Microphone Bodies from Scratch

I know nothing about metalworking apart from putting holes in front and back panels using chassis punches and using a jigsaw to hack a square panel for a VU meter..

So I don;t want to use an existing mic body but make one from scratch.

Is this a good starting point... from this UK supplier (I have bought odds and ends from them before)
http://www.jacrew.net/

Aluminium Round bar

Aluminium Alloy (HE30 TF)


All bar materials are sold in standard 12" lengths. Some larger sizes are in stock or can be obtained at short notice. Cutting charge for bar materials: Up to 2" dia. 35p per cut. 2" dia. and over 70p per cut.
Sheet materials, except where indicated are sold in standard sized sheets. However, we can cut to your requirements, but please add 60p cutting charge for each piece ordered (max dimension 24"). All sheet materials will be adequately packed to avoid damage in transit.


1/4" - £0.50 5/16" - £0.65 3/8" - £0.90 5/8" - £1.75
3/4" - £2.50 1" - £3.95 1.1/4" - £5.25 1.3/8" - £6.40
1.1/2" - £7.65 1.3/4" - £9.65 1/4" - £15.65 3/8" - £17.30
2.1/2" - £19.00 2.3/4" - £25.90 2.7/8" - £27.00 3" - £29.20

these seems to be massive rods, not tubes..

..but a very good resource, that dealer. Stainless steel mesh ("Gauze") and such..

Thanks..!

Jakob E.

[quote author="gyraf"]these seems to be massive rods, not tubes..

..but a very good resource, that dealer. Stainless steel mesh ("Gauze") and such..

Thanks..!

Jakob E.[/quote]
Thanks - back to the drawing board
Get the catalogue - fascinating...
BTW he's looking to sell the business - so keep a look out

..they have some pretty good deals on components - like 100K lin Citec pots at 0.4£, and polystyrene caps at 100 for 1.20£..

SIFAM Panel Meter with Ph scale: Price £4.95

And they even have glass Metal Seal - for producing your own vacuum tubes..

Hi Jakob,

The Sifam ph meter has an FSD of 1ma. Is this a suitable meter for the gssl? Very attractive pricing.

Thanks again!

Is this a suitable meter for the gssl?

Click to expand...

yes.

Great!! Thanks.

hi

this might help you with your mic bodies,,,
I used chrome plated brass (which will soldder unlike AL or stainless steel)
I bought it at a hardware store for about $3.00 US
I think it looks great and it was a soft metal thus easy to cut... well kinda..

I did a step by step documentation of how I did it here:

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=6973

of course there are more examples to be found in the mic meta's
one thing... i did mine with some very primitive tools....i didn't have a dremmel :sad:

but after borrowing one later on (after my body was finished) i would probably preferr the raw power of my hand grinder ...even though it is a bit dangerous and unforgiving... you just gotta hvae a steady hand.. :grin:
i did get my little finger "sucked" in between the blade and the guard , which pretty much sucked but suprisingly it didn't hurt very much...?)

anyway hope this helps and good luck
later
ts

My first stop is usually the hardware shop - take a couple connectors with you and just go around seeing what might fit and look nice. Copper water pipe, chromed sink drain pipes, etc.

[quote author="ToobieSnack"]
this might help you with your mic bodies,,,
I used chrome plated brass (which will soldder unlike AL or stainless steel)
I bought it at a hardware store for about $3.00 US
I think it looks great and it was a soft metal thus easy to cut... well kinda..
[/quote]

word. keep in mind that with Aluminum, Stainless, Titanium, Magnesium and a few of the light weight ones your going to have problems attaching two pieces together. stainless would be the easiest to TIG, but heaviest. Al is lighther and easier to machine and cut but your going to have to take it somewhere that has a TIG setup. Ti and Mg must be TIG'd in a vacuum chamber if done right to make a weld.

your solderable metals would be the easiest to prototype with, brass, copper, ect.

this is just to try to warn people that would try to investigate homemade aluminum or exotic metal mic bodies. might want to try it if you have money to blow but its not cheap.

heres an online US supplier of not to bad prices of metals.

www.onlinemetals.com

ebay is WAY cheaper, but i was talking about a static store with contiuous stock on a item.

also, you want tube and not round rod or bar. those are solid. unless you want to put it on a lathe or a CNC lathe to turn an angle or slope in it like an MXL mic body.
and im guessing you know about ID and OD in reference to tubing dimensions... OD is outer diameter, ID inner diameter, subtract the two and you have your wall thickness when its not outright stated. the thicker the wall the more expensive cause it becomes more like a round rod and round rod of most materials=$$$^4 of the same size but tubing.


goodluck.
t

[quote author="asm"]OD is outer diameter, ID inner diameter, subtract the two and you have your wall thickness when its not outright stated.[/quote]

Make that Wall thickness=(OD-ID)/2.

Peace,
Al.

I looked into that site and it seemed that Mcmaster Carr has better prices. I listed 2"od brass tube and it was priced at $15 a foot, and I've found on Mcmaster for under $10.
Just thought I should mention.. good link indeed..
Gil

Somebody here was using the McMaster-Carr "bar railing" (that foot-rail in a tavern) stuff - 2" brass pipe, and they have matching brass end caps. That's what I'm thinking of using for bigger mics.

There's always this method using bar railing. Up until now it seems I'm the only one who's gone this route but it isn't as hard as it looks. Before doing these mic bodies I had no experience with this. I just used hand tools and took my time.

http://www.timcampbell.dk/micfab.htm

Why do you need to be round?

Look at the square microphone in the meta, Also look at the one made from a piece of fence post.

I am coming around to square mics...
Especially if they look like this...

I am coming around to square mics...
Especially if they look like this...

http://www.violet-design.com/i/p_amethyst.jpg

if you like that one...
check out the link at the bottom of the violet page to: JZ recording

you will see a poster of a JZ-1 (like the one JZ has so kindly sent to me) it is VEERRRyy cool.. and has the squared body... looks nice..
and OH yeah ... I posted a pic of my JZ-1 in the brewery...

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7764

check it out

later
ts