Repurposed Enclosures - Please post pics

[critterkllr]

Enclosures are a decent chunk of the expense when building gear. I was wondering if any of you have found any creative ways to re-purpose something to use for an enclosure.

One thing that I've found simple is to use old computer power supply cases for a PSU. They're normally well ventilated and have holes already drilled from the power and switch. They look professional and you can find old computers waiting to be thrown away all over the place.

Here's an enclosure that I'm using for 2 Neve preamps (will be adding 2 more and 4 API preamps) and will be building a Pultec EQP-1A in the bottom. It's an old Navy radio. It sat on local Craigslist antiques section for about 6 months asking $40. I figured if nobody wanted the big guy, I could definitely re-purpose it and turn it into something cool for my studio.

Please post pics of ways that you've found to "recycle" enclosures. Whether its purely for function or something that you find aesthetically appealing!

P.S. I always thought it would be cool to take an old tube or volt meter and use it for an SSL bus comp.

 

[tv]

aww that looks so cool, mann...

 

[critterkllr]

aww that looks so cool, mann...

Oops! I'm just trying to get ideas on how to save some money and reuse things that people throw away. Using that saves me $410 on enclosures. Every bit helps.

 

[tv]

???
what I said was verbatim

 

[critterkllr]

???
what I said was verbatim

Sorry! Hard to tell. Dealing with cranky people at work all day must have made me cranky 

 

[zebra50]

I think it looks awesome too. I always wanted my studio to look like something out of a 50's b-movie. That wold fit right in!

I have built a few preamps and compressors into salvaged enclosures from scientific instruments, but nothing quite as cool as that.

 

[critterkllr]

Stuff like this pops up on the Craigslist antiques section all the time. I'd love to find something like this for an SSL bus comp.

 

[zebra50]

No. That's a tube tester and therefore officially USEFUL junk!

 

[dfuruta]

I work at a surplus store and we have a large amount of stuff like that coming through - old oscillators, military radio equipment, even (recently) some 1950s signal corps facsimile machines.  Just can't bring myself to gut them...

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't have a good photo but back in the early '70s I built a 4 channel power amp into WE-32C PS chassis... about 2' tall and heavy, but the transformer I mounted into weighed 65# by itself.

Maybe i'll  shoot a photo next weekend... still in my living room and working (?) but i rarely listen to my hifi system these days. 

JR

 

[Dreams]

I'll bite. Here's a few things.

Almost all of my re-purposed enclosure stuff is more aligned with the 'hobby' side of what I do, so it's mostly smaller tube-based stuff. I mostly build this stuff when I realize that I have most of the parts laying around taking up space.

Mono hifi amp with Dynaco parts

 

[Dreams]

I wanted to see how small I could make a Fender Deluxe. Worked pretty good, but the power trans needed to be connected externally ....oh well

5E3-type circuit

 

[critterkllr]

I wanted to see how small I could make a Fender Deluxe. Worked pretty good, but the power trans needed to be connected externally ....oh well

5E3-type circuit

Nice! I built a 5E1 Champ into a 50's radio shell that was gutted. Reminds me of this.

 

[ruffrecords]

I like the idea of using old PC power supplies as enclosures for your own PSUs. Really neat.

Cheers

Ian

 

[JohnRoberts]

Here's a picture of my old power amp (4x250W) that I built back in the early '70s into the chassis of a power supply for an old WE32C.

The front compartment that was full of capacitors got cleaned out and held my 2 to 4 channel SQ or whatever convertor, and the Eq for my DIY 16 driver (bose 901 like) speakers. Long since retired into a dumpster. 

The unit sitting on top of it is one of my old surround sound delay line kits from the '80s.

Still worked last time I fired it up but i rarely listen to vinyl or FM (you can just see the edge of my old AR FM tuner).

You can't see it well in the picture, but there is big rotary power switch roughly in the middle front of the chassis. I repurposed the tube heater position to provide s soft start for large bank of PS caps, then powered the speaker relay and shorted the soft start resistor in second on position. 

JR

 

[bruce0]

I love reusing old stuff in DIY.  Transformers, op-amps, caps, cases, connectors you name it. 
But limiting the thread to cases...  Here are some projects

4 channel Hamptone LCMP Tube Mic Pre using recycled 1:10 beyer transformers, recycled altec 15095 transformers for output, using home etched PCB's that mount in the old Altec rack mixer plugs and re-using the old Altec rack mixer case.  Back panel has pluggable output transformers.

A GDIY 51X PSU made out of an old preamp case that I harvested Altec transformers from.  Then I used the Heat Sink from another old Mixer/Amplifier, cut it in half lengthwise, and used it for the Front Panel and to hold the indicator LED's and to cool the PSU.  I did two different versions of this.  They are written up with photo's in the GDIY 51X PSU thread

First one.

Second one..using the other half of the reused heat sink..

An old neutrik patch panel with some broken Jacks.  I took the broken jacks out and put them at one end and turned them into H-Pads (balanced pads) to attenuate line level down to Mic level.  Just unsoldered the broken jack, and wired resistors onto the existing pads and re-inserted the cards in the case.

Just taking old moons off the sky, cutting them up into new stars... and putting them back again....

...
So I climbed all day long and I came to the top of the first stalk and there was a little cabin there.  And I knocked on the door and somebody says come in and I came in, and there was a woman sitting on the stool, and she was taking old moons down off the sky, and cutting them up into new stars and putting them back again.

And so we chatted a while and she says why don’t you go over and visit my husband.

And next to the beanstalk there was another beanstalk with another cabin. And I came running along the front porch of the cabin and give a leap, and I was just was able to catch the stalk, and I went in and knocked the door and somebody says come-in and I went in and there was an old man sitting on the stool, and he was taking down the old stars off the sky, sewing them up into new moons, and putting em back again.

 

[critterkllr]

Nice! I love the idea of a forgotten piece of gear transforming into a well loved studio centerpiece.

 

[bieckmusic]

Missile launcher pre-amp, compressor, eq project...  Just getting ready to start!

  ;D