The BIG weekend tweak!

[Manoet]

    Finally, some fun & easy stuff begins tomorrow. It always gets a lot easier, more fun and less stressful after an initial tear-down where everything survived, none the worse for wear on a previously unseen component. Especially one as unique, uniquely different and tightly compacted as the Devialet Expert. It's also very exciting to start the process enhancements and to daydream of the promise of what's to come. I could live without the fear of pushing the power button first time when reassembled but I've learned over the years it's inevitable to contemplate the 'what if's' of that moment but part & parcel to the process.

First the lower cover gets drilled for convection cooling intake bores. The plan calls for 6 holes of 6mm diameter with slightly bevelled/chamfered inlet OD's. Then the catch pan, power supply cover and rear cover tail pieces get stripped of their enamel paint via an acetone bath. Then all 5 pieces go to the bead blast shop on Tuesday for removing powder coating on the cover and receive the finely textured surface finish similar to that found on the Devialet remote knob surround applied to all pieces. Chrome topper 'may' go along for an initial consultation. Soon as possible after that they're off to the anodizer. Also tomorrow I'll check my in-house inventory for non-magnetic stainless screws and fasteners. Any I don't have will be picked up locally if in-stock or McMaster