Amp cradles... Worthwhile?

[Cobra]

How many of you use an amp cradle for your builds, or some other rig or platform? Are they worthwhile? If you use a different method or rig for holding your chassis, I'd be very interested in what's working out for you.

[Steve Conner]

I didn't even know such a thing as an amp cradle existed. I prop chassis up with reels of solder, cans of beans, a vice grip or two... it's all good!

If I'm doing the metalwork from scratch too, I try to make sure the chassis will sit upside down of its own accord.

[Cobra]

I'm all for using what you have around, but since I'm kinda new at this, I've been exploring the alternatives.

Here's a pic of an amp cradle that's adjustable for chassis width & angle via quick release:

[Enzo]

If you are in a production line environment, something like that might have value. But in all my years, I have found very few amps that didn't sit well on the bench all by themselves. Most amps I can sit on the bench on the tops of its transformers. Then I tilt it towards me so it leans on the edge of the chassis. Plenty stable. Usually the outputs clear the bench surface. in some cases the power tranny might be tall enough, but not the OT, or maybe both are at one end. In those cases, I do support the other end of the chassis.

For those times, a roll of solder is often a good hieght, or maybe a parts tub, small cardboard box, hunk of wood, my partner used to use a piece of 2x4.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a commercial fixture like that, but if I were advising someone, I'd say spend the money on something more useful first - big dummy load resistors for the bench, parts for a bench patch panel (jakcs connected to a bench speaker enclosure, dummy loads,as well as a signal source or two), an audio generator, a new scope probe, A switched test mains outlet for the bench, or an AC amps meter wired into a mains outlet so yu can monitor power draw of the unit under test. Stuff like that. I'd by some parts drawers to organize some resistors or caps.

[Tom Phillips]

I let the amp sit on the transformers. If the tubes are too tall then I use common red bricks at each end of the chassis shimmed by blocks of scrap wood if necessary.
Tom

[Cobra]

I just found this link to a custom made metal amp cradle. Check the pix out...
It looks like lab or surgical equipment.

http://users.adelphia.net/~rtcook/ch...g_002_page.htm

[sliberty]

I built my own chassis cradle. Its not pretty, but it works well, and cost me about $15 to build it. I think this thing has saved my back and neck from sever harm.

Also, once you slip in the tubes, many amps can no longer sit on their trannies as the tubes might be taller. But they can still sit in the cradle.

[Enzo]

That is why I usually tip it towards me so the edge of the chassis is on the bench. Sits at about a 45 degree angle facing me.