ADA Flanger Enclosure Plans *Inside*

[Paul Marossy]

Since I have not found any enclosures that I can live with for my ADA Flanger clone project, I decided that I am going to make one out of 1/4" plywood pieces glued and fastened together. I still haven't figured out what I am going to do to reinforce the area for the footswitch, but I will figure something out. I will paint it flat or semi-gloss black after I am done sanding and filling. Or I think I am leaning towards some kind of fabric covering on it. That would be very cool.

I am also going to mount the PCB so that the chips and everything are facing up when the bottom cover is removed. I hate that on a real ADA Flanger that you have to take the whole thing apart just to tweak one little thing. 

In the meantime, I have uploaded a PDF file of my CAD drawing template. I'm going to be making it up this weekend and I'll report back on it sometime. http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/ADA-FlangerEnclosure.pdf

Things are going to be tight, but I think that I can make it work... keeping fingers crossed. 

[GtrmanMoe]

Looks pretty cool, Paul.  Good luck.

[Tantalum7]

If the components on your board are facing the floor, it looks like you might have room for a widthwise rib to span the gap just in front of the foot switch.  Without running the numbers, I suspect it might be all you need.  I've always liked designs with an angled top and protection for the knobs.  Good luck with it.

[Paul Marossy]

If the components on your board are facing the floor, it looks like you might have room for a widthwise rib to span the gap just in front of the foot switch.  Without running the numbers, I suspect it might be all you need.  I've always liked designs with an angled top and protection for the knobs.  Good luck with it.

Yeah, I had the same thought about a rib across the top, although it's a small top piece... I don't know that it will a problem (for me at least).

BTW, the dimensions shown on the front and back pieces are off by 1/2", but I can't fix that until Monday. 

[Tantalum7]

I'm frequently surprised at how strong common structural materials can be when you're only spanning small distances.  You're probably right in thinking that the plywood will be fine by itself.  I'm still deciding how to box up my ADA clone (while waiting for backordered components to come in) and wishing that I still had access to a box brake and jump shear.   

[David]

You might cheat and use a piece of Masonite to mount the stomp switch to.  This stuff is rigid as heck and you don't get any flex at all until the piece is a good ten to twelve inches long.  I know.  I just built a mini-pedalboard out of it.  Another thing you could do is insert some metal pieces at the front of your box that are bent to resemble the letter 'C'.  You could also reinforce the stompswitch area with plumber's pipe strap mounted underneath.

I like to think outside of the (stomp) box...

[John Lyons]

Paul
If you are going with 1/4" material I'd go with masonite as well.
Although you will have to recess for all the jacks and pots bushings.
Plywood chips and splinters too easily for my tastes... It's just pine
or spruce so it's not the best for the job. Too soft.
I'd also use cleats/corner braces for the corners to gain strength
and to give more surface area for your glue to hold.
A half inch cleat along all the seems should be fine.

Is Mick Farlow out of the ADA enclosures? That would be my first choice.
If I build a wood box I want to see the wood...

john

[Paul Marossy]

I have the enclosure done as of this morning, but I can't post any pictures of it right now because my main computer is broke and this P.O.C. that I am using right now won't recognize my camera. 

Anyway, I built it out of 1/4" plywood, and it turned out incredibly well considering what primitive means I have at my disposal as far as woodworking goes. It's amazingly sturdy and the way I have constructed it, I'm not worried at all about it breaking or anything. 

I will post pictures of my progress as ASAP...

[Paul Marossy]

Just a quick update:

The enclosure has turned about fabulous! And much better than I thought it would. I went with a alligator skin Tolex-like material for a covering on it, and the application of it was just the same as covering the tube amp heads that I built. I must say, it looks great - very professional looking and you would never know how the enclosure was constructed by looking at it.. 

I willl upload the pictures of it when I go back to work on Monday since this lousy computer I have to work with at the moment refuses to recognize my camera as another "drive" even though it knows what camera it is that is plugged into it. 

Now all I need is my parts from Mouser and I can complete the PCB and wiring it. Woo hoo! 

[Paul Marossy]

OK, as promised, here are some pictures of it in progress. From quick idea for enclosure design to reality: 24 hours. The layout fairly closely follows the layout of a real ADA Flanger, except that the topside controls are mirrored to allow for neater wiring inside the enclosure.

