non-standard transformer mounting

transformers are some of the most costly components in building an amplifier, and a good place to shave off some costs from an amp build. in reality, transformers are simply comprised of windings ratios and power ratings! often electrical equivelent transformers are available for half the cost of "replacement" transformers, but sometimes they don't fit mechanically. if this is your situation, here are some options:

mounting a standup ( x mounting) transformer in a laydown ( z mounting ) chassis

i was faced with this situation when putting my marshall build into a new chassis. how would I mount my stand up transformer in there? after a trip to the hardware store the answer became clear - at a cost of less than $1!

1. at your hardware or electrical supply store find a cover for a 4" square electrical box like this

2. place the cover over the chassis transformer mounting hole

3. mark where holes need to be drilled and then mount the cover using appropriate hardware.

4. place the standup transformer on the newly mounted cover plate. mark where wholes need to be drilled and mount the transformer to the cover plate. don't forget that you'll need to drill holes for the
wires to come through!

here is how it looks on my marshall 1987 build




mounting a laydown ( z mounting ) transformer on a standup ( x mounting ) chassis

for my Vox build, i had a friend of a friend roll me a chassis to fit an existing cabinet. the cheapest transformer i could find was a laydown type and i didn't have the resources to cut a huge hole in the chassis. here is the solution:

1. transfer the mounting pattern to the chassis, including the holes for routing the wires through the chassis. drill or cut the appropriate holes.

2. measure the length between the where the mounting bolt starts to leave the transformer and where the wires start to leave the hole in the end bell. add about 1/2" to this measurement and find the closest length (go for a bit longer)
of threaded standoffs in the appropriate threading and install screw them onto the mounting bolts.

3. now thread 3/8" -1/2" mounting bolts of the same threading through the chassis and into the threaded standoffs.if the mounting bolts are longer than the end bells you may be in luck and can mount the transformer as if it was a standup type.

here is how my vox build turned out: