[R-1051] Homebrew Cabinet

[David Wise]

My R-1051 came without a cabinet.  It also had been dropped, making it impossible to put it back into a regular cabinet.
Plus, I couldn't see paying $100+ for a cabinet for my $50 radio.  (Fortunately, it did come with the chassis end
of the rear interconnect cable, making it easy to wire in my own connectors at the other end.)

I decided to cobble up something it could go in, so I could stack it under or over other stuff without damaging or getting
damaged.  Its looks are nothing to write home about, but I was able to put it together cheaply and without any serious
tools or cabinet-making skills.

I mention a couple of different brackets in the instructions.  I made the front ones out of discarded kitchen-cabinet hinges,
and the rear ones out of a hunk of scrap steel plate, cutting, bending, and drilling to suit.  Some hole positions are
critical, so odds are near zero you'll find anything off the shelf.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dave Wise

HOMEBREW CABINET

Radio front panel is 7 x 17-1/2

3/4" plywood
Top/bottom 17-1/2 x 20
Sides (8-1/2 x 20) cover edges of top and bottom pieces.
Rear (4 x 17-1/2) is enclosed by top and sides, with access gap below.

Box front opening encloses radio front panel.
Radio's weight bears on bottom piece through front panel and rear brackets.
Radio is retained in cabinet by captive screws at corners of front panel.
(Middle screws unused.)

20 2" Deck Screws.  8 per side, 4 on rear.

4 front angle brackets, one per corner of front panel captive screw.
Secured by 3 ea 5/8" #8 wood screws through top/baseplate.
Front hole 3/16" diameter, 1/2" up.
4 10-32 J-type spring nuts.

2 rear angle brackets.  3/32" steel plate.  Each has three 3/16" holes on the
base, and one #6 hole on the face.
6 5/8" #8 wood screws.
2 6-32 x 1/2" round-head machine screw + 1/4" nylon spacer + nut.
SPACERS AND SCREW HEADS MUST FIT INTO CHASSIS REAR LOCATING HOLES.

Connector subpanel.  #18 steel, 3 x 5.
6 #6 holes, plus SO239 and 2 BNC.
Fastens inside rear piece.

6 #6 wood screw
2 panel-mount BNC female + mounting hardware.
1 panel-mount UHF female + mounting hardware.

1 4-point barrier strip + mounting hardware.  For audio.
AC line filter, with mounting ears, and 4" earth wire with #8 ring terminal.
These are mounted on the rear face of the rear piece, with the line filter
protruding inward.

Rear panel has rectangular holes for subpanel and line filter.
Line filter goes near the chassis ground stud.
Late assembly step (early disassembly step) is to attach/detach
earth terminal to/from ground stud.

1' of #18 lamp cord.
2x 1' of twisted pair for audio.
3x 1' of RG174 for RF.

4 feet.

CONSTRUCTION

 CABINET PIECES

Cut baseplate, sides, and top.

 REAR BRACKETS

Make baseplate level on the bench.
Put chassis on baseplate, with front edge of front panel
 centered and even with front edge of baseplate.
Jack up chassis at the rear so it's level.
Mark baseplate along rear of front panel at corners.
Position rear angle brackets, and drill starter holes into baseplate.
Fasten down rear brackets lightly.
Sight around chassis support holes and mark centers on rear brackets.
Remove brackets, and drill #6 holes.
Insert a 1/2" 6-32 round-head screw through a spacer.
Insert through a bracket, put on nut and tighten.
Repeat for other bracket.
Insert brackets in chassis and attach to baseplate,
 fine-tuning for sliding fit.
Remove jack.

 PIECE REGISTRATION

Clamp sides to baseplate and top so the opening makes a sliding fit on the front panel.
Drill through sides into baseplate and top, four per edge of baseplate/top.
Ideally, the front opening should be a perfect rectangle enclosing the front panel.
Carefully note any skew (parallelogram) between baseplate and top.
Remove top and sides.

 SPOTTING LOWER FRONT BRACKETS

Remove front-panel captive screws.
Position lower front brackets so holes are centered behind front-panel holes.
Temporarily secure brackets with glue or tape.

Remove chassis.
Replace captive screws.

 FRONT BRACKETS

Record lower front bracket positions; transfer measurements to top.
Drill baseplate and top for brackets and screw brackets into place.
Put spring nuts on brackets.

 BOX

Screw sides and top onto baseplate.

 REAR PANEL

Measure rear cabinet opening and cut rear piece to match.
Route holes in rear piece.
Drill holes in rear subpanel.
Install connectors and cables on subpanel, and attach to rear piece.
In rear piece, drill mounting holes for AC line filter.
Install line filter.
Install terminal strip.

Clamp rear piece to top, inset 1/2".
Drill and screw rear piece through top and sides.
Disconnect rear plug from chassis and attach cables: audio (2), RF (3), and mains.

INSTALLING CHASSIS IN CABINET

Back out front panel captive screws.
Stand chassis face-down on handles.
Lower cabinet onto chassis until rear brackets engage.
Attach rear connectors.
Attach line filter earth wire to chassis ground stud.
Lay radio down flat.
Moderately tighten front panel captive screws.