This is the interior just after the wood glue was all dry and it was all ready for sanding/filling. The blocks at lower left & right are for mounting the PCB to the enclosure.


This the exterior of the enclosure, looking at it from the rear. The plywood chipped in a couple places, but the application of some wood glue to the chips fixed that right up. The pieces are not only glued together, but also fastened together with some 3/8" staples carefully inserted with a staple gun.


Checking the fit of the parts inside of the enclosure.


Exterior rear view showing placement of pots and jacks.


Interior view showing how the PCB will fit inside the enclosure.


Shielding applied to the interior of the enclosure.


Enclosure with the alligator skin tolex-like material applied to it and the control panel installed. The camera flash makes it look like it has more contrast than it really does in person.


Right rear corner.


Looking at the rear again.


Steel bottom cover plate made from the bottom of a salvaged, er sacrificed rabbit ear TV antenna.


Cost for this project will be well under $100. This is one of those times when building a DIY version of something will save you a lot of money.   

When will the rest of those parts get here from www.Mouser.com?! I want to fire this thing up! 

[David]

Steel bottom cover plate made from the bottom of a salvaged, er sacrificed rabbit ear TV antenna.

Quoting Ozzy Fudd:  KILL THE WABBIT!  Paul, that thing is suh-WEET!   

[Paul Marossy]

Steel bottom cover plate made from the bottom of a salvaged, er sacrificed rabbit ear TV antenna.

Quoting Ozzy Fudd:  KILL THE WABBIT!  Paul, that thing is suh-WEET!   

Thanks, glad you like it. If I hadn't been inside a few ADA Flangers, I probably wouldn't have come up with a design like this. I think it's one of the coolest things I have built to date.

[Nasse]

Plywood is very nice material. Last summer I did a plywood box for a fuzzface. I used 9 mm birch plywood. Paint job was quick and dirty, I just used black water based paint that they use for pro speaker cabinets for that wrinkled look. DuraTex is popular us brand and in the eu they use Warnex, for example. I just used small foam roller. Just two or three coats with no base coat needed. Few months later I saw the pedal and the paint was in good condition. If I use it again it might be good to use some kind of black color for the wood. Snakeskin adds value I think

[Paul Marossy]

Plywood is very nice material. Last summer I did a plywood box for a fuzzface. I used 9 mm birch plywood. Paint job was quick and dirty, I just used black water based paint that they use for pro speaker cabinets for that wrinkled look. DuraTex is popular us brand and in the eu they use Warnex, for example. I just used small foam roller. Just two or three coats with no base coat needed. Few months later I saw the pedal and the paint was in good condition. If I use it again it might be good to use some kind of black color for the wood. Snakeskin adds value I think

I also was considering a black "hammered" look spray paint, but I felt that the material I had in mind would be a lot cooler. I'm glad I went that route instead of paint.

EDIT: BTW, I uploaded a corrected version of my enclosure drawing just in case anyone might want to use it - http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/ADA-FlangerEnclosure.pdf

[carrejans]

I can't see any pics...

[Paul Marossy]

I can't see any pics...

Your IP address is probably one that I had to ban due to spammers at my forum. 

[carrejans]

Too bad...


Can anyone tell me which size of enclosure (Hammond) is the best for this flanger?

Does Mic Farlow still sells his sloped ones?

[Auke Haarsma]

I can't see any pics...

Your IP address is probably one that I had to ban due to spammers at my forum. 

Same for me. Are you sure my IP(range) is listed as a SPAMbot?

[Paul Marossy]

I can't see any pics...

Your IP address is probably one that I had to ban due to spammers at my forum. 

Same for me. Are you sure my IP(range) is listed as a SPAMbot?

I dunno. What's your IP address?

[Tantalum7]

Too bad...


Can anyone tell me which size of enclosure (Hammond) is the best for this flanger?

Does Mic Farlow still sells his sloped ones?

The Hammond 1590DD gives you plenty of room to fit everything.  I did a SolidWorks layout for the the 1590 to verify that all the options and switches I wanted would fit, but I've been told that a 1790NS might be bit enough, but it would require excellent planning and be a tight fit.