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Post by rodney on Mar 29, 2020 3:30:21 GMT
I've had to do a lot of case repair lately, mainly because I've been using them a bit roughly. Hanging two double cases from a guitar strap puts stresses on the case well outside what they were designed for.
That said, even if you are gentler than I, it may still happen that one of the nuts can come loose, especially if you are joining one rack case to another.
Here we have a hole where the nut has popped out.
Use a small wire brush or scraper to roughen up the surface of the acrylic so the glue has more surface area to grab onto.
rather than apply super-glue (cyanacrylate) directly from the tube, I like to use a cotton bud so I have more control.
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Post by rodney on Mar 29, 2020 3:36:12 GMT
Take a spare bolt, the same size as the nut being replaced and cover it with grease or petroleum jelly - anything to stop the superglue sticking to it.
Then screw the nut a little way onto the bolt so it's easier to put into the hole.
... but first, apply the superglue around the inside of the hole.
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Post by rodney on Mar 29, 2020 3:42:46 GMT
Once you have seated the nut nice and straightly, unscrew the bolt and leave it for a few hours before putting it under any stress.
Some things to note:
1. The original nuts are coated with black colour, so it's important to sand, file or scrape the colour off the outer edges of the nut. In the picture, I have a bare metal one because I lost the original one, probably in the vacuum cleaner. 
2. With a file, I cut some grooves into the edges of the nut to increase surface area and to further resist being pulled out again.
This ends up being quite strong. Even the M5 nuts for joining the case (or for mounting a guitar strap!) have not pulled out since I have glued them in this manner.
I'll finish off the bare metal with a fine black permanent marker to match the other black nuts.
I have a few other ruggedizing techniques in mind but will see how these go at first as I don't want to add more material or make the case too ugly. |
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Post by robertlanger on Mar 29, 2020 8:32:00 GMT
Thanks for this detailed instructions!
I want to mention that the cases are indeed not designed for these rugged use (indeed, I was scared first seeing the pictures of your strap design!), the focus is on having a (more or less) nice case with the most cost effective production, to not have an empty box as a significant cost factor.
For all modifications keep in mind that acrylics is very brittle, so any higher tension should be avoided.
It's not unlikely a more sturdy case will be available in the future; although it seems most users are happy with the cases as they are - am I right with this assumption?
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Post by rodney on Mar 29, 2020 19:25:28 GMT
Thanks for this detailed instructions! I want to mention that the cases are indeed not designed for these rugged use (indeed, I was scared first seeing the pictures of your strap design!), the focus is on having a (more or less) nice case with the most cost effective production, to not have an empty box as a significant cost factor. For all modifications keep in mind that acrylics is very brittle, so any higher tension should be avoided. It's not unlikely a more sturdy case will be available in the future; although it seems most users are happy with the cases as they are - am I right with this assumption? robertlanger , I think they are perfect. As the format gains wider traction, others will come up with rugged cases if there is demand. Personally, I think the cases are perfect for a financially and space-constrained home studio and I love the minimalist aesthetic. I really like how light-weight the whole system is. This is great for me, living in an apartment with wife and child. I regularly have to move to another room to make music, so chunky aluminium and heavy woods would not be great. For regular gigging, it is best to put the whole thing in a hard padded box anyway.
Because I'm doing something definitely out-of-specification, I need to re-think some parts of the system that would normally be fine for studio use. However, edge-cases ('case' here meaning instance rather than container) can be useful to see where a design reaches its limits. When we were researching electronic banking, we went to see how remote indigenous communities and homeless people were using it to see how basic assumptions could be tested or flipped.
I am planning to add some strategic bits of aluminium inside to limit twisting that should not happen in normal desk-top use.
I think your design neatly avoids over-engineering that would propel it into the boutique realm.
Optimist: "This glass is half full!"
Pessimist: "This glass is half empty!"
Engineer: "This glass is twice as big as it needs to be!"
A couple of things though:
I notice some warping of the MDF panels that may just be from weird stresses in my use of the case. However, given that AE will find its way to much more humid places than Germany, it might be worth checking how well the panels are sealed against moisture. They seem pretty good so far but the edges may offer more opportunity for water to enter than do the flat surfaces
- When re-attaching the acrylic end pieces, I took the extra step of wire-brushing the smooth acrylic to make a stronger bond. This would add significant construction time for each case but maybe a quicker method would work. A quick dab of acetone or other solvent to take off the shine might be enough
- Because the nuts have a black coating, this reduces the strength of the bond with the acrylic when glued in to the case. Once again, removing the black around the edges would increase construction time unacceptably, and the black looks really nice compared to bare metal, so it's only worth addressing if there is a quick way to do it.
- A deluxe case with red anodized aluminium ends etc would be fantastic but it would have to be priced up in the Eurorack range to be worthwhile. That would happen better in a later stage of the AE format's invasion and domination of the boutique synth space.
In general, I think that over-building the case could easily be like putting legs on a snake. |
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Post by rodney on Apr 2, 2020 8:55:02 GMT
second time I've used the old chinese 'legs on a snake' aphorism in the forum. I'd better get out more when this is all over!
I'd like to stress that, the case is designed to be consistent and strong-enough across all it's components. Strengthening one part, then subjecting it to greater stress may break another part that has not been correspondingly reinforced. Because I am putting a guitar strap on it and hanging it against my hip while I play, there are a lot of twisting forces that would not be the case when sitting on a desk. In addition, I have mounted a few non-AE items in the case using cable ties etc. so that also adds unplanned stresses on the case.
I am thinking to put an aluminium sheet or mesh across the back of the unit to cut down the twisting. Alternatively some aluminium right-angle pieces might be more effective weight-wise.
Still thinking that through before investing in more materials. so far, most materials have come from the dumpster outside my local hardware store. |
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morgs
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by morgs on Apr 11, 2020 14:34:10 GMT
Thanks for this detailed instructions! I want to mention that the cases are indeed not designed for these rugged use (indeed, I was scared first seeing the pictures of your strap design!), the focus is on having a (more or less) nice case with the most cost effective production, to not have an empty box as a significant cost factor. For all modifications keep in mind that acrylics is very brittle, so any higher tension should be avoided. It's not unlikely a more sturdy case will be available in the future; although it seems most users are happy with the cases as they are - am I right with this assumption? You are definitely right with this assumption! The cases are part of the great package, aesthetic and I especially like that it keeps everything lightweight and portable. As other threads have shown there are several options for encasing the case which makes it nice for personalising it into any set up. On the subject of cases however, I did want to ask robertlanger or others if there was any suggestions or attempts at applying a coating or sealant for the horizontal portion of the wood fibre board. There is just that little bit of tendency for the fibre to start shedding. Am wondering if even something like a modge podge matte finish? www.amazon.co.uk/Mod-Podge-Waterbase-Sealer-Finish/dp/B001IKES5ORodney's point about humidity is also worthwhile... |
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