Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Express, Liverpool, Rocket, Dirty Little Monster, etc.

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RJ Guitars
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by RJ Guitars »

JP, For the chassis you are using it will require #10-32 screws that go directly into those mounting inserts. The length of them will vary depending in part on the thickness of the wood you used. If you want to do something very clever but simple you can add the rubber feet along with the screws that mount the chassis to the cabinet to hold everything together. Alternatively you can mount the feet with one set of screws and attach the cabinet with another.
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JPGraphX
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by JPGraphX »

Cool! Thanks a lot!

No need to put a cover on the aluminum chassis right?

Will post HD pictures when I'm over.


JP
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RJ Guitars
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by RJ Guitars »

JPGraphX wrote:Cool! Thanks a lot!

No need to put a cover on the aluminum chassis right?

Will post HD pictures when I'm over.


JP
Actually a cover does good things for you, especially in an environment where you have a lot of electrical noise. You never know when that is going to occur so a cover is cheap insurance. One thing about the cover is that it can be made from any metal sheet or even screen. You want it to make contact with the chassis so it's grounded, otherwise it's real simple. Fender went for years with just a piece of screen stapled to the cabinet itself. That is what I tend to use for myself.
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Ron Worley
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by Ron Worley »

RJ Guitars wrote:JP, For the chassis you are using it will require #10-32 screws that go directly into those mounting inserts. The length of them will vary depending in part on the thickness of the wood you used. If you want to do something very clever but simple you can add the rubber feet along with the screws that mount the chassis to the cabinet to hold everything together. Alternatively you can mount the feet with one set of screws and attach the cabinet with another.
Yeah, come to think of it, 1/4" isn't right. Sorry, it's been 10 years since I drew those up.
Ron
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Phil_S
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by Phil_S »

I know it's chintzy, but I coat the bottom of the cab with a light layer of glue and apply a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil (from the kitchen roll). Rub it onto the glue using a rag or your hand. It works as well as anything else. It's cheap and it's easy to do. No special tools required.
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Metal

Post by ampmike »

I bought a rool of that metal tape at Home Depot.For combos I put it on the back baffle where the guts get covered :D
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Soldering to aluminium foil

Post by dotfret »

Trade secret: you can solder to aluminium foil for earthing connections. You need a big iron or soldering gun, about 50W - 60W.

First, you get your duct tape in place. Scratch over the area you want to use as an earthing point with the tip of a craft knife - that removes enough plastic coat, if present (it usually is).

Get a big blob of solder on the end of the iron, still smoking with flux. Keeping the iron in contact, dump that blob onto the area and scratch through it with the craft knife.

The oxide layer on the surface of the aluminium is removed by the knife tip, the solder will adhere to the aluminium. Once you have created your blob, you can solder earth connections to that blob. Or you can blob between individual lengths of tape to screen larger areas. The big trick is to scratch with the knife tip as you place the solder blobs, to remove the oxide layer on the surface of the aluminium foil.
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RJ Guitars
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by RJ Guitars »

Ron Worley wrote: ...it's been 10 years since I drew those up.
That is some really nice work Ron. I gave a printout to a local woodworker and he has been putting out some killer cabs based on your drawings.
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JPGraphX
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by JPGraphX »

RJ Guitars wrote: Actually a cover does good things for you, especially in an environment where you have a lot of electrical noise. You never know when that is going to occur so a cover is cheap insurance. One thing about the cover is that it can be made from any metal sheet or even screen. You want it to make contact with the chassis so it's grounded, otherwise it's real simple. Fender went for years with just a piece of screen stapled to the cabinet itself. That is what I tend to use for myself.
Why does it need to be grounded??
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martin manning
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by martin manning »

Faraday cage (noun, Physics)
1. an enclosure constructed of grounded wire mesh or parallel wires that shields sensitive electrical instruments from electrostatic interference.

If the cage is a closed conductive surface, electric charges on the cage caused by external electrical fields are evenly distributed, which cancels the field's effect on things in the cage's interior. Grounding the cage bleeds any induced noise voltage to ground.
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by RJ Guitars »

Without the ground is just Sorta like a big antenna gathering up wicked little electrical noises. Once you ground it you block those noises out by shorting them all to ground.
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JPGraphX
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by JPGraphX »

Ahhh.. I should have though about it ! ;)
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M Fowler
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by M Fowler »

Just order a bottom plate from www.rjguitars.net or from Hammond or Bud they fit nice.

Put adhesive backed cork on the bottom plate next to wood cab surface to absorb vibration.

I must confess I actually haven't used a bottom plate or tin foil for about 2 years. :D

Mark
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Richie
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by Richie »

For years,i used the aluminum sheets from this place[link below]. A bit thicker than roof flashing, but thinner than the bud bottoms. About perfect. Plus they can be used for making front and back plates for other amp stuff. Different colors etc..

http://www.maintrophysupply.com/
JPGraphX
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Re: Trainwreck Express Head Cabinet step by step

Post by JPGraphX »

My build is over ! Thanks to everyone !!!

JP
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