DIY Pedaltrain
- Thread starter Msboy2011
- Start date
Hugo Da Rosa
Gold Supporting Member
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If you've got an Ikea near by, pick up one of these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50058512. Quickest and cheapest way to get a PT style board started (with some additional modifications to spec of course).
Ed Reed
Senior Member
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That is great! Some stain and a oil finish and you've got a nice CHEAP board. You deserve some award for this.
Cornbread
Member
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- 5,452
except there have been threads dedicated to ikea boards
i've had mine for years
it works really well and was easy to mount the power supply underneath with 4 eye hole screws and 2 zip ties.
a fun and easy project
jnepo1
Gold Supporting Member
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If you want a more professional looking DIY Pedaltrain, here's my suggestion:
Blank rack panels are 19" wide, they vary in lengths according to rack space. A single rack space is 1.75"L so a double space is 3.5"L and so on. Rack panels have punched holes on the ends to screw them into racks. If you buy a nice piece of hardwood like Oak or maple, you can cut the wood to your desired dimension and angle for your end pieces. The hardwood pieces would need to be .75" thick, which is the size of the tapered end of the rack panels.
From there, just screw down the blank rack pieces onto the hardwood for a nice Pedaltrain clone. When planning out this build, I would suggest getting the rack panels w/ the flanged edges, as they provide allot of support from bending and twisting. A flat rack panel will provide no support on loads from stomping and will eventually fail. You can get aluminum or steel rack panels and even diamond plated or slotted. I have used both aluminum and steel flanged panels, and if you use it strictly for risers steel is the way to go. If you are constructing a Pedaltrain-type board, where you will be reliant on two panels to support you pedals, then aluminum will be good(because of weight distribution).
As for the hardwood on the ends, you can measure them to how many panels you will use and the size gaps between the panels. Also, you can cut the wood to however height you want the board to be as well as the angle. This gives you custom heights so you can place your PSU underneath.
This is a nicer alternative to the Ikea Gorm board. Although it is not as inexpensive, it will be cheaper than a pedaltrain. The cost of the panels thru Redco.com are $5 for a single space rack panel, and an additional $3/space. So, a double space will be $8 and a 3 space will be $11. The hardwood will vary depending on what wood you choose. You can use veneered plywood such as birch plywood, but it won't be as durable.
The only material you will need for this build is: Wood for the riser/sides, rack panels, screw. Depending on how many panels you will need, you can build anything from a mini pedaltrain to a PTJr or PT1. The width of the panels are 19"W, but you can do a double wide by doubling up the riser in the middle. So that would make a board up to 38" wide. The length will vary of course.
Aside from staining or painting the sides/riser, the rack panels are powder-coated black, so it's durable. If I get a chance, I will post pics of material and a possible build I did some time ago.
Blank rack panels are 19" wide, they vary in lengths according to rack space. A single rack space is 1.75"L so a double space is 3.5"L and so on. Rack panels have punched holes on the ends to screw them into racks. If you buy a nice piece of hardwood like Oak or maple, you can cut the wood to your desired dimension and angle for your end pieces. The hardwood pieces would need to be .75" thick, which is the size of the tapered end of the rack panels.
From there, just screw down the blank rack pieces onto the hardwood for a nice Pedaltrain clone. When planning out this build, I would suggest getting the rack panels w/ the flanged edges, as they provide allot of support from bending and twisting. A flat rack panel will provide no support on loads from stomping and will eventually fail. You can get aluminum or steel rack panels and even diamond plated or slotted. I have used both aluminum and steel flanged panels, and if you use it strictly for risers steel is the way to go. If you are constructing a Pedaltrain-type board, where you will be reliant on two panels to support you pedals, then aluminum will be good(because of weight distribution).
As for the hardwood on the ends, you can measure them to how many panels you will use and the size gaps between the panels. Also, you can cut the wood to however height you want the board to be as well as the angle. This gives you custom heights so you can place your PSU underneath.
This is a nicer alternative to the Ikea Gorm board. Although it is not as inexpensive, it will be cheaper than a pedaltrain. The cost of the panels thru Redco.com are $5 for a single space rack panel, and an additional $3/space. So, a double space will be $8 and a 3 space will be $11. The hardwood will vary depending on what wood you choose. You can use veneered plywood such as birch plywood, but it won't be as durable.
The only material you will need for this build is: Wood for the riser/sides, rack panels, screw. Depending on how many panels you will need, you can build anything from a mini pedaltrain to a PTJr or PT1. The width of the panels are 19"W, but you can do a double wide by doubling up the riser in the middle. So that would make a board up to 38" wide. The length will vary of course.
Aside from staining or painting the sides/riser, the rack panels are powder-coated black, so it's durable. If I get a chance, I will post pics of material and a possible build I did some time ago.
jnepo1
Gold Supporting Member
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- 14,854
To add to my post above^^. A 3 space rack panel is 5.25"L x 19"W. A 3 space panel is a perfect size for large enclosures like the Klon, Eventides, and M5 w/out having slots underneath like a pedaltrain board. Because the panels are 19" wide, they can accommodate 5 MXR sized pedals w/ the plugs in, or 5 Way Huge type enclosures w/ the jacks/plugs top-mounted.
Here is a visual for the curious:
[/IMG]
This a pic of my board a couple years ago. The rack panel where the Turbo Tuner is on is a 2 space panel. The TC Electronic row of pedals sits on top of a 3 space panel, 5.25"L x 19"W.
A 2 space rack panel, is enough to mount a PP2+ sized PSU underneath. A 3 space rack panel is enough to fit a CAE/MXR MC-403 PSU underneath w/ plenty of room. In mentioning the CAE MC-403, the PSU comes w/ a rack panel mount that you can screw onto the front of the DIY board depending on the height you choose to build the board. The MC-403 requires 1 rack space.
Here is a visual for the curious:
This a pic of my board a couple years ago. The rack panel where the Turbo Tuner is on is a 2 space panel. The TC Electronic row of pedals sits on top of a 3 space panel, 5.25"L x 19"W.
A 2 space rack panel, is enough to mount a PP2+ sized PSU underneath. A 3 space rack panel is enough to fit a CAE/MXR MC-403 PSU underneath w/ plenty of room. In mentioning the CAE MC-403, the PSU comes w/ a rack panel mount that you can screw onto the front of the DIY board depending on the height you choose to build the board. The MC-403 requires 1 rack space.
redbeardrob
Member
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- 1,356
i just used an old shelf. put velcro on it and some rubber feet on the bottom. ultra cheap. it doesn't have the "slats" like pedaltrain does, but...eh...not a big deal for me.
DaveG
Platinum Supporting Member
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- 2,503
I built a board that's the same size as a PT Jr. I used oak, as I thought it would hold up better than pine, and with the pieces I needed it didn't seem very expensive. But by the time I was done buying the wood, stain, feet, screws, small angle brackets... I was about $20 shy of buying a used PT Jr, which would also include a soft case (and that still doesn't count my time). I'm satisfied with the board, and might even build another one down the road... but I sure wouldn't do it to try to save money.
Hugo Da Rosa
Gold Supporting Member
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- 2,389
The slats are held down by nails (as opposed to screws). I think it's fairly easy to take the nails out and reposition the slats to fit your needs without significantly weakening the wood. In fact, you could make sure the slats are more firmly attached to the sides with some added wood glue and maybe some screws. Some paint finish with high gloss/lacquer may also help in terms of making the entire board more sturdy and less prone to breakage from pressure.
Just some food for thought in case you wanted to reconsider.
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