x0xb0x panels

[TheAncientOne]

In the UK, get Isopropyl Alcohol, from the Chemist. It's good for de-fluxing circuit boards too, (I use it for that), and delicate parts cleaning. Medically it's the stuff they clean your skin with prior to injections, and it's also used to get rid of sticking plaster residue. I think, (though I might be wrong), that French 90% is like our methylated spirit but without the dye and some other stuff. You can't drink it, but it is good for cleaning and de-greasing. Pro paint shops do sell other solvent based degreasers.

[Goblinz]

it isn't for drinking LOL !! it is avalaible at your local store, next the ladder and the screwdrivers

I'm not sure if the stuff that I got was designed for drinking... My Polish friend assured me that a lot of people drink it over there.

The words on the bottle were very similar to rectified spirit.  I think it was something like 95% Ethanol so no hangover in the morning. It burns if you drink it neat though.

It's mentioned on wikipedia as being a drinking alcohol anyway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectified_spirit and I've not turned blind, so all good!  ;)

In the UK, get Isopropyl Alcohol, from the Chemist. It's good for de-fluxing circuit boards too,

Incedently, I've been offered an old laptop (farily good spec) that's hat a very sweet cup of hot chocolate poured over it. Apparently the LCD is good but the hard-drive broke and the keyboard is now a bit erratic. Would bathing the whole motherboard in isopropyl alcohol cause any serious problems?

[Screaming_Rabbit]

Would bathing the whole motherboard in isopropyl alcohol cause any serious problems?

... for chocalat? - Use warm water.

Greets, Roger

[nebula]

Incedently, I've been offered an old laptop (farily good spec) that's hat a very sweet cup of hot chocolate poured over it. Apparently the LCD is good but the hard-drive broke and the keyboard is now a bit erratic. Would bathing the whole motherboard in isopropyl alcohol cause any serious problems?

I often bathe circuit boards in isopropyl alcohol.  Just don't immerse things like trimpots or anything that might be internally lubricated, and you'll be fine.

[stryd_one]

I'm with roger on that one... Warm water will do nicely there. I'd rinse rather than bathe though. Demineralised and distilled water is best.

[TheAncientOne]

Yes. I''d go for the Deionised water option too. Just do the keypad itself to start with. Incidentally, if it's a reasonable make, you can often get a new pad for £30 - £40. Wash down carefully and dry with a hairdryer.

Another couple of useful cleaning mixes are IPA and water, and IPA and water with a drop of detergent like washing up liquid. For defluxing some boards, a first run with straight IPA, followed by a water/alcohol/detergent, clean, with a final rinse with a little plain deionised water, will get a factory grade result. Using 'washproof' trimpots is a good idea idea if you can get them.

If the liquid has got between the layers on a membrane type, tou may be out of luck, the contact layer contains a lot of silver and can be eaten way by electrolytic action, leaving nothing behind.

If the hard disc failed at the same time, then the liquid may have penetrated further. If the mother board has been hit, don't bother with any attempted repairs: just sell the display, case, battery and charger on ebay.

Check the HDD with an external adapter to see if tha actual disc has gone, or the motherboard.

(edits to correct typos - was in post gig groggy mode when I posted)

[stryd_one]

hot tip: Before the hot air (actually, have it handy before you wash), fold some toilet paper, slide the fold between the keys until it's in the corners, and slide it along. It'll use capillary action to suck up the big drops. You will need a few sheets, because it works best when the paper is dry (you'll be surprised how much water it soaks up). Then hit it with the dryer to evaporate the stragglers :) The TP seems to help mop up any leftover gunk too.

I've seen guys who swear by the billy-tea approach, of swinging it around in a circle to pull the water off... I know it's all solid state, but it just seems a bit rough to me :D

[nebula]

Why do you guys have problems with alcohol for cleaning a board?

[nILS]

'Cause it's a waste of good drinkable alcohol.

[malekko]

Holy COW those panels are awesome! I got mine in the mail today, and i have to say...GREAT JOB!!! those look fantastic.

