Material for Turret Board

[juse]

What should I take into consideration when choosing a material for my turret boards? It seems to me that it would not matter much since these are mainly passive components with audio applications, maybe just a thickness issue?

Thanks!

[PRR]

> What is the theory behind tube spacing?

> What should I take into consideration when choosing a material for my turret boards?

You think too much.

You should burn your ruler, grab a wood board, and some nails. Nail sockets and parts on board.

The main thing in a guitar amp is: keep the dirty stuff, the loud stuff, and the soft stuff far apart.

Board material.....

How easy is it to work? Linoleum bends, cracks, melts. Fiberglass chews saws and lungs.

How will it look in 50 years?

You really can build radios and audio amps on wood boards. That is what a "breadboard" is, not these dreadful plastic plug-hole things.

Wood cracks and warps, and also leaks current in damp weather.

The art of the breadboard has advanced a little since the 1920s. Various paper, phenolic, and glassfiber boards exist. Mostly these days you buy them with copper stuck on, and etch a PCB. The same board works fine for light-duty turrets, if you can find it without the copper (which is a pain to peel). The only fools who still do non-PCB board work are guitar-amp geeks (and a few hi-fi geeks). You need a specialty supply. hoffmanamps.com (note one "n") is one of many. I got a universal pre-turreted board from Triode Electronics. There is a shop which stocks most of the many kinds of tags/turrets used in The Old Days.

Board thickness must suit the type turrets you use. The turret is drilled just a bit more than the intended board thickness so you can smash it with a tap, not a Ford Hammer. That's the other reason it may be worthwhile to buy from specialists instead of thinking about it too much.

> a friend ...is auctioning off his PCB assembly shop & he said I can rummage...

Might be treasure or trash. Most modern commercial PCB stuff is coppered, and As Thin As Possible to reduce cost. DIY is not about reducing cost. I musta paid $27 for a premade turret board intended for tube amplifiers, and I don't regret it.

[Normster]

Lots of stuff CAN be used, but most builders in the US use either 1/8" Garolite G10/FR4 or electrical-grade fiberglass (GP03). Both are available at McMaster-Carr. The GP03 looks cool (red swirl) and is easy to cut, but leaves fiberglass splinters. The G10/FR4 is also relatively easy to work with and doesn't splinter. (Plus it comes in several colors.) I also use Garolite G11 just 'cuz it looks cool...in an industrial kinda way.

[statorvane]

Well, I have used Formica brand countertop surface laminate for three amps now. Works great. I have used this approach on a 5F6-A clone, P1 eX w/Reverb & Trem, and a JCM 800 clone. I now laminate two piece together to get better stiffness, but in practical terms a one ply piece is far more durable than anything Fender used on the tweeds.

You can get a 2' x 4' sheet for around $10 - $15 at home improvement stores - a lot of material. A brad point bit in a drill press makes short work of drilling the eyelet holes. Holds 1/8" eyelets very well, stands up to hot irons, solder splash/dribble, etc.

[Tonegeek]

Got some copper nails used in the boat building trade. Just waiting on an excuse to try them with some wooden board as a a prototype platform. Why copper? 'cause you can't solder to regular nails...

[juse]

> You think too much.

Yup... that's me.... I test the water before I dive in. I also tend to over-analyze, scrutinize and twist eyes, making things more difficult that they really are. I'm slowly realizing this isn't rocket science, though.

I actually thought about just finding some aluminum nails and using a 2x4 for grins. But, I think I'm going with .062" colored plexiglass & turrets. Might be too soft - I guess I'll find out. In my snooping around the web I haven't noticed it done like that yet, so there is probably a reason. Turrets probably pop out or something.

[El_Martin]

Hi!

Colored plexiglass looks cool, but doesn't really like heat.
Might work, if your onboard compononents are running cool and
ventilation is OK.
Plexi scratches easily.

Ciao
Martin

[skyboltone]

Lots of stuff CAN be used, but most builders in the US use either 1/8" Garolite G10/FR4 or electrical-grade fiberglass (GP03). Both are available at McMaster-Carr. The GP03 looks cool (red swirl) and is easy to cut, but leaves fiberglass splinters. The G10/FR4 is also relatively easy to work with and doesn't splinter. (Plus it comes in several colors.) I also use Garolite G11 just 'cuz it looks cool...in an industrial kinda way.

Ditto on McMaster Carr. I forget which one I bought but it looks suspiciously like the board they used back in the '50s in commercial broadcast transmitters and I got a 24 X 36 sheet for about $35 I think. Eyelets (1/8 X .187) are $4 per hundred at Mouser (Keystone) they also have the small turrets for $14 per hundred. I notice they also have the flea clips but I haven't seen the plain 1/8" holey board in forever.

[ampgeek]

Likewise on the McMaster Carr G10 and Mouser turrets. I am partial to the dark blue G10. Looks cool in a black chassis.

I bought my staking tool set at Hoffman and it is one of the best investments I have ever made. A decent jig saw (and a steady hand!), a little drill press and a couple of bits and....presto....you are making your own boards!

And..of course...PRR is absolutely correct as well. I have proto'd circuits with some plywood, tube sockets and copper brads. Ain't nothin quicker than that if you just NEED to know...like...RIGHT NOW!!

Good Luck,
Dave O.

[drz400]

FR4 Fiberglass
Industry standard
Stay away from material that can become hygroscopic

[Ears]

Micarta board, your local plastics company ought to supply it

See wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micarta

FWIW one of formica's original and primary uses was electrical application.

Edit 31 Aug:
As a phenolic and cloth laminate this material in PERFECT for turret boards. Available in 1.6mm and 3.2mm thicknesses.

[David Root]

I probably think too much about many things, but turretboards isn't one of 'em since I discovered turretboards.com. No way would I do these myself.

G-10 Garolite, 1/8", black is my choice, looks superb against an aluminum chassis, built '50s-style tough, no contest.

[titanicslim]

I don't know. Of all the processes involved in making an amp, I should think the circuit board has got to be the least anxiety causing.

To stake turrets, I just drill a hole in a hardwood board a little over the diameter of the turret so it protrudes just a little, insert it upside-down, fit the matching hole in the circuit board over it and peen it with a cheap centerpunch. I then turn it over and punch the top hole of the turret to give it a little extra clearance for inserting the leads.

For eyelets I use a second penterpunch with a less acute point and a slightly crowned surface of the hardwood block. After the eyes are in, I go over them with the ball peen of a tiny chasing hammer. Takes no time whatever.

Statorvane- I'm gonna try the formica thing. No question about it- we payin way too much for the stuff we puttin in these here amplifiers!

[Noel Grassy]

There's another thread here Re;Two Rocks and the gut shut of the blue anodized chassis clearly indicates a fondness for wood grained Formica. Including the little "pup-tent affair" disguising some mojo deflicted hijinx. In my attempts with Formica circuit boards I've experienced some wicked flaking when punching through the other side. This was tamed by grinding the back of the drill's flute slightly. A countersink for aluminum works perfect if I first make a smaller pilot hole. Besides there are a myriad of tempting patterns to choose from.

[titanicslim]

There are at least three types of brad point drills too, Noel. Try to find a set of "jobber's points". You might have to try an industrial supply house like McMaster. They will be more durable, and the barbs not so finely pointed. Black and Decker made (still make?) drills called "bullet point" or something on the order of a jobber's. Check the big box stores next tome you go there.

You can eliminate that chipping/flaking by tightly clamping a backing board under your work piece whilst you drill it. If that doesn't do the trick (I haven't yet tried this material for circuit boards) you can glue the backing on with Elmers (water-soluble) household glue, and soak it off when you're done.

Dave