My ZPA 0.8's-- #1 of 2 is almost done

vin78 · Post by **vin78** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:38 am

damn, thats nice!

I got to buy ZPA amps now

Any way to flip the boards around and make cut outs for the terminals?

Post by **mhyde71** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:43 am

ALSO one last comment Directed to Jason...

I have a plating compnay here in my town that does anodization. I am friendly with the guys in the shop, and they work on kinda like a cash basis through the back door type policy with me. If you would like to get anodized, jlmk and i can get you pricing if you would like...

Post by **Jacampb2** » Wed May 13, 2009 6:32 pm

Thanks guys,

Vin, if I turned the boards around, the sinks would be in the middle and no way to make the case cool right and still keep the same theme. I am going to remove all of the terminals and connections and bring them out to the end plates. The gains and xover controls will stay in the amp.

Matt, thanks for the offer. I have more research to do on the aluminum alloy I used, but I don't think I am going to be able to do anodizing. BUT, I am still waiting on an email about those boards, I want!

My 1" thick ABS plastic should be here tomorrow so I can machine the end plate inserts. Hopefully I will have some time to get to it tomorrow, depends when the ups guy shows.

Later,
Jason

Post by **Bfowler** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:01 pm

been lurking on this thread for a while....but needed to say....thats truly awesome!

Post by **Rold Gold** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:25 pm

Where is a bowing smiley when ya need one.....................

You needs to send these pix to PG..................

5.9Limited · Post by **5.9Limited** » Thu May 14, 2009 5:08 am

insanely nice work...

Post by **Jacampb2** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:16 am

Plexi is done for this one. It came out good I think, I will be swapping the phillips pan head screws for button head allen screws in stainless.

Here are some pics:

The ABS plastic for the ends came in today as well. Somehow I managed to buy white ABS-- didn't even know there was such a thing. I am going to use it anyhow, it cost to much to not do so. If I really want it black, I will use some Krylon fusion on it...

Later,
Jason

Post by **Eric D** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:17 am

That is even more impressive.

Post by **Jacampb2** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:21 am

Thanks! All I have to say for this stuff is the mill was the best $500 I ever spent in my shop. 99% of this would not be practical w/o the CNC. I have had a manual Mill and Lathe for several years, but this Big Bitch CNC that I brought back for the dead was by far the best money spent.

Eric, check your email shortly.

Later-- more shit to do while the wife is out.

Jason

dwnrodeo · Post by **dwnrodeo** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:25 am

That is AWESOME! I like the raw look of the aluminum case, and with that plexi... pure sex. Any ideas to light the plexi or leave it as is? There are so many options.

Post by **stipud** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:28 am

Man, what really blows me away is your attention to the details, like keeping the sloped edge on the plexi. A lesser man would've just bent the case at a square angle... but nope! You don't cut corners. Well, literally you do, but not figuratively, I guess

I am curious to see how you run in the power, etc. for this. I envisage some beefy buss bars, instead of a simple jumper wire. Hell make them from copper and have it gold plated a-la MS series

Post by **smgreen20** » Thu May 14, 2009 1:00 pm

You make me sick and jelous at the time. Keep up the work. I'm going to be proud to say that I know you.

bogart · Post by **bogart** » Thu May 14, 2009 2:31 pm

I've not gone through this entire thread till now....holy shit....you are the man. That looks soooo good....incredible job!!!

Post by **Wakeup** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:08 pm

I TOLD YOU CHRIS!!!! hehe...
Wow on that Plexi...that Plexi just REALLY sets it off! Amazing!

Post by **mhyde71** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:47 pm

it is the fricken cats meow for sure!!!
I am thinking about getting some buss bars nickel plated for my 2500 project... which is on far back burner. May look a lil better along side the Ti finish...

neverman · Post by **neverman** » Fri May 15, 2009 1:37 am

That be some cool shit. Great work man!

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Fri May 15, 2009 6:59 am

Dayum!!!! thats some impressive tooling. That plexi just takes it to another level. Can this be done over many times or is it a one off? just curious.....