I've been super busy with my work so i havent been keeping up with the x0xb0x threads but if someone is offering a "rare parts" kit please email me at malekkoheavyindustry@gmail.com. I dont have a bunch of time to source parts these days so any help would be appreciated.

And a personal "thank you" goes out to Sasha, i truly appreciate all you put into this. Although this project had it's ups and downs, please know I am and always will be very thankfull to you as the squelchiness emits form my monitors!

now if i could just get 2 sets of those sweeeeeeeeet translucent buttons!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D ;) :)

[Goblinz]

Holy COW those panels are awesome! I got mine in the mail today, and i have to say...GREAT JOB!!! those look fantastic.

I've been super busy with my work so i havent been keeping up with the x0xb0x threads but if someone is offering a "rare parts" kit please email me at malekkoheavyindustry@gmail.com. I dont have a bunch of time to source parts these days so any help would be appreciated.

And a personal "thank you" goes out to Sasha, i truly appreciate all you put into this. Although this project had it's ups and downs, please know I am and always will be very thankfull to you as the squelchiness emits form my monitors!

now if i could just get 2 sets of those sweeeeeeeeet translucent buttons!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D ;) :)

Yes, bring on the translucent buttons.

If you're wanting rare parts kits, or maybe complete kits then you could try looking at the ladyada forum, there's usually a selection of people selling them on there.

[Sasha]

Hi Malekko, thank you for informing me about packet arrival. I started to worry as it took some time. Glad you like it. :)

About translucent buttons... I still didn`t have time to make and test direct replacement for ITT caps. Even my buttons looks nice the price for its beauty is need for making new panel that has no LED holes above buttons, just 16 step LEDs . Or keeping the LEDs unconnected to serve just as a plug for holes in the panel and connect a new one for button illumination. I think it would be a shame to do it this way but cheaper. Probably the best way to go is to make custom mod set for the hardcore x0xb0x lovers that would consist of buttons and new panel/subpanel set. I doubt much people would be willing to throw away the panel they payed and pay for a new one. Another, old problem is sending the packages from Serbia. I wouldn`t rely on other people to do it for me from another country again, so it can be slow process - 1 set a week. We`ll see... First I`d like to see people actually build their kits. I built few by now, but housed only one.

I never posted some pix of finished box, so here it is...

I painted part of PT10 side black so it has slimmer appearance.

Still need to cut a PVC mask and spray the white logo at the back panel like on this photoshopped picture

[Goblinz]

Nice!

I was thinking of going for a red one too, the acoustic qualities of red paint always make the equipment sound better. ;)

I like what you've done with the black paint on the sides, it certainly makes you x0x look a lot more slender.

As for the illuminated buttons, I think I'd be happy with both the LED on top and an illuminated button!

    E

[stryd_one]

Nice!

Please do share some pics when you finish it off :)

[malekko]

Sasha,

that b0x looks great, the slimmer look certainly makes that enclosure look nicer! I think i may try to tackle that too.

Another thing, I'm an effects manufacturer in Texas and i ship stuff all over the world pretty much every day. IF you decide to do more panels or even PCBs i would be more than happy to help you distribute them..that way you're only shipping one box and i can ship them from here. I understand if you dont want to, but know the offer is always there.  :)

[Sasha]

Malekko, thanks for an offer, but for me it is not allowed to send a box full of same looking stuff. One of the reasons I didn`t send your panels directly to you. It counts as a business, and business is allowed only for companies to do it and only trough export agencies, not directly. For me, it is allowed only to send something as a gift for "domestic, personal use" How stupid and undefined is that?! I can`t explain how much troubles I had only to receiving the box full of small parts from Mike. Customs chick said it couldn`t be for personal usage and I must be making something for selling, and I`m not allowed to do business if I`m not company... Uninformed might think now Serbia is very sorted legal country even it is far from that.

[julienvoirin]

yeah Sasa, very Ferrari ;)

btw : http://www.socialentropy.com/bassline

[Sasha]

Well, I wasn`t inspired by Farrary... to fancy for my taste. It was Roland SH-101 :)

About SE x0x... it looks really nice but having flattened controls is not good idea for controls that you tweak a lot and all the time. Also, all knobs are way too high for the unit`s size. To me it looks pretty unproportional even there is no any side picture you can see it. It is more for bigger preamp kind of gear than for x0x.

