Jump to content

DIY Pedalboard: Anyone try Aluminum instead of Wood


KarenNSmythe

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Hi,

This builder interview brought me an idea of Aluminum material and weird design (#2 Chris from CDW): https://shredaddict.com/diy-pedalboard/

 

Although I have never built any pedalboard by myself before but I want to try this idea out, it really impressed me: Light-weight and Shiny.

 

Have anyone try Aluminum instead of using wood? Especially my concern of Safety with electrical insulation of Aluminum relating to the power supply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an aluminum pedalboard back in the early 1980s. I drilled and tapped the board (IIRC it was a ~1/8" thick aluminum sheet that was probably about 24" x 16") and used screws to mount some of the pedals from underneath. Later I just used contact cement to mount a couple more. I used the contact cement to hold four large rubber feet to the underside of the board to get it up off the ground a bit.

 

I wish I had pictures of it, but if there are any, I don't know where they are. Unfortunately the board itself (and all my pedals that I had on it) were stolen in the mid-80s. :mad2::(

 

Looking at the design you linked to, it looks like it's pre-drilled with holes so you can use cable ties to mount the pedals. If you do a custom board, you'd need to source the aluminum sheet and then just drill the holes where you need them for the pedal layout you want to use, rather than fill the whole board with holes.

 

I'd do a test setup first (with all of the pedals laid out as you like and connected together), and measure that to get the overall size for the board / aluminum sheet. Then purchase the aluminum and lay everything out on the board and mark where you need the cable ties to go through it, drill the board, and then mount everything.

 

It should wind up being pretty light. Mine was. The downside to a board like that is that rearranging things is much harder than with some other alternatives. Unlike a plywood board, it's also conductive, so you have to be careful that your wiring is done properly and you don't short or ground anything you don't intend to.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I have never heard that plywood is conductive, and that is counter to my experience. Nevertheless, I've been wrong before, and so I looked it up, and found this:

 

"The single most useful electrical property of plywood is its resistivity, or inability to conduct electrical current. Plywood is a highly effective insulator as long as it is dry. The resistivity is very sensitive to water absorption and drops drastically as moisture content increases. The glueline in plywood is not as effective an insulator as the wood itself. For applications in electric fields in the range of household voltages it may be neglected, but it could be important on certain test benches of sensitive electrical instruments."

 

https://www.performancepanels.com/electrical-properties

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I have never heard that plywood is conductive, and that is counter to my experience. Nevertheless, I've been wrong before, and so I looked it up, and found this:

 

 

Yup, dry plywood's a pretty good electrical insulator.

 

Unlike a plywood board, (aluminum) is also conductive, so you have to be careful that your wiring is done properly...

 

IOW, I was saying that while plywood doesn't conduct electricity, aluminum does, and since he's considering making an aluminum pedalboard, I was just reminding him that it's something to keep in mind. :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Members

OT, concept sounds good as long as it meets functionality requirements. I suggest attaching\screwing hook & loop\Velcro tape to aluminum pedal board and same to pedals\effects as a mounting system. Use super glue to attach tape to effects. This will allow flexibility with pedal arrangement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The aluminum will only be grounded if the plate sits on a bare floor or the ground itself. If the floor is wood or carpeted those will likely insulate the plate unless an AC ground is added from your power strip.

 

If you want lower noise levels it might be wise to ground the plate. This will act like a shield which absorbs stray EMF before it gets into the wires and connections much like having your body do this when you touch the grounded guitar strings.

 

The drawback would be, that plate becomes a solid ground and potential hazard if your guitar amp or PA mic is on a ground loop. Its one thing getting bitten on the lip by a mic while holding onto guitar strings. If you had bare feet on a grounded plate while grabbing that mike you may light up like a Neon sign.

 

As far as the construction goes adding Velcro isn't a big deal to apply.

I actually prefer to use carpet on my pedal boards. If you get a piece used to cover amps or used in cars, It grips Velcro as good as the hairy fiber half of the Velcro strips do. This allows you to move pedals around anyway you want without having to be bothered moving strips around. Dark colored carpet also hides dust and dirt that comes off shoes too.

 

You could use that 3M spray glue to apply it to even aluminum but my guess is you'd want the aluminum to shine. Still something to think about if the hassle of moving Velcro strips becomes a pain in the rear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...