Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

Hello,

Thought I'd introduce some thoughts I've been thinking...

I've recently gotten back into Synths after many years away. (PAIA in
the 70s.) It appears that there is a need for synth cabinets. I've
been thinking of trying to do something about this. I love walnut
(and have lots!); but I also have been thinking of some other
woods... And formats beyond/besides the "moog" slant/flat combo. And
incorporating the magic bus. And std. rack-mount stuff.

But, Before I tell you what I've come up with...

I'd like to hear (offlist?) from those who would be seriously
interested in purchasing either "standard" or Custom synth
cabinets... Tell me what you think you would want; size/ type/
material. Studio or Road(traveling; vinyl is okay, and I can do it,
but who says that a traveling synth needs to be ugly?!). And most
important; what you think is a fair price for whatever you have
outlined. This is just some preliminary stuff, so don't get too
excited, but my background is in Furniture (I built hi-end stuff for
years), and more recently; I've been active in DIY CNC (with several
thousand posts in cnc and metalworking groups).

I have computer controlled cutting/engraving equipment for panels,
pcb's, and wood carving for that "ultimate" synth look and feel. I
can even put "photos" on panels and/or cabinets...

Hope this sparks some imagination, and interest,

Thank you in advance,

Ballendo

P.S. I've read some of the archive re cabinets, and would suggest
against gorilla glue. It can be good, but is likely to fail
spectacularly at some time in the future. I have built
some "traditional" musical instruments, and when this stuff came out
we all thought it was going to be the answer. Several popped
soundboards/bridges later... (admittedly, these joints were under
quite a bit of stress; but I'm going to stick with<G> the stuff
that's worked for years...

(In fairness, these foamed polyurethane glues can work really well,
but most diy woodworkers do not control the many needed factors to
the required degree for excellent results. Much better to use a
more "forgiving" glue, IMO)

Also, box joints: While box joints are often cited as being
incredibly strong due to the increased surface area for gluing and
the long grain to long grain orientation; beware. Most every old box
jointed item I've seen has failed joints. This includes machinist
indicator boxes, suitcases and old crates. Usually the worst are
those with the most "fingers", which seems to fly in the face of
the "more surface is better" argument. What this argument fails to
account for is the cycling of the wood and a property of wood known
as compression-set. For more, see R Bruce Hoadley's "Understanding
Wood" by Taunton Press (the Fine Woodworking magazine people). The
larger fingers used (in a thread about cases I read on this list) is
a good choice, IMO. Biscuits can be quick and work well. Dovetails
are even better. But a small dowel inserted through the "end" fingers
will help immensely (even though it ADDS to the problem, its
mechanical locking prevents complete failure of the joint.)