Ok, let us break down this down further. You did not mention ;
How much did you spend on the cost of the 2 chassis tops? Who designed the template for the mounting holes.
How much did it cost for the wood bases.
The circuit boards and parts to stuff them.
I am guessing the the metal plate and the wood base was at least 2/3 of the cost.
You bought Edcor trannys ( i must applaud you for a good choice there, so that was about 300 for them.
Just trying to get an idea of how much DIY costs nowadays. I wanna know if i need to start an extra savings program (aka part time job), or start looking for a "sugar mama".
2x Decware ZKIT1 PCBs = $90
Parts list x2 = under $120-140? I don't remember the exact/actual cost here, but it was less than $200
2x Edcor PT + 4x Edcor OPT = $265
2x Chassis (all plates, volume pots, binding posts) = $700
If I initially had $1100 for an amp, I wouldn't have built these. And I certainly didn't intend to pay $700 for chassis, but the small 60s Pioneer speaker cabinets I was going to use ended up being too small. By this point, I had already dumped $450+ into the boards, parts, and transformers, and didn't have anything to mount them to. I looked at the other options, such as those listed above this post, but none of them gave me what I was looking for, aesthetically.
The cardboard template below is my second and final sketch of the layout and dimensions I wanted: big ass Edcor PT up top, OPTs hanging inside the chassis up front (to avoid wide chassis), and little anything but the tubes sticking out. Minimal, mid-century inspired. No garish or gaudy design elements, just a beautiful, simple box. Everything on the top plate is based on the 6x6" Decware PCB. Then I set the PT down on the cardboard and made sure the leads would make it to the board. Same with the OPTs. In my sketch, I had the binding posts on the back face of the amp, but in consultation with J+K, they recommended going up top on either side of the PT due to space.
Dozens of emails later, they sent me a CAD file for the top plate and the back plate (cut out of IEC w/fuse and mini rocker switch). Then I gave them the dimensions of the actual box that I wanted. As I said in my first post, I now wish I had gone an inch shorter in height. A little bit lower would be a little bit gooder, aesthetically.
If I had a garage, a table saw, a mitre saw, and a router--plus the knowledge and experience in knowing how to use these tools--I would have attempted to make my own boxes. As it is, I feel comfortable saying I designed the boxes and top plate. And I'm happy with the quality of the work that was returned to me.
Part of DIY, besides the satisfaction of having it turn out and working. Is to either make something better than what is commercially available and to have it cost less than what is professionally available.
So, if this project cost less than getting 2 Decaware amps that the circuit boards are based on then i would say well done and kudos.
Essentially, over a period of 2-3 months, I went from budget $250 per amp to about $550 per amp. The Decware Zen amp I was looking at retails for $999-1199. I basically built two of them, PCB instead of P2P, for the price of one. Now that I've completed my MA from Hopkins couple weeks ago, I'm not currently coaching two Little League teams, my wife kicked cancer's ass, I can say that I have a little more time on my hands to tackle some projects--including finishing these couple weeks ago. I'm broke now, but basic woodworking is on my list.
