Machining Mic Bodies?

[ognam2]

this one looks nice... wich material is this tube made of?

Jonas

 

[craigmorris74]

Marik,

How did you get your cuts so neat? Meticulous filing?

Craig

 

[Marik]

It is a standard copper plumbing tube. They come in different diameters. The other end of coupling is a perfect fit for XLR connector. In the store they will cut both, tube and coupling to any size you ask.
The copper will oxidize very fast, so if you want that nice and shiny look you will need to clear coat it. I did not bother, so right now (a few years later) it has that "vintage and rustic green" look :shock: .

I cut the "window" using a milling machine and rotary table, but with some patience I am sure Dremel will do.

 

[ognam2]

nice work!
So is copper the best material for Mic Bodys? Or will Brass do the job as well? Why actually is aluminum bad for this? Actually it is a better conductor than brass.... I mean for shielding... hmm.

 

[burdij]

I prefer brass, especially the "360" type. It is much easier to machine than aluminum. Both are sufficient electrical conductors for electrostatic shielding and neither are magnetic metals so they are poor for magnetic shielding. Brass, right now, because of the price of copper, is fairly expensive but the ease of machining far outweighs the price difference in lost time.

Depending on how you plan to finish the outside, you might select one over the other. If you want to paint the outside or anodize it, you could use the aluminum. If you want to nickel plate it, for the more traditional microphone look, you would use brass. Plating aluminum with nickel is difficult and requires extra chemical processing steps.