always a high spot.
  @@Rate I think for a wider and deeper panel, the curve might be stiffer /stronger.

[Inventor]

Or don't cut the pipe lengthwise, just attach two 90 degree bends, one at either end of the pipe and align them to both face flat on the floor.  Need access holes or something for longer tubes perhaps, but short fat ones would be easy to wire.  Ship in a bottle sort of thing, haha.  Dip the ends of the 90 degree bends that contact the floor in a shallow but large tray of tool handle goo to make them become big grippy footies.  Yay or Nay? 

[frank_p]

I vote for "cutted in halves"

Imagine the 90 deg. bent sides goes away...

You'll Rock & ROLL .

[Inventor]

I vote for "cutted in halves"

Imagine the 90 deg. bent sides goes away...

You'll Rock & ROLL .

OK, one vote for half-tubes. 

I also like putting an accelerometer on a USB into a PVC pipe and kicking the pipe around to press a button.  Or balancing a pipe on a Tee in the middle and then you tap either side for two switches.  Just an option, if you've got a computer in your setup. 

[ItZaLLgOOd]

I've made them by cutting little 1.5" sections of 4" PVC and bolting on a top and bottom.  I have access to a CNC plasma cutter so I cut the tops and bottoms out of SS.  I have a picture in the pic thread somewhere.  I like the idea of cutting it length wise though.  If you glue end caps on and cut the whole thing in halve you would get 2 for 1.  My dad used to be a plumber and my grandfather still is so extra PVC is always available.

I quess my vote is YAY!!

[Inventor]

OK, that's two Yay votes for half-tubes.  I like 'em both.  I can see a wireless USB or bluetooth interface in a tube-like object that you kick for buttons A&B, or roll for pot adjust.  That would require a long thin whole pipe.  Than we also have the small and wide versions of the half-tube setup.  What about copper tape for the sheilding? 

[hday]

They make tape for electrical shielding. I've seen them before in hardware stores. Copper tape should be fine, but I know they make some tape for that purpose.

The half pipe idea is neat. I'd make wooden blocks for the ends for extra support. You could even recess them some so you'd still have handles.

And always drill a pilot hole when screwing down PVC.

[Inventor]

Three votes for half pipe.  I guess that would be an appropriate name for it, eh?  Skateboarder vernacular for a 180 degree skating ramp:  the half pipe (if i recall correctly).  Here is the Wiki on it:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-pipe.  Oh, i see it is popular with many extreme sports. 

To flatten or otherwise shape pieces of PVC, I have found that coarse grit sandpaper taped to a work surface will smooth it nicely.  You move the pipe in lengthwise motions, not widthwise motions.  Works OK and makes it really flat.