Customizing (re-finishing) my Piedmont Electronics Aluminum Falcon Overdrive

[FlyingDutchman]

After getting the AF and finding a nice home for it on my pedal board, Im thinking about sanding it smooth and giving it some sort of finish. Where should I start? I know I need to strip the pedal bare and prep the casing.

Maybe a bigger LED as well while Im at it..
Here is what Im starting with:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjyw6UEzxcS3IA4CJPcrd9FFidpU9Kj D4eDFUUPd7Uwc8IpOFKFbPNGsD_mg

Im guessing it is just raw steel that is polished a bit to give it some sort of soft shine.

[Aaron SS]

What kind of finish are you going for?

[stellablue]

It's aluminum (I suppose) so I would anodize it. That's what I plan to do. Anodized purple. I'd like to etch a design and some control labels then anodize it.

[gpro34]

Is it really aluminum? I thought it was called that for its paint color.

[SonicVI]

All of those style boxes are aluminum.

[Aaron SS]

Gut it, sand it, clean it thoroughly, and powdercoat it.

[groovington]

I totally do want to customize mine as well, but it's gonna be funny when it looks like a pedal painted by a 7th grader!

[Ashe]

never heard of those pedals. are they klones?

[drolling]

You don't wanna paint it till you know what it's made of, IMO. That should dictate type of paint & method of application

Aluminum would be my guess, as it's very sturdy, but much lighter than steel

Bob Sweet built his first run of vibe clones (Ultravibe) in steel enclosures and told me the shipping costs were astronomical. I've got one and it's remarkably heavy

[stellablue]

Yes, here's the sale thread.
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1044882&highlight=aluminum+falcon

Still going to anodize mine in a metallic color. I'd like to etch a big falcon on it, Egyptian style.

[smallbutmighty]

Yes, here's the sale thread.
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1044882&highlight=aluminum+falcon

Still going to anodize mine in a metallic color. I'd like to etch a big falcon on it, Egyptian style.


I was thinking "aluminum falcon" in Star Wars letters, but the Egyptian falcon thing sounds WAAAY better!

[PCE Effects]

Cool thread. They are aluminum, no paint or anything. I use a pedestal mounted steel brush to polish them and nothing else. So it's ready for primer an paint when you get it if you wanna paint it.

[good soil digital]

I just wanted to dress mine up a little. Although a full refinish would be kind of cool.

http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/chadadiah/3b645fe0.jpg

[FlyingDutchman]

I just wanted to dress mine up a little. Although a full refinish would be kind of cool.

http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/chadadiah/3b645fe0.jpg

I like the font you used alot for the lettering!

One question I have is if the pedal is ready for priming and paint, how do I get the surface evened out. If you look in the about pic, there are lots of imperfections in the metal. Im guessing this is normal for aluminum. Should I take some steel wool or sandpaper to it first to completely smooth it out?

[FlyingDutchman]

It's aluminum (I suppose) so I would anodize it. That's what I plan to do. Anodized purple. I'd like to etch a design and some control labels then anodize it.

You have the tools and supplies to anodize? You may want to think about finishing these pedals for PDE!

[BBender]

Here's mine

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z265/Irelandman78/AluminumFalconOD.jpg

[PCE Effects]

You have the tools and supplies to anodize? You may want to think about finishing these pedals for PDE!

For sure. Actually, I have some changes in the finishing department rolling out in six weeks or so. Hopefully next week in going to get a chance to do some testing. I'm eager to see what you guys come up with. Give me some ideas.

[gpro34]

Here's and idea. Why not make an image of a falcon swooping down that looks like its made of metal (aluminum) with red evil looking eyes and talons out. Anyone recall the metallic bird on the Judas Priest album?

[FXMonkey]

Here's and idea. Why not make an image of a falcon swooping down that looks like its made of metal (aluminum) with red evil looking eyes and talons out. Anyone recal the metallic bird on the Judas Priest album?


Winner!

[Aran]

It's aluminum (I suppose) so I would anodize it. That's what I plan to do. Anodized purple. I'd like to etch a design and some control labels then anodize it.

You could see if there's a local business which does anodizing. It's a chemical dip so I don't think you want to try it at home.

I'm keeping mine stock. I like the shinny look. :)

[Aran]

never heard of those pedals. are they klones?

Yes a very nice one and unbeatable price.

[BrunoGF]

I'm looking for a egyptian falcon but just outlined, as an hieroglyph. Have anyone found a nice render?
Even if it's small, I can redraw it with the few tools I have.

[stellablue]

You could see if there's a local business which does anodizing. It's a chemical dip so I don't think you want to try it at home.

