Ampex Mechanical Drawing

[a soBer Newt]

Hello All,

Does anyone have any mechanical drawings from Ampex: 350/351/440 ECT I have this urge to go through and make full 3D models of entire machines so people can 3D print or get replacement parts made. Thought it might be an interesting project to give back to the community.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

Hello All,

Does anyone have any mechanical drawings from Ampex: 350/351/440 ECT I have this urge to go through and make full 3D models of entire machines so people can 3D print or get replacement parts made. Thought it might be an interesting project to give back to the community.

[Does anyone have any mechanical drawings from Ampex] -- As difficult as it is to even find the schematics of old AMPEX equipment, I have found it to be essentially -- IMPOSSIBLE -- to find > ANY < mechanical drawings of AMPEX equipment. let alone any -- DETAILED -- mechanical drawings that would allow someone to create any CAD-models of anything!!!

[I have this urge to go through and make full 3D models of entire machines] -- I would have to say that that is a rather lofty "aspiration and urge" on your part, considering all of the peripheral mechanical "brackets, do-dads and doo-hickey's" that are also a part of the main tape transport and the various electronic power-supplies, preamps and other electronics. In addition, you have to also keep in mind that these pieces of equipment were designed for -- what was available at the time -- and now, 50-years later, there are fastening/manufacturing/assembly items available now that weren't available back then.

Down below are a couple of quick CAD-models I have started to create for an AMPEX 350 power-supply for a member of this forum, just to show them what "could" be done using today's technology. But, nobody showed -- ANY -- interest in my CAD model whatsoever!!!

As kind of an example of what I was mentioning in my first paragraph, another forum member is interested in recreating a 1948 "RCA BR-2A Broadcast Equipment Panel & Shelf Unit" for use in their recording studio. The original unit was designed in such a way that the "shelf chassis" was spot-welded to some flanges created on the front-panel. In my re-designed unit, I attached the "shelf unit" to the front-panel using some "PEM-nuts" instead, mainly because it will be easier to assemble this way and also because it won't require having someone else needing to properly align the two pieces of sheet-metal together and then doing the spot-welding.

--- AMPEX 350 Basic Power-Supply Chassis



-- (RE-IMAGINED) 1948 --- RCA - BR-2A BROADCAST EQUIPMENT PANEL & SHELF UNIT --



While I certainly do applaud your efforts of wanting to create 3D CAD-models of the vintage AMPEX equipment, I would have to sadly say that both of our (meaning.....both YOU and I) mechanical CAD-design skills are > NOT < much wanted and/or very much appreciated here on this forum!!! It seems as though that having schematics, knowing how to bias transistors, knowing how to best use certain IC chips, knowing which capacitors to use where and on and on and on are the hot topics on this forum. Being able to recreate vintage audio equipment using today's latest 3D CAD-modeling software is not desired very much on this forum.

Of course.....this just comes from my own personal observations and interactions with other forum members on here. There is always the possibility that 3D Solid-Modeling could be flourishing somewhere else on this forum that I am unaware of!!! Who knows???

Anyway.....just my 2-cents worth!!!

/

 

[radardoug]

Ampex always did mechanical drawings in their manuals, but not with dimensions.