henry4841 Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 It was suggested by a fellow member to start a new thread for this build. I am transferring what I wrote this morning about the build here and deleting the post on the Little Sweetie thread. The Little Sweetie thread had gotten pretty long. This is Maynard's amplifier build done by me with premium parts and good looks. Morning guys. This thread is for those that might like to hear about an old man slowly building a tube amplifier. An old guy trying real hard to just be himself on a social media site. I do not do Facebook or Twitter and only use sites like this one and some other technical forums for entertainment. I ordered the parts for this project from Mouser yesterday. I am going to use better name components in this Sweetie. Will it make any difference in sound compared to the last one, probably not but some like like better and others like best. The last Sweetie is the good. This is going to be the better. The best is those amplifiers in the 5 figure range. It is going to have all Hammond iron. Two Hammond power transformers and one grade better Hammond output transformers from the previous Sweetie. Two completely separate amplifiers in one case. In other words mono's in one chassis instead of two. I chose Nichicon Audio grade electrolytic 105C caps in the two signal circuits and Nichicon 105C electrolytic caps for the power supply circuit. For the 1/2 watt resistors I am going to use Vishay resistors. Both these name parts are respected in the electronic industry. For the power resistors I am using one grade higher wattage ones than what Maynard recommends in his design. Might say overbuilding. I also ordered another aluminum plate off of Ebay to add to the one I have in stock left over years ago from another build. More work building an amplifier like this compared to the last one built on a Bud chassis. More chassis work has to be done. Time consuming but I like to make it fun. This morning I am planning on cutting the slots for those tails in the boards I made yesterday. I forget the correct name woodworkers use making dovetails. Like electronics woodworkers have their own language you need to know to understand what they are talking about. I enjoyed building the last tube amplifier after having not built one in two or more years. I forgot how much fun it can be. I have always my entire life liked working with my hands. I have also enjoyed sharing an old mans day on this forum with you guys that have an interest in hearing about me. Thanks for the support guys. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Hand tools used to cut dovetails along with dry fit. The other picture is glue up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeydeal Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 So what do you foresee the cost of this build to be once the dust settles (pun intended)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 I had rather wait to discuss money or selling until it is in the Garage section where this build can remain where it is now. Let's keep price in PM's while I am building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWelsh Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I will be really interested to hear whether or not you notice a perceptible difference with the premium components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 To answer CWelsch, I am not expecting any significant difference. Any improvement will possible in the sound stage being that this a mono build in one chassis. The only things the two amplifiers are going to share are the fuse and switch. Of all the amplifiers I have built this is going to be my first mono build. All the others have been stereo amplifiers tube or SS. Mono's is what Maynard has always built. At least the ones I have seen. The budget Sweetie is using good parts that get the job making the tubes work correctly. Any difference using premium parts will be splitting frog hairs with a razor blade. Just my opinion that many will argue about till the cows come home. I just want to build mono amplifiers for stereo use using premium parts for a change. Remember I am not in the amplifier building business. I am just having fun doing what I enjoy doing with the hope someone will take it off my hands and put a little money in my pocket for all my work in the end. If not I am going to have me a pretty mono tube amplifier with premium parts to add to my collection. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 A little work done this morning. Does not look like much but using a router to round the corners and all the sanding is not what I call having fun. Must be done though. Installing the rails that will hold the plate for the amplifiers is shown too. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 Thanks for the like Mike. You know how much work it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 17 minutes ago, henry4841 said: I just want to build mono amplifiers for stereo use using premium parts for a change. I am just having fun doing what I enjoy doing with the hope someone will take it off my hands and put a little money in my pocket for all my work in the end. If not I am going to have me a pretty mono tube amplifier with premium parts to add to my collection. Looking good already I doubt you'll have any trouble selling this amp when you're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capo72 Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 So you are using 2 separate Input power transformers? Will they be toroidal like your last build? Sounds like a big, heavy amp! 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 13 minutes ago, capo72 said: So you are using 2 separate Input power transformers? Will they be toroidal like your last build? Sounds like a big, heavy amp! 🙂 No, I am going this time with what Maynard recommends for mono builds, the Hammond 269EX. Two of them. In fact they, along with the other parts from Mouser, arrived today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 Got to love cherry. The more it ages the better it is going to look. First coat of oil. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Nice! Is that one for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 14 hours ago, Crankysoldermeister said: Nice! Is that one for me. Can be. If I decide to part with it. Who knows I might decide to keep it, probably not though. I really do not go in so much for looks in an amplifier. An amp is just a tool in my book to do a job for me, produce music. The last Sweetie is more my kind of build, a serious looking tool. I do plan on keeping this one for a few weeks after building and listen to it being it is my first mono build. Will not hurt to put 20 or so hours on the tubes. Word is a tube does not sound it's best until one gets 100 hours on them. During the building process of a tube there are some impurities released for a number of hours when first used. There is what is called a getter in the tube that absorbs those impurities. From Wikipedia " A getter is a deposit of reactive material that is placed inside a vacuum system to complete and maintain the vacuum. When gas molecules strike the getter material, they combine with it chemically or by absorption. Thus the getter removes small amounts of gas from the evacuated space. The getter is usually a coating applied to a surface within the evacuated chamber." You can see the getter in a tube if one knows what to look for. If the getter is almost gone in an old tube it is a sign that the tube is getting weak and will soon need replacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 All that is going to be done today. Have errands to run and do not want this project to become work. Now start on making holes in the aluminum sheets I cut. I was planning on sanding and painting the aluminum being that at times in the past the alum sheet would be scratched some. These pieces are scratch free. May just leave as is. I like the look of aluminum. Need to give it some thought. Any opinion guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 2 hours ago, henry4841 said: May just leave as is. I like the look of aluminum. Need to give it some thought. Any opinion guys? I like the look of heavily polished aluminum. Unfortunately, the aluminum oxidizes as fast as natural Cherry darkens. Using that fancy micro-crystalline Renaissance wax polish does prolong the aluminum from oxidizing. It works rather well actually. Being flat pieces, it wouldn't be difficult to sand/polish them out...but it's a bit of a chore. The best to me is have the pieces anodized. Then they won't oxidize and are more scratch resistant over raw aluminum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 Thanks for posting your thoughts Mike. I do not know of a place to have them anodized so for right now I am thinking of painting black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 3 hours ago, henry4841 said: Thanks for posting your thoughts Mike. I do not know of a place to have them anodized so for right now I am thinking of painting black. I hear BMW white looks pretty good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 6 minutes ago, jjptkd said: I hear BMW white looks pretty good. H'm, deserves some thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeydeal Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 35 minutes ago, jjptkd said: I hear BMW white looks pretty good. Yeah I’ve heard that too….😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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