I'm keeping mine stock. I like the shinny look. :)

There is, It's in Easley.

http://www.palmetto-omnitek.com/

How do you engrave aluminum? Would you use a sharp inscribing tool, or some kind of acid wash. Maybe I'd be better just to apply some water slide graphics after it's anodized.

[straightblues]

Ok here is mine. It is a water slide decal I printed on my home color printer. I found the artwork on line. I had to stretch it a little to fit. I laid it out on Adobe Illustrator.

I put the Aluminum Falcon words a little high which I didn't discover until I was all finished so I used a little bit smaller knobs. If anyone is interested in getting a copy of the artwork send me a PM. I have lowered the words "Aluminum Falcon" and recentered the word "gain". I saved it in a PDF file.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/straightblues/Picture070.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/straightblues/Picture065.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/straightblues/Picture056.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/straightblues/Picture055.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/straightblues/Picture067.jpg

[smallbutmighty]

the Egyptian falcon idea intrigues me.

I'm a graphic designer and would be willing to lay something out in Illustrator.

I don't know anything about anodizing, but what about sandblasting? We have sandblasting facilities at my workplace. Would that work/ look good on aluminum?

[FlyingDutchman]

I think I would just like to spray some sort of color and thats it. I dont know. The waterslide decal above looks sweet. The female centaur pic is great.

Maybe I'll just Cornish it:

http://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/new/600621.jpg

[stellablue]

I'm looking for a egyptian falcon but just outlined, as an hieroglyph. Have anyone found a nice render?
Even if it's small, I can redraw it with the few tools I have.

Try this:

http://tattoo.falbepublishing.com/freetattoodesign21.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Horus_as_falcon.svg
http://www.imagekind.com/Tutankhamun-Falcon-art?IMID=55e8c8b8-7d67-4749-8f62-572c141e2f87

[groovington]

Here's and idea. Why not make an image of a falcon swooping down that looks like its made of metal (aluminum) with red evil looking eyes and talons out. Anyone recall the metallic bird on the Judas Priest album?

I'm looking for a egyptian falcon but just outlined, as an hieroglyph. Have anyone found a nice render?
Even if it's small, I can redraw it with the few tools I have.

I think a combination of these 2 would be stellar!

Straightblues's looks great too!

[smallbutmighty]

Here's one I started work on. Tons of feathers and stuff to finish it up. Is this worth pursuing?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/6925837172_6f91ff0cb6_z.jpg

[straightblues]

When laying out mine, I ran up against a couple of design issues. The box is 5 and 5/8 inches wide and 4 and 5/8 inches tall. However, the knobs take a large chunk, so your artwork can only be approximately 3 inches high. Depending on the size of the knobs, you could get a little more or less space. The knob centers are approximately 1 inch down from the top of the box.

Next issue is the foot switch. It is 1 and 3/4 inches in from the side and 3/4 of an inch up from the bottom. Again, not a great placement from an artwork perspective.

So, smallbutmighty the Falcon you are working on looks very cool, but with the height constraints you will have a small bird that will need to be offset from the center. I would say you should place it on the box size before you spend any more time on it. You may not like the shrunk down version.

[mmolteratx]

I like the font you used alot for the lettering!

One question I have is if the pedal is ready for priming and paint, how do I get the surface evened out. If you look in the about pic, there are lots of imperfections in the metal. Im guessing this is normal for aluminum. Should I take some steel wool or sandpaper to it first to completely smooth it out?

You'll need to sand it. Sand it flat with 400 grit and work your way up to around 1200 grit. TBH, you could stop at 800 but I like it a bit smoother. Then clean the enclosure with naphtha or acetone, rinse it and let it air dry. Make sure that you don't touch the enclosure with your bare hands after applying the naphtha or acetone. It needs to be free of grease for paint to adhere.

The next part depends entirely on how you're going to finish it. If you're going to powder coat it, just get your powder coating gun and spray an even coat to get 100% coverage. Then bake at 400F for 20 minutes, bake at 300F for 20 minutes and let cool. Should be done if you do it that way, unless you hit it with a chrome that then needs a clear coat over it.

If you're gonna use an enamel spray, hit the enclosure with a quick drying self etching primer. Just one coat with 100% coverage is fine. Once it dries, hit it with a coat of whatever color you want. Wait 30 seconds to a minute and then hit it with another. Maybe repeat for a 3rd coat but IME, too much at once makes it take forever to dry. Once you've covered it, bake for 20 minutes at 200F. Then let sit for 48 hours and either clear it or repeat the process with your color choice depending on what needs to be done. Word of warning, a clear enamel tends to yellow when baked so whites don't really work out well.

