Hey guys, I just about have the gas piping mounted and ready to go. I have the arm built on my brutus for the Electrical controls panel but am at a crossroads. I have been doing this entire build on a MAJOR budget and now I need a control panel. They're expensive. I was thinking about trying to make one with a rivet gun and some old furnace panels I have, I know it won't be the prettiest but its all the materials I have now. Is there some other ideas you might have? I want it to be roughly 12" wide 16" tall and about 6-8" deep. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.
Hermes Control Panel?
- Thread starter petrostar
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Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
I built mine out of a 10x10x5 electrical box that I bought at home depot for $10 on sale. You don't need anything as big as you're thinking. Just watch sales and you'll find something.
Well, It will have to be a bit bigger than that. I have 2 Ignition modules for my Hot surface ignition. I also am upgrading to a Brewtroller with a 16 relay board fairly soon. 10x10 would be a bit cramped I think.
OneHoppyGuy
Well-Known Member
Use double stick tape to mount the modules and put them on the walls of the enclosure.
Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
I guess it really depends on what's inside. I wired 2 auber PID's, my pumps, a transformer, and 2 blocks along with all my switches, and had no problem with space. I didn't use bulkheads for any of the connections though...everything runs straight through the box.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
Yeah, some of the enclosures are crazy expensive. I ending up going with a Hoffman C12C12 consolet for mine. Not sure what your budget is but I think they normally sell for around $200 for the 12x12 size. I got mine for about $100, so if you shop around you might be able to find a good deal. It's worth looking on ebay too...I had my eye on several used enclosures until I found the Hoffman one. If you go the ebay route, make sure you check the shipping before you bid. A lot of the ones I saw seemed like a good deal until I saw what they wanted to ship it (sometimes 2 or 3x's the selling price).
It just so happens I work in the HVAC industry and belong to the sheet metal union. I'm in school this week and they said have at the shop and materials are free. I'm making a 12x12x6" deep box for this build. Did I mention, FREE! I got the cut list from the sheet metal instructor and will build it on my lunch break tomorrow. Ill make sure I post a pic. Btw Micro, I really dig your stand. Its very unique. My budget is pretty much NOTTA right now as I am unemployed with a baby on the way. DIY is my life right now.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
Yeah, the job market kind of sucks right now so I feel for you, but congrats on the baby. Hopefully things in the job market will pick up soon for you. That's pretty cool that you're going to build your own enclosure for your system. Not many homebrewers can say they did that. Be sure to post some pics when you get it together.
Head over to your big box home improvement store of choice and walk the electrical section... you should find a few things that could work for around $20. I would concentrate on sub-pannels or ones designed for spas/hot tubs, they should be around the size you are looking for
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