Finally finished this one up. There was a ton of cutting using a tiny hobby saw and files. Then a ton of painting with tiny brushes to make it look good. It is a little front heavy due to the 6 inch speaker so I have to find something to add to the inside of the cabinet for weight. All told, I'm really happy with how this one turned out.
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Thanks Grandpa. These boxes are hard to come by. These ones we my 2nd and 3rd finds in a year. If you do work with yours, the lids are fragile. MDF on thin ply. Chips real easy. Testors model paint, red and metallic silver are closest paints I could find for touching up. Your lamp chain idea is great but won work on this one. The head is removable and you can actually use it as a stop box of sorts. The amp itself is a circuit I adapted from the Little Jem circuit. It's based around a LM386 chip.
Another thought, Pete. I've built several small cigar box amps, and I used the lid of the box as the back of the amp. I attach a small 3"-4" length of lamp chain to the under side of the lid and the inside of the box. This allows the amp to be leaned back, using the open, chained lid to act as a prop to hold the amp in the leaned back position. I think it helps the sound of the amp. Your Flathead box can't use this method (your lid is, of course, in front). Perhaps a couple of external legs, one on each side of the amp, would allow you to tilt the amp back, relieving the "front-heaviness".
Nice looking amp. You obviously took a diligent approach to create a beautiful piece. I've had a Flathead box on the shelf for a while, the only one I've been able to find, waiting to make another amp. My box still had the vellum-type paper inside with a rockabilly/hot rod girl. I framed it in the garage, that's as far as I've gotten so far. Building the amp will be more time-consuming, so I'm taking the cautious approach. What did you use for your amp innards?
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Another thought, Pete. I've built several small cigar box amps, and I used the lid of the box as the back of the amp. I attach a small 3"-4" length of lamp chain to the under side of the lid and the inside of the box. This allows the amp to be leaned back, using the open, chained lid to act as a prop to hold the amp in the leaned back position. I think it helps the sound of the amp. Your Flathead box can't use this method (your lid is, of course, in front). Perhaps a couple of external legs, one on each side of the amp, would allow you to tilt the amp back, relieving the "front-heaviness".
Nice looking amp. You obviously took a diligent approach to create a beautiful piece. I've had a Flathead box on the shelf for a while, the only one I've been able to find, waiting to make another amp. My box still had the vellum-type paper inside with a rockabilly/hot rod girl. I framed it in the garage, that's as far as I've gotten so far. Building the amp will be more time-consuming, so I'm taking the cautious approach. What did you use for your amp innards?