This morning the power transformer for the 6L6 SE-UL arrived from Edcor. And even more importantly, I’ve got the spalted alder converted to dimensional boards. Now I just need to select what goes where and I can begin milling the chassis.
Here’s the transformer from Edcor. It’s an XPWR178-120. It has that characteristic Edcor new transformer smell. And it took only 14 days from order to delivery.
I took careful measurements from the transformer and verified the layout dimensions on the top plate. All holes are in the correct places. This means I can start milling aluminum.
This afternoon I spent a couple of hours converting the very rough spalted alder slabs into 3/4″ (19mm) thick boards with planed surfaces and straight edges. The interesting thing about working with this type of rough lumber is that you never really know what you’ll find before milling. There are hints in what you can see, but the final surfaces remain hidden. Going into such a situation you really have to make the decision that you’re just going to work with whatever the wood decides to reveal.
Here are the boards after ripping to four inch widths and planing to a nice uniform thickness. These are the sides I consider to have the best grain spalting.
Each board has its own character and visual interest. Here are the reverse sides to those shown above.
I have already decided to use the board second from the bottom for the front of the chassis. But I still haven’t selected which side. It has incredible movement and visual interest. I believe I can get both sides from the board on the bottom. If I can’t work around a couple of checks to get both sides from that blank, I can get a side from the small board on the top. In that case the sides won’t match but that doesn’t bother me too much. The board second from the top will definitely be the back of the chassis. I have also already decided that this chassis will get several coats of oil finish to really bring out the grain and spalting.
So there it is. I now have all the parts and materials in hand for the amplifier, I just need to put it together.
As always, questions and comments are welcome.
Such lovely wood. Your projects always remind me how nicely woodworking and my tube obsession come together. Thanks for the abundant inspiration.
I found a small plank of spalted white oak in my shop last week; not enough for a chassis, perhaps a picture frame. I’ve noticed decent wood has become rather costly lately. I’m still pulling boards from my stack that have been in the shop for 20 years. My local hardwood dealer has been kind to me for all those years. I hope you have a kind supplier too. Have you worked with fresh milled wood and dry them at home? I know that’s not a tube related question……. just curious how many others out there like myself.
I really don’t have a place to sticker wood and let it properly dry right now; at least not long boards. I do have several small lots of some nice fruitwood, some madrone, and some beautiful large boards of maple burl all of which were fresh milled when I received them. But that was over a decade ago. My current wood stash is really quite the eclectic mix of the common and the exotic.
Now that I’m retired I am sorry to say I spend far less on hardwoods these days. Maybe that will serve as incentive enough for me to get back to finding logs I can mill and dry myself. It’s amazing what some people think is “just firewood”. 😉