Building a console for a Presto 6N

[Steve E.]

The time has come for me to mount my Presto 6N into a better console or cabinet. It was common for them to be mounted into a Gates console:



Here's Ann Hamilton's presto lathe from "Event of a Thread". I think it was in an original Presto console. (image by Eli.)



Currently I have mine dropped into an Ikea cabinet on wheels, where it sits about 3 feet above ground. It is a strain on my back to bend over to use it, and I suspect it is prone to resonances from the furniture itself. It is poorly isolated from the ground, too.

I'd probably either build it from scratch or find a taller piece of furniture to repurpose.

Has anyone taken on such a project? Can anyone recommend some do's and don'ts? What should I keep in mind as I do this? What's an optimal height?

[MBL]

I plan on building a console just like that. My suggestion might be to see if you can find an enclosure and cut it down. Then use fill in panels.
Tim
MBL

[tragwag]

Presto 'A' is mounted in this cabinet.
Within a couple weeks, our Presto 'B' will be mounted in the free space to the current 6N's left.

I like this cabinet, because its a great height.
It also leaves plenty of space for storage and rack gear.
At the moment I've got the 92 series amp, a power conditioner, a rackmount parametric EQ, and a modern stereo power amp in one side of bottom cabinet.
I keep my blanks/feedscrews and other materials in the other side.

[Steve E.]

Great! that's the kind of data I want.

Is this the one I have seen?

Just how tall is it?

Are you using any sort of insulation between the lathe and the cabinet, and between the cabinet and the floor?

[tragwag]

Yes, you've seen this one.
I like it because there is some space around the lathe to put things, whereas the other consoles look like they just house the chassis and thats all.

I'll get measurements later, but I'm guessing its about 3-4 ft high, about 4 feet long, and about 2 feet deep.

I don't use any isolation, it hasn't been a problem with the lathe cuts.
I assume if I was cutting lacquers on these machines that it'd be a bigger deal.

[Steve E.]

A little bird told me --a big bird, really-- to check out isolators from Mason Industries, on Long Island.

[MBL]

I heard from a son of an old studio guy, that they would set a lathe console into a container of sand for isolation. I don't know how well that worked.
Tim
MBL

[Angus McCarthy]

I've got mine set up on a hefty wooden frame - the box it's mounted in rests on top of four treated 4x4 posts, so I can lift it off if need be - the whole thing on heavy-duty castors. The mass alone keeps things from resonating, even though these are wooden floors. I'm not apt to move around the room too much when making a cut anyway. The platter sits about four feet off the ground, and it's right at eye level when I sit next to it.

[petermontg]

I built mine into a flight case with a steel place mounted, so the presto would mount on the plate. Easily to pack up for moving. Just removed the overhead and close up the flight case.

Might be another Idea.

[tragwag]

a current picture of the double 6N cabinet.

Once a get a better camera, i'll try to do a panorama of the whole room.

[JayDC]

steve, I was going to use a kitchen sink cabinet and a nice hard wood counter top... sink cabinets are built stronger, and if your lucky you can find a steel "geneva" one from the 60's..