Trace combo head in a case

[fleabag]

Has anyone removed a TE combo head and stuck it in a case?  It needs building from scratch i would imagine as the TE combo heads are wider than their solo head counterparts.

 

If you built a case, can you show how it was done ?  Chars

Edited May 22, 2023 by fleabag

[Downunderwonder]

If I was doing it I would probably be wanting a less heavy lift.

 

Being that the combo is hardly worth anything in the UK it would be tempting to do surgery. Also a good excuse to buy one of those oscillating waggle saw gizmos.

 

Circular saw would do as good of job.

 

Whip the top case off. Slap a new bottom on the three sides for the amp. Paint the exposed top of the cab. Job done.

 

It would match nicer than anything you could make to go on top of speaker with window feature.

[JoeEvans]

It's harder than it ought to be to join two pieces of plywood at right angles to each other. If you use screws they're going into end grain and won't hold as well; glue only has a small surface area with a lot of leverage to pull it apart 

The ideal would be to use a router and a dovetail template to dovetail the corners. If you did that, the joins would be so strong that you could use lighter ply - maybe 9mm.

I think flight case suppliers sell aluminium extrusions for forming right angle joints. That would be a much quicker option and cheaper by far if you don't already have a router...

[fleabag]

Yup, i was thinking right angles, and agree with your assessment of screw and glue being weak due to surface area.  I would use some batten  on the 4 right angle joints. Maybe that would be enough reinforcement. ?  I'm looking at 18mm  hardwood ply right now.

 

I'm not good enough on a router to make  accurate DT joints.   Your alloy extrusions sound intersting

 

There's no front or back to worry about

[Paul S]

I had a TE combo head mounted in an ABS rack case which kept the weight down. 

[fleabag]

Was that custom made ?   TE Combo heads,  at least mine anyways, is 22 1/4 "  wide, so not yer standard  19"  rack mount

[Paul S]

Not custom made, not sure what the donor combo was, but it fitted in a treat. I'm sure I can dig out some pics although, for you, it wouldn't be very helpful. 

[Lfalex v1.1]

 

I did it.

 

Removed the head from my H122smx and built an Mdf sleeve.

 

I also cut the amp cavity off of the resulting cab and because I'd peeled the carpet covering off carefully, it folded  straight back over and recovered it. I put a terminal in the back of the cabinet and used it as a shallow 2x10 for many years without trouble.

 

Back to the amp...

 

I used 18mm MDF if memory serves. 

I cut full-width top and bottom panels, such that the end pieces would be sandwiched between them. I drilled and recessed the holes in the top panel that take the head retaining bolts before I built the enclosure. Lining them up is the most difficult part of the whole job. 

 

IIRC, I screwed and glued the head sleeve. I'd already sourced a matching (Penn fabrications) pop-out handle, rubber feet, corner protectors and carpet covering from a  Maplin store... shows how long ago it was!

 

I drilled pilot holes for everything, and amazingly it never fell apart. 

 

Good bits?

It worked.  I sold it. It carried on working..

It was easier to transport. 

The head and cab were a nice match as they were the same width.

 

Cons?

If you stood a 2x10 vertically,  the head was WAY wider than the cab! And would only stand on top with the addition of extra feet (be mindful of where you position them!)

 

No photos exist,  I'm afraid. Any that might have been taken are now lost. 

 

 

 

I found 2. Both from poor quality live photos. They only show the end result,  though. 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Lfalex v1.1

[fleabag]

Thanks Lf

 

I wont be cutting anything on the cab itself.  It's vintage and want to keep it as is, so the head can be put back when required.

 

Any MDF or Plywood sleeve would be built so that the head can be unscrewed and removed anytime.   I can use the 4 top mount holes as in the original mount.

It will sit on a Barefaced 4x10 which is exactly the same width as the TE combo.  About 2ft IIRC - very convenient.  the 4x10 BF is also the same size front to back so no overhang there either.

 

I would just be sanding the sleeve and coating with Poly varnish.  If i covered it in Vinyl or carpet, it would be a struggle to get it back in the combo anytime

Edited May 23, 2023 by fleabag

[Paul S]

Found the pics.

