A Crack being built in Sweden

[ffivaz]

Did you "paint" (clear coat) it anyhow? I think that without some treatment, the aluminium will oxydize quite fast. I had the problem with a turntable platter. I worked hours to make it shine and after a few weeks it was like before...

 

[Lugnegard]

Polished aluminium doesn't really lend itself to be clear coated, at least that's what I know 

 

[Grainger49]

I will do a little sanding on my car's front fender this morning.  Just 3000 grit, then a polish.

I wish I could get such an even smooth finish as you have on your base.

 

[Lugnegard]

So lesson  learned. After spending many hours sanding and polishing the chassi plate to a near mirror finish I came to the conclusion that it had to be painted instead. The aluminium is soft, very soft, and therefore very very sensitive to scratches. It was almost impossible to handle it without leaving small marks on it. Just placing the volume knob would dent it...
So doing the assembly and soldering without leaving scuff marks and scratches felt like a "mission impossible". This was a hard call, I really really liked the mirror finish and worked pretty hard to get there, but in the end it had to work in everyday life.

I gave the plate a coat of matte black acrylic and then a few thin layers of car paint. Real car paint (bought at a paint shop) is great since it comes without any clear coat and creates a finish similar to what you get when anodizing metal. Of course, when using it on cars you need a clear coat, but in this case I wanted that anodized look.

On my next build I will get a stainless chassi plate cut in a water jet instead.

 

[MattTCG]

That's a shame about the scratching on the plate. It was very nice work. Base looks great as well.

 

[mcandmar]

That is a shame, you should have tried a clear coat on it.

 

[Lugnegard]

Unfortunately polished aluminium doesnt take clear coat very well. It's very hard to get that bright shine after a clear coat. It's will most likely get cloudy

 

[PassionForSound]

Wow. What a beautiful build!!

I can't wait to see what you've done with the paint on the top plate now because you clearly have wonderful taste in the aesthetics of your kit.

 

[Lugnegard]

Thanks Loquah

Building this has really become a drug, can't stay away from it

I just might pour some aceton and mineral spirit on the chassi plate, just can't let go of that mirror finish.... Right know it looks anodized, pretty nice, but a tad boring.
Getting the look just right is very important to me, that's a result of being an industrial designer I guess.
Since the volume knobs I bought on ebay are designed for Alps Blue, I had to drill them up about 1.5mm to fit the standard potentiometer. I'm saving one for future upgrades

The transformer + Bell is now all matte black, it looked more pro that way. I've even painted the long screws black

 

[Strikkflypilot]

Hello fellow Scandinavian.
Since You are currently on that anodized look, You might consider this.
I thought the stock screws were too much in contrast and
ordered some socket head screws, anodized.
Shoot me a PM if interested.

 

[Lugnegard]

Thanks for the offer! I'll get some socket screws aswell, but with a dome head

 

[Strikkflypilot]

Sure.
Might fit Your more rounded design better.

 

[Lugnegard]

A little update 

 

[mcandmar]

What mains cable are you using, it looks pretty heavy duty?

 

[Lugnegard]

Im using a swedish high-end brand called Supra.

 

[Lugnegard]

I just had to do a test assembly of the parts

 

[2wo]

I have to say, buffing to top plate was worth the effort, looks great.

Maybe cover it with painters tape to protect it during assembly and peal it off when you are done...John 

 

[Grainger49]

I agree.  It is stunning!

 

[Lugnegard]

This has been one of the most rewarding and stimulating projects I have done in a long time. It allowed me to stretch my skills when it came to wood working and finishing. I don't know how many hours I've spent on the wood enclosure, getting that grain to pop, making the surface silk smooth and at the same time treating it like a new-born to avoid dents and imperfections.
It turned out much better then I thought it would. The wooden enclosure did take me much longer then I thought it would, but then the level of finish, the touch and color even passed my reference object (my piano). It is very hard to capture the depth and colors of the grain.

The soldering was pretty straight forward and took me about 9 hours to complete (3 nights). It felt almost sad when it was done, really enjoyed the process.

The mains cable turned out really nice and is built using Supra Lorad 2.5 and Furutech IEC (and techflex + heatshrinks).

Btw, since it was so much fun I've decided to do it all over again ;D Which means that this fine specimen is up for sale as of today 
I will add a Speedball upgrade if the buyer wants me too.

 

[Strikkflypilot]

Stunning!
Sweden 12 points