Yeah! Built my Crack! Need to pad down my volume- PICTURE POSTED

[Nathan]

It would be easier to parallel in some 150K ohm resistors. Same net effect and if I prefered it at 75K ohm, I could just snip them out

[fullheadofnothing]

http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,3.0.html

Please read the fourth rule.

[Nathan]

Ok-

Anyone know where I can get just 2 resistors without paying more in shipping than the cost of the resistors?

[Paul Birkeland]

Ok-

Anyone know where I can get just 2 resistors without paying more in shipping than the cost of the resistors?

At you local electronics shop.

[Nathan]

RS?  Only have carbon in stock-

[Paul Birkeland]

RS?  Only have carbon in stock-

Carbon will work.

[Nathan]

Here's my built Crack
Tube compliment is a Tung Sol 5998 and Mullard 12AU7, both NOS
I've padded down the volume control using 2 33k Ohm resistors on the outer legs of the volume control and 75K ohm resistors on the hot pins at the RCA's. Next step is to reduce the resistance at the hot pins to 50K ohms. I'm inclined to trying some paralleled 150K ohm resistors and if that's 'just right' then just putting in some 50K ohm resistiors. Once that's done I'm going to put a few spots of hot melt glue between the base and top plate so the top plate doesn't move around every time I pull the headphone plug.  I can't imagine how much better a Speedball could be!

[Nathan]

Larger image

[JamieMcC]

Is that stained Nathan? if so its came out really nice and even. It reminded me of your native Jarrah wood when I first saw the pic.

[Nathan]

Thank You! 

It's stained. With this sort of wood, you have to use a pre-stain otherwise you run a real risk of the stain being blotchy.

Here's what I did to finish the base.  After assembly I used a power sander to get it nice and smooth. Some compressed air and then tack cloth to get rid of the dust. Then pre-stain. After the pre-stain, I did multiple coats of stain. Then I used a semi gloss polyurathane, sanding between coats and once again, using compressed air and tack cloth.  Were I to do this again, the only thing I would do different would be to use steel wool between coats of polyurathane (did 3 coats). I used steel wool between poly coats on another wood project and like the results better but someone talked me out of using the steel wool, saying I run the risk of tiny bits of the steel breaking off and embedding into the wood. That had never been my experience and I don't know why I listened.

Came out quite nice anyway . . . .

PS- this is my first BH kit. Must be another Nathan lurking around as well.

[Doc B.]

The alder takes stain quite nicely without a sealer. IME the best approach is to use water base aniline dye.

[Nathan]

Could be the analine is the best approach. Note that Minwax specifically recommends their prestain on alder. I suppose there is more than one road to the same destination