Mix Bus Compressor from scratch

[DaveP]

Rock, you must be single, you have drilled into the washing machine and nobody has killed you!!
best
DaveP

 

[sahib]

Rock, you must be single, you have drilled into the washing machine and nobody has killed you!!
best
DaveP

Dave I admire your metalwork.

Rock reminded me of a friend I had years ago, who was much much older than I was and sadly passed away. He was a keen outdoor person and camper and a brilliant marine modelmaker. One day he turned up at my workshop with a brand new car. Started ripping the interiors. Removed the front passenger seat to make place for his wood stove, yes, you've heard correct, his wood stove. Back seat out and the lot. The whole interior was down to bear metal in a couple of hours. It was all going well until he drilled into the petrol tank. It was like, awww, eff sake!!! But, plugged in a dowel and kept going. His marriage was intact.

 

[rock soderstrom]

Rock, you must be single, you have drilled into the washing machine and nobody has killed you!!
best

You're right, I'm single and live in an attic apartment. My workshop for bigger things is in the basement of the house, four floors down, and because I'm lazy, I use my washing machine in the bathroom for such things and avoid the stairs.

I'm really glad that I don't have to explain the hole in the washing machine to someone. You really can't miss it and it would put your partner in a bad mood for weeks. Guaranteed!

 

[ruffrecords]

Fractionally OT, but our built in dishwasher died a few weeks ago. Our plumber came round to remove it and fit a new one. Apparently they are just held in by four screws at the front. The plumber undid these and started to pull out the dishwasher. It got about 6 inches then stuck. Nothing he did could make it move further. Then we looked at the work surface extension we had recently had fitted next to the dishwasher. Turned out the chippie used screws fix it to the existing work surface that were so long they went right through the woodwork and into the dishwasher. Doh!

Cheers

Ian

 

[pvision]

British craftsmanship at its best! Long live the British workman, you can always rely on them

 

[MidnightArrakis]

British craftsmanship at its best! Long live the British workman, you can always rely on them

Especially during World War 2!!!

/

 

[Barry Hufker]

Shh! All differences forgotten -- and no need to mention the war...
(Fawlty Towers)

 

[ruffrecords]

British craftsmanship at its best! Long live the British workman, you can always rely on them

Like everything else, there are good and bad examples. Our plumber, for instance, is absolutely great - very clever guy, definitely wasted as a plumber but his problem solving skills are first class.

Cheers

Ian

 

[DaveP]

You never know where Groupdiy will take you, we have now toured domestic appliance maltreatment.

Anyway, back to the job in hand, I have started wiring it all together in the process of joining the back to the front.



I have also settled on this layout for the compressor itself.



I will turn this into a hole drilling plan for the valve base panel.

best
DaveP

 

[DaveP]

After a lot of head scratching and anticipation, I decided against that plan and settled on this one.



This is with the valve bases fitted



And the tag strips.



Now this is settled I can make more progress.
best
DaveP

 

[C.B. - Boudio]

I am sorry if I have missed it, but what are the values for the in-and output transformers and the control voltage as mentioned in the schematic?
This looks like something I want to try myself as soon as possible, it is totally what I am looking for!
Could it also be possible to use it unbalanced, with the output as a cathode follower?

 

[DaveP]

what are the values for the in-and output transformers and the control voltage as mentioned in the schematic?

The output from the bus is likely to be high so the input transformers are 15k:15k. The output transformers are 15k:600.

Could it also be possible to use it unbalanced, with the output as a cathode follower?

I don't see why not, but these circuits have been chosen for the sound and you might lose that with a different output.

best
DaveP

 

[Johnny1234]

Quick question Dave, I only see cut outs for 6 tube. Doesn't you compressor use 8 tubes?

 

[DaveP]

Doesn't you compressor use 8 tubes?

Two of them are twin tubes
DaveP

 

[Johnny1234]

6 active stages of 6DT8 is 4 tubes. 2 EF83 and 2 E83F is eight, Am I just being stupid?

 

[DaveP]

I have finished the placement of the input and output transformers.
These are the outputs:-

I had to make spacers to get them to fit level in the available space. This supporting wall has to have capacitors on the other side so I had to find a position where the fixings didn't interfere with the transformers.
These are the inputs:-

I also had to find positions that would allow me to fix the valvebase panel without drilling into the transformers!
best
DaveP

 

[DaveP]

6 active stages of 6DT8 is 4 tubes. 2 EF83 and 2 E83F is eight, Am I just being stupid?

If you read from the begining you will discover that the side-chain (6DT8's) are common to both channels.
best
DaveP

 

[Johnny1234]

Thank you for clarifying, Your build is a true work of art.

 

[rock soderstrom]

What I take away from this thread is Dave's construction method with the aluminum angles, I probably would have tried it with bent sheet metal, of course without a proper folding bench and would certainly have failed big time. It's much easier and more precise this way, very good!

 

[DaveP]

What would be really useful is a large guillotine, then the cut edges are straight and at right angles. It is very time consuming cutting with a jig-saw and then getting a straight edge to within a quarter of a millimeter with a file and a steel ruler.
best
DaveP