You can swirl it by just dumping a bunch of paint on top, swirling with a toothpick and then tilting the enclosure to get 100% coverage/some nice color blending. You'll need to hit it with a clear gloss once it dries.

[smallbutmighty]

When laying out mine, I ran up against a couple of design issues. The box is 5 and 5/8 inches wide and 4 and 5/8 inches tall. However, the knobs take a large chunk, so your artwork can only be approximately 3 inches high. Depending on the size of the knobs, you could get a little more or less space. The knob centers are approximately 1 inch down from the top of the box.

Next issue is the foot switch. It is 1 and 3/4 inches in from the side and 3/4 of an inch up from the bottom. Again, not a great placement from an artwork perspective.

So, smallbutmighty the Falcon you are working on looks very cool, but with the height constraints you will have a small bird that will need to be offset from the center. I would say you should place it on the box size before you spend any more time on it. You may not like the shrunk down version.


Thanks for the dimensions! Your pedal looks great, BTW!

Here is what I was envisioning (lot's of feather detail still missing):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7074232335_b94253b9b0_z.jpg


gpro34's suggestion of having a falcon swooping down like the Judas Priest album cover could be cool too!

[straightblues]

Thanks for the dimensions! Your pedal looks great, BTW!

Here is what I was envisioning (lot's of feather detail still missing):



I like the direction that you are taking. Bringing it up to meet the buttons allows you to keep it big. I would loose the circle on his head since it is being cut off by the knobs.

[WhoJamFan]

I think any Judas Priest type artwork would open floodgates of angry mulletts mad that this Klone doesn't sound like a metal master of chrome and steel!

[brittwin]

I like the "rock n roll falcon" from Dairy Queen...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/BRITtwin/67ed13b1.jpg



Found a caricature sketch version of it online...


I like it A LOT..

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/BRITtwin/70900c50.jpg

[FlyingDutchman]

You'll need to sand it. Sand it flat with 400 grit and work your way up to around 1200 grit. TBH, you could stop at 800 but I like it a bit smoother. Then clean the enclosure with naphtha or acetone, rinse it and let it air dry. Make sure that you don't touch the enclosure with your bare hands after applying the naphtha or acetone. It needs to be free of grease for paint to adhere.

The next part depends entirely on how you're going to finish it. If you're going to powder coat it, just get your powder coating gun and spray an even coat to get 100% coverage. Then bake at 400F for 20 minutes, bake at 300F for 20 minutes and let cool. Should be done if you do it that way, unless you hit it with a chrome that then needs a clear coat over it.

If you're gonna use an enamel spray, hit the enclosure with a quick drying self etching primer. Just one coat with 100% coverage is fine. Once it dries, hit it with a coat of whatever color you want. Wait 30 seconds to a minute and then hit it with another. Maybe repeat for a 3rd coat but IME, too much at once makes it take forever to dry. Once you've covered it, bake for 20 minutes at 200F. Then let sit for 48 hours and either clear it or repeat the process with your color choice depending on what needs to be done. Word of warning, a clear enamel tends to yellow when baked so whites don't really work out well.

You can swirl it by just dumping a bunch of paint on top, swirling with a toothpick and then tilting the enclosure to get 100% coverage/some nice color blending. You'll need to hit it with a clear gloss once it dries.


Thanks for the great set of instructions! TGP is the best! I may give it a try this weekend. Seems pretty straight forward. Just gotta figure out what color to paint it.

[Man with Gas]

I like the "rock n roll falcon" from Dairy Queen... Found a caricature sketch version of it online...
I like it A LOT..
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/BRITtwin/70900c50.jpg

Would love to see finished artwork for the pedal using the above with color of course.

[nrvana8775]

don't own one, but the egyptian falcon looks awesome.

[tonejunky]

Here's one I started work on. Tons of feathers and stuff to finish it up. Is this worth pursuing?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/6925837172_6f91ff0cb6_z.jpg

That's cool. Maybe put a 'D' inside of the O.

[redshark1105]

Retro look on my aluminum falcon, trainwreck inspired using an old dymo label maker... simple but cool

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/redshark1105/DSC00012.jpg

[cookedbutok]

Retro look on my aluminum falcon, trainwreck inspired using an old dymo label maker... simple but cool

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/redshark1105/DSC00012.jpg

Pete Cornish? Is that you?

(haha. Love that look of that, btw)

[redshark1105]

No, I'm not Pete Cornish...haha!! good one!

[hazel-rah]

My daughter's best work:

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu358/skunkboycreatures/aluminumfalcon3.jpg