5e3 cabinet build

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tommyk
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:27 pm

5e3 cabinet build

Post by tommyk »

I’m starting my first amp build (5e3) and am hoping some of you experienced builders can give me a hand on a few of the following items:

• I plan on flipping the chassis on edge to create a front facing control panel and flip the tubes 90 degrees. Are there any nuanced design considerations here? I expect that some of the wire runs will be a bit longer than traditional.
• I plan to build a cabinet similar to the one pictured with no fasteners on the front face. I’d appreciate any recommendations on design considerations. At this point I think my plan is to build a larger cabinet than traditional and make the front opening big enough to accommodate removal of the baffle board so that I can have cleats to the rear of the baffle board. An alternative would be to mount the baffle board from the rear but I’m not keen on screwing into the amp facia. Any ideas?
• Regarding the amp front – Should I groove the 4 sides of the box to accommodate the face? Maybe grooved dovetails on two sides? Do you think this should be glued in or allowed to float (for expansion with the weather)? If it is floating do you think the piping in the photo is serving as a vibration muffler or is merely decorative?
I intend the cabinet to be a piece of furniture and make it larger than standard in case I want to put a different project into it in the future.
thanks
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xtian
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Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:15 pm
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Re: 5e3 cabinet build

Post by xtian »

Most of your design questions will have visible solutions when you start to sketch things out.

There's no reason wires will have to be longer to reach tube sockets. Place the sockets near your turret board, and there you go.

I see no reason to float your front panel. It's cabinetry and you're building a box. OTOH, a floating speaker baffle is a thing, and allows the baffle to vibrate along with the speaker.
I build and repair tube amps. http://amps.monkeymatic.com
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