Post by **stipud** » Fri May 15, 2009 7:40 am

Stryker wrote:Dayum!!!! thats some impressive tooling. That plexi just takes it to another level. Can this be done over many times or is it a one off? just curious.....

Considering all the CNC work has been done, he can easily make more.

Pedi · Post by **Pedi** » Fri May 15, 2009 8:18 am

Is there not anything you could make for me??

Seems to me that everything you do turn out to be the perfect thing - what so ever...

I am totally stunned over your skills and perfection..

walker01s10 · Post by **walker01s10** » Fri May 15, 2009 12:19 pm

On the abs plastic just buy some rit dye and dye them black. I dye plastic all the time just do all the machine work first. And as long as you don't scratch the abs to deep it will stay black forever.

Post by **Jacampb2** » Fri May 15, 2009 5:16 pm

Thanks again guys! I am back to work again, so progress will slow down again...

walker01s10 wrote:On the abs plastic just buy some rit dye and dye them black. I dye plastic all the time just do all the machine work first. And as long as you don't scratch the abs to deep it will stay black forever.

Walker, I had thought about dyeing it. I know that rit works for a startling variety of things, but didn't know if ABS was porous enough to take the dye. Do you dye in a hot solution, or just room temp?

Thanks,
Jason

walker01s10 · Post by **walker01s10** » Sat May 16, 2009 8:53 am

Jacampb2 wrote:Thanks again guys! I am back to work again, so progress will slow down again...

walker01s10 wrote:On the abs plastic just buy some rit dye and dye them black. I dye plastic all the time just do all the machine work first. And as long as you don't scratch the abs to deep it will stay black forever.
Walker, I had thought about dyeing it. I know that rit works for a startling variety of things, but didn't know if ABS was porous enough to take the dye. Do you dye in a hot solution, or just room temp?

Thanks,
Jason

I dye in a hot solution. I buy the rit dye in the box the powder stuff. Don't like the liquid stuff. Get the water boiling then dump in the powder dye and let it get back up to boiling then put the parts in keep it boiling but not boiling over and let it sit in there till it is the color I want. I also use a 10qt pot filled about 3/4 of the way and I use 1 box of dye for that. I have never dyed abs but I have dyed delrin and many other plastics even white plexy it just takes longer the less porous the plastic is.

marko · Post by **marko** » Sat May 16, 2009 9:36 am

awsome work, i envy people with cnc machines and the like, i have to make do with a hack saw and tinsnips

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sat May 16, 2009 2:35 pm

Jacampb2 wrote:Thanks again guys! I am back to work again, so progress will slow down again...

walker01s10 wrote:On the abs plastic just buy some rit dye and dye them black. I dye plastic all the time just do all the machine work first. And as long as you don't scratch the abs to deep it will stay black forever.
Walker, I had thought about dyeing it. I know that rit works for a startling variety of things, but didn't know if ABS was porous enough to take the dye. Do you dye in a hot solution, or just room temp?

Thanks,
Jason

I dont think ABS will take to a dye........ this is the same way i do the speaker terminals ..but i wouldn't start with boiling water just heat it to the simmering point. around 180-200 degrees F. Wile the plastics wont melt but they could become deformed or pliable all depends on the thickness or type of plastic.

Post by **Jacampb2** » Sat May 16, 2009 9:18 pm

Thanks guys. According to the interweb, it looks like a boiling solution of rit dye and .5tbl/quart vinegar in H2O will work for ABS-- We will see, I may go with something other than black...

Anyhow, I have some new CAM models of the ABS pieces. This is only the front view of the models. I have to do the backs in a seperate model. Most of the back is actually machined away, so they are not going to be thick like they look in the models.

I think they look fairly accurate compared to the factory pieces. I did not include a RMDP, as I don't have a use for it. The only thing I am toying with is whether I should include a mini din connection on the signal end for balanced input. I know how to build a balanced transmitter/receiver, and have thought about including a balanced receiver in the amps. I plan to use threaded RCA bulkhead connectors, and if I do, I don't have much room for a mini din connector on that end of the amp. I have no intention of running balanced signal unless the close proximity of power and signal in the amps causes a problem.

Give me your thoughts... Here are the cam previews:

Later,
Jason