Par Metal ?!?

[DarthFader]

oh no

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/extra-alarm-fire-rages-at-warehouse-in-north-arlington-n-j/

 

[emrr]

oh shit

 

[desol]

That sucks?

 

[Ptownkid]

Uh oh....I was just about to place a sizeable order...

 

[Rochey]

Wow. I read that everyone is safe.  That's the important thing.

I was just about to order from them too!

Eeek.

/r

 

[3nity]

Yeah Antek stuff is out of stock too!
Real bad!

 

[Brian Roth]

Over the weekend, I was pricing out a custom gadget for a client, using a Par chassis and Antek power xfmr.  Dang.....

So, what other (USA) choices do we have for "generic" rack boxes these days?  I've been using Par for YEARS now and haven't looked into alternatives.  As for the xfmrs, there are other choices...but typically for a LOT more money.

Bri

 

[Ptownkid]

http://statter911.com/2013/01/24/raw-video-radio-traffic-multi-alarm-fire-at-metal-products-warehouse-in-north-arlington-nj/

 

[Spiritworks]

Redco Audio carries empty rack boxes. Look under their Rack accessories section.

 

[abechap024]

crap. that sucks. what about decent supplier of power transformers? Hope the had insurance..

 

[emrr]

I think the next best is the Middle Atlantic CH series, but there's only 3 height options and one depth.  I've been dissappointed with every other USA made rack I've tried.  I've only used the largest Budd for really huge jobs, they are ok, but  are finish, rougher on look, and twice as expensive.  I haven't used their smaller series. 

 

[abechap024]

Anyone ever use protocase? they have design software thats actually pretty easy to use.

 

[Rochey]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ (protocase)

 

[Ptownkid]

Yeah, protocase is ridiculous...i designed a chassis once and it was around $200...

 

[emrr]

A big  Budd case with all the parts runs close to $200 as a stock item.  Custom at $200 is comparatively competitive. 

 

[Ptownkid]

I wasn't custom really...it was made with their "stock parts" as I inquired how to make it cheap.

 

[Echo North]

Ya doing anything in lower qty isn't cheap just based on setup.  These specialty shops (same with the frontpanel places) also tend not to be set up for large orders.

I can get my 1176 custom cases at a reasonable price, but that is in qty with a lot of hunting for good shops.  I could probably easily offer them as a basic case if I increased the adjustably of the PCB rails, added XLR "punch-outs" and did a 1U as well.  I know people email me a fair bit looking to buy just the 1176 box.

Probably wouldn't be as cheap as the par-metal ones, but the quality is a lot higher.

Mike

Edit: After crunching the numbers they definitely would not be as cheap.  Maybe too much.

 

[emrr]

We also have Collective Cases and Dan's cases here, if they suit.  Maybe an opening for them to expand a bit. 

I've heard no statement from Par-Metal yet.  May be awhile even for that. 

 

[Echo North]

Ya about 5 times now over the past 3 years I've thought about doing a "high-end" DIY steel enclosure (based off my 2U FET) with PCB rails and extra features.  Then eventually I get to this point where I realize the massive investment it would take to get these down to a good price point. 

The pre-manufactured/imported stuff is hard to beat for a DIY enclosure.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Continuing advances in soft tooling should reduce the cost impact of (relatively) small runs. Back in the day with my kit business I would run hundreds of chassis at a time.

Just this morning I got an email in my inbox from a Chinese metal factory with 300 employees.  8)

It seems a generic 1u, 2u, 3u series of metal chassis could sell enough to justify tooling up, but you still have a significant investment to buy even a hundred of each size.

It seems a generic chassis , with full custom (flat) front and back plates could cover most bases.

JR