Another thing is sticker. It covers all the screws nicely which is great but it seams not very durable. Check the logo print.

Anyway, the casing is great. I did some investigation after I saw SE and find out Schaeffer is making these kind of cases. It is based on the side profiles and it is hold together with 8 screws. Same casing you can see on Acidlab Bassline and beautiful Rozzbox (with different orientation)

I am seriously thinking of making the variation on the same case.

[julienvoirin]

sticker. It covers all the screws nicely which is great but it seams not very durable. Check the logo print.

i don't think. IMO they used the technique of the hidden screws (screw hole inside the enclosure, not outside). Schaeffer does it.

There is no stickers as he spoke about silkscreen. If you look good the panel , you will notice a shinny aspect. it can't b achieve by stickers.

cheers

[Sasha]

IMO they used the technique of the hidden screws (screw hole inside the enclosure, not outside). Schaeffer does it.

Might be the case.

There is no stickers as he spoke about silkscreen.

Stickers can be silkscreended as any other material. I didn`t mean he printed common thin PVC foil, I expect it is rather something thicker and bit harder, like those x0xb0x overlays sold by UK custom synth company.

If you look good the panel , you will notice a shinny aspect. it can't b achieve by stickers.

Check out the shiny aspect of my x0xb0x sitting on the floor. It is also not metal but the panel surface has layer that looks alike. There are all sort of screenable self adhesive foils these days. You can get any look you want. Brushed aluminum, marble, woods... you name it.

I hope the SE is completely made out of aluminum but I doubt it. Anyway, doesen`t matter. I never wanted to purchase it, but it inspired me to use the same casing for the x0xb0x. I`m thinking of ordering just side profiles and cut panels locally as Schaeffer is pretty expensive and their shipping to Serbia is too high.

[TheAncientOne]

Just been comparing prices too. $1500 for SE x0x, against 1250 Euro for the Rozzbox. The Rozzbox seems like much better value.

I'm with Sasha on those flatted knobs: way too 70's HiFi for me.

There are quite a few case making extrusion systems around. In the UK there is a long established system for building consoles Dorlec. I've used it for industrial panels, but I keep thinking what a cool modular synth frame could be done with it.

A while ago, I made some cases using some of the sections from BACO, actually designed for aluminium framed double glazing. Nowadays there are quite a few sections made for constructing illuminated signs, which might be good. Locally I know an anodising company which means I could get some very nice colour finishes done.

Maddest thing recently was to re-create the Fuzz-Face case, by doing a lost wax casting into a plaster mould. We used 2-part silicone to make the initial mould. The metal was from some old patio chairs, and a simpler early try was with drinks cans. There is something very 'elemental' about pouring molten metal. A word of warning: it can really mess you up, so do all the safety stuff, and make sure the mould is very very dry, I still have a mark on my leg from when I helped pour bronze for a artist in the 70's. A small splash went right through my protective apron, through my jeans, and stuck to my leg. I had to yell and carry on pouring, because I was one of the two people holding a crucible with 5 Kg of liquid bronze still in it. Now, a cast bronze case....mmmmmm.

[bugfight]

...Now, a cast bronze case...

mmmmmm, bronze...

[stryd_one]

OMg pain!!!

[malekko]

hay has anyone drilled through this panel with good results...i just noticed that it's made for 3mm LEDs instead of 5mm

[Sasha]

i just noticed that it's made for 3mm LEDs instead of 5mm

Malekko, the way you say sounds it is an error. 3mm suits better the small size gear and it looks more elegant than with those 5mm LEDs. It was 3 mm from the start, and I`m sure I wright about it.

I don`t even remember I ever seen synth with 5mm LEDs.

Anyway, the tastes are different, so if you like to widen the hole, I can try to drill a piece of same material and report it here. Acording to Rowmark it can be laser and mechanically engraved.