Traveling Steampunk DJ Cabinet

Halloween of 2011 sparked an idea for a Steampunk-based project. My friend works freelance as a DJ for various events. He wanted the build a new DJ cabinet for some older amps that would replace his beat up box and go with his costume. We were determined on building this cabinet with the ultimate goal of recycling, reusing, and spending as little as possible. We ended up spending about 50 bucks on new materials and half of that was on the dollar menu at the drive-thru between trips to the hardware store.

We began this build in late September and managed to get it done the week before Halloween. We divided the project into smaller, more manageable parts, considering the different elements of the theme.

The following tools were used for this build
Table saw
Palm sander
Power drill
Dremel
Pneumatic nail gun
Air compressor
Fabric stapler
Various screwdrivers
Various allen wrenches
Various sockets
Ratchet
Hammer
Blow dryer (official heat gun)
Bike chain tool

The following materials were used for this build
1” particle board salvaged from a torn down bookshelf
Wood glue
‘L’ brackets & matching wood screws
1/4” Cross Dowel Nuts
1/4” x 2” Hex Bolts
Faux leather
Lamp assembly
Bulb
rear bike sprocket cluster
bike chain
misc fishing gear parts
random nuts, washers, and bolts
steampunked power supply
recessed lightning trim with frosted glass
hinges
1/4” wood for doors
Halogen bulbs (glass housing)
Glue sticks
Small bulbs (for brass fittings)
Denatured alcohol
Various grits sand paper
1.5” x 4” L rails
Leather belts and buckles
JB Weld & other epoxies
loctite
Staples
Electrical tape
Unmelted glue sticks
Ultraviolet leds
1 1/2 inch vacuum hose
3/4" self tapping wood screws
Drywall corner bead (cut into straps)

Step 1 Building the box

The box itself was built from 1” particle board salvaged from a bookshelf unit that was thrown out by a local office building. We used the shelves themselves to build the box that would house the amps. We wanted the box to fit two amps, a rack mount power supply, and a crossover unit.

Measuring
Depth: Measure the depth required to hold the amps and some extra room to manage your connections. The boards we used were 15.5” deep and fit the amps perfectly, so we didn’t have to cut them down depth-wise.

Width: Measure the space required to hold the amps by the rail mounts. NOTE: Rack mountable gear is 19 inches wide total; take into consideration the width of the material you are going to be using and adjust the width accordingly. In our case we were using 1 inch particle board and the tabs of the gear are over 1 inch so there were no fitting issues. Also, the box will later be wrapped in leather so we allowed some room to account for the width of the material.

Height: Measure the height desired. We measured enough space to allow generous air flow. The amps used were modified and have small fans mounted on the top, so they required a little more head room. We left plenty of space for the power supply and crossover unit and a little bit extra for any future additions or modifications. The total height used was 19 inches.

Cutting, Sanding and Building
Once we had our measurements we just had to cut the boards to specifications. We prepared the table saw, set it to the appropriate measurements, and got to cutting.

After cutting, we had to make sure to clean the areas that were cut and prep the boards for further construction. Using a palm sander and 80 grit sandpaper, we sanded the edges of the boards that were going to make contact. This ensured that the wood glue used would adhere and provide a stronger bond. After cleaning the sanded areas with denatured alcohol and applying a generous amount of wood glue, we pressed the boards together and nailed them in place with a pneumatic nail gun attached to a 3 gallon air compressor (using 1 ½ inch finishing nails fired at 80psi). This step was repeated until all sides were attached to complete a basic box frame. 

After completing the basic frame we added some ‘L’ brackets (a total of 4) at each corner to keep the box squared and true. Then we just stored the box away to let the glue set overnight.
Check out the video that summarizes our actual building process.

Basic box build from Santos Nunez on Vimeo.

Prepping for Further Accessories
Now that the basic box has been built we wanted to make sure that our measurements were precise. This consisted of sitting the amps and other audio components in the box and spacing them out accordingly. We marked where we were going to install the power supply and the crossover and then evenly spaced out the amps to give them as much room for air flow as possible. 

Before moving away from the box we drilled out holes where the top amp and power supply were going to be and carefully measured an intersecting point for the cross dowel nuts and made the corresponding holes. The great thing about using these cross dowel nuts is that we didn’t lose the integrity of our material. This is a much better system than simply drilling some wood screws, risk destruction on a bad calculation, and have the weight bare completely where the screws would anchor (using small screws risk a lack of strength, using long screws risk chewing up the boards). After verifying that the bolt holes and cross dowel nuts lined up we spray painted the inside flat black and moved on to working on the accessories.

Comments

[tobiasmaximus]

Thanks alot Winged Fist! This project was a collaboration with my friend, Maurice365, who is also responsible for fully introducing me into the world of steampunk design. Also, I've seen your instructable on creating a steampunk USB mini-lantern, so it's cool to receive props on your end.

[jelc85]

LOL how did I know it was David =P nice work though, I wish I had all those tools...all I have is some yarn and a crochet hook =)...I should make a steam punk box too hehe you've inspired me!!!

[Winged Fist]

Very impressive Tobias Maximus! This is a great looking DJ cabinet, and a really well documented and photographed instructable, especially considering it's your first... looking forward to seeing future projects.;-) You got my vote for the Shopbot Challenge!

[littlerice]

This is an awesome way to center the entertainment at any party!

[carmelinac85]

Kool....nice work guys

[tobiasmaximus]

Thanks dude! First instructable, and my buddy and I worked quite hard on it.

[ynneb]

Nice !!