Newbie:How do I make my project rack case look professional?

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
G

Guest

Guest
I've just gotten into DIY preamps, compressors, mics and the like, but the ones I've done have all been from kits (seventh circle, mojave audio, etc). I'm looking to do the Gryaf SSL mix buss compressor project, but would like to house it in a professional looking rack. Or at least something nicer than what I would make. I've seen links to place that will customize the front panel, and links to places to get plain rack boxes. But how do I get a plan rack box with a custom front? Should I just order both and hope the custom front fits on the box?

Sorry if this is a dumb newbie question....gotta start somewhere, though.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to hanging around this board a lot in the future....
 
Where are you located? I'm in the U.S. and have just begun buying cases from www.par-metal.com and then sending the front panels to www.frontpanelexpress.com. If you do the design properly (component diameters and tolerances) then it should be seemless and pro looking.
 
ummm.... you might think about buying some cases from www.par-metal.com.

As for the front panels, well, there's this software called front panel designer.......

Personally, I'm servin up some tasty chemicals at present trying to perfect a homebrew, pro looking front panel etching gajizmo, using info gathered from different corners of the lab.

I'll be posting results when it looks damn spiffy (and not till then =) ), or not at all if I fail miserably.

ju
 
I just found an old link for this, has anyone tried this thing yet? I think I might buy one in the coming days...

http://www.etch-o-matic.com/EOM.html


dave
 
[quote author="soundguy"]etch-o-matic

[/quote]

man, I love anything that is an "o-matic" :grin:

especially the Bass-O-Matic 76!!

Sorry to go ot like that :wink:

Cheers,
Caine
 
How about the 'ol paint n' stencil? I did this once and it turned out OK but the paint has begun to chip around the rack screws...I don't know if I needed more coats, or stronger paint, or what, but it put me off this method. maybe I'll try again when I do a What compressor. It's screaming for that Joe Meek green.
 
That etch-o-matic looks cool! I could put my name on all my microphones and XLRs.

I have used SuperCal ink-jet decal paper on a lot of my stuff.
http://www.supercaldecals.com/
la2a1.jpg
 
[quote author="nacho459"]That etch-o-matic looks cool! I could put my name on all my microphones and XLRs.

I have used SuperCal ink-jet decal paper on a lot of my stuff.
http://www.supercaldecals.com/
la2a1.jpg
[/quote]

Hey, that looks great! Think I'll give that a shot....and add a few more coats of spray laquer.
 
I printed my own front panel on a laser printer, using the backing from old FedEx labels, printed reversed, then transferred onto metal sprayed with 3M Super 77 which had been allowed to go tacky for 3 minutes.

The result? -Judge for yourself: Here's mine next to a re-issue! (mine's the one on the bottom BTW)
2LA2small.jpg

...and in case you're womdering why mine is silver instead of grey, Here's two real ones, both silver:
Cali-1-and-2.jpg


Total cost to print the panel: less than a dollar. Some clear lacquer over it, and it's all very durable! :thumb:

Keith
 
[quote author="SSLtech"]I printed my own front panel on a laser printer, using the backing from old FedEx labels, printed reversed, then transferred onto metal sprayed with 3M Super 77 which had been allowed to go tacky for 3 minutes.
Keith[/quote]

Keith, I'm not really familliar with the labels that you are referring to. Do you mean that you printed on the smooth stuff that is designed to release a label without sticking, then pulled the toner off that substrate with the tacky 3M adhesive? The results are excellent. Did you do a clear coat over it later, without being affected by the Super 77 residue?

-Chris
 
Back
Top