Building an amp head cabinet

[Lew]

Alright guys?

I popped my Laney out of the box to have a nose around and I'm pretty baffled (pun intended) by the construction. It's all chipboard except for a few struts in the speaker cab.



The combo is super heavy too so I figured hell, I'll make a head cabinet for it. It can't be THAT hard (famous last words?). I'm using some plywood as I figured there's no point using 100 year old blessed monk wood on my first go ;) Measured it up and it all fits nicely together.



Figured I'd post it as you lot might have some good do's and dont's! I've got some clamps and glue and I'm gonna have a go gluing the shell this evening.

Cheers

[Oli]

Don't make it too tight, otherwise it'll make the chassis likely to bind when you try and push it in and out-- leave a mm each side. Can't think of anything else at the moment-- looks like you're using some chunky stuff, about 20mm thick?

[Lew]

Yea, I thought a bit of breathing room inside would be best. The amp chasis is 17" long and I've made the inside of the cab 19.5" which gives me room to glue and screw some 3/4" strips inside the corners of amp. The board is 18mm thick.

edit: oops that's way too much room inside the cab haha... out comes the saw again

[AndyR]

Nice one - what with recent decorating and all (there's some shelf "building" coming up here), I'm starting to appreciate (and getting very interested in) stuff like this. There seems to be a "diy-man" hidden away in all of us. I love the "edit: oops" - that's exactly what I'd have done...

This is the AOR? Yep, Laney were making tanks back in those days. My pre-AOR 50 watter combo weighs a ton - that's chipboard as well, VERY chunky. We used to joke that it weighed more than the van we were carrying it in. My modern CUB12 is like a shoe-box in comparison :lol:

[Telerocker]

I raise my hat for these kind of diy-actions.

[Lew]

cheers :) I'm the least DIY person I know but it's good fun. If all goes tits up it'll make a rock n roll birdhouse ;) I recut the wood last night and re-glued it. So far I've learned you gotta dryfit stuff before you glue it, don't just assume your measurements are right d'oh! The head fits in now, though. Think I'll bevel the edges next.

The cameras run out of battery so here are the cr@ppy iphone pics

[dgg3jab]

Gonna build me an amp when I finally get a place with some space to work in. Good luck!

[Toe-Knee]

Good work so far lew.

Are you going to have the chassis at the bottom like in the last picture? or is that going to be the top?