 

[fleabag]

Thanks Paul, i now see the problem.  Your TE head is not as wide.  It looks more like a separate head, rather than a combo head

 

Check the photo of mine. I thought most combo TE heads had the wide  slotted ears each end , which i guess are for venting as they're not used as mounts.

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by fleabag

[fleabag]

[JoeEvans]

18mm ply feels like overkill to me, I would have thought 12mm would be ample.

If you Google "flight case parts" you should find loads of options for aluminium edge extrusions, although they tend to be for much thinner material, usually 6 or 7mm. 

[Paul S]

56 minutes ago, fleabag said:

 

Yes, quite a bit different.  I wonder what my ex-head started off life as?

[TheGreek]

Biscuits??

 

 

https://www.toolstation.com/trend-jointing-biscuit/p61698?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyLGjBhDKARIsAFRNgW_0Z-2rn5CvRMPWrbd4YvlRfpfJ2IfWyICupL9EYpjjkD8qvjlpBQ0aAlSLEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

 

[fleabag]

48 minutes ago, JoeEvans said:

18mm ply feels like overkill to me, I would have thought 12mm would be ample.

If you Google "flight case parts" you should find loads of options for aluminium edge extrusions, although they tend to be for much thinner material, usually 6 or 7mm. 

 

12mm would seem better for weight and cost , just wondering if it's sturdy enough.  I've had a look at edge extrusions / alloy angle plate and they're expensive

for what they are.

[fleabag]

32 minutes ago, Paul S said:

 

Yes, quite a bit different.  I wonder what my ex-head started off life as?

 

I wonder if it was an AH series - I.E. one TE 's stand alone heads. 

Unless someone cut the slotted end plates off a combo head, drilled the sides for attaching " ears " for a rack mount ?

[fleabag]

29 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Biscuits?

 

 

 

Not a good enough carpenter to go that route.

[Lfalex v1.1]

54 minutes ago, Paul S said:

 

Yes, quite a bit different.  I wonder what my ex-head started off life as?

 

Might it have been an "RAH"? That was a rack- mountable version of some  of the AH models.

[JoeEvans]

12mm would be plenty strong enough if you can make the joints strong. I've got a 15' rowing boat made of 6mm...

If you can fit a decent size batten in at the corners, ideally made of hardwood or decent quality softwood, that would be easily strong enough I reckon, glued with good wood glue (eg Gorilla) and screwed to hold it all together while the glue goes off. Then sand off the exteriors corners to leave them nicely rounded and paint or cover with vinyl or something....

Edited May 23, 2023 by JoeEvans

[fleabag]

Thats pretty much my plan right there.  No vinyl or such as it has to be stuck down, and then getting the head back in the combo would be

a right trauma. Varnish only

 

Currently have a stock of Titebond and plenty of screws.

 

I may need some ...are they called coach bolts ?.... to mount the amp from the top as it were mounted in the combo. 4 big round headed bolts, possibly allen head.

Edited May 23, 2023 by fleabag

[Lfalex v1.1]

Have you got the original bolts? I re-used those, and they were fine.

[BassmanPaul]

Looks to me that the amp chassis has ventilated spacers on each side of the amp. Have you taken the amp out of the combo and taken a look?

 

[Lfalex v1.1]

49 minutes ago, BassmanPaul said:

Looks to me that the amp chassis has ventilated spacers on each side of the amp. Have you taken the amp out of the combo and taken a look?

 

 

 

From what I can recall (and it was a while ago), the chassis, which is common to all iterations, is mated to 3 different faceplates, depending upon the application;

 

The combos (with the ventilated sections either side)

 

The AH versions which have their own sleeve

 

The RAH versions which have top- plates and rack mounting ears.

[buff]

Can’t remember if mine was a combo head or just a head without a carpeted sleeve. I made this about 4 years ago. Part glued and screwed wood sleeve with aluminium over the top. Everything is recessed enough to be out of harms way. I have a AH350 that I’ll probably do the same thing  with when I get it fixed 

Edited May 24, 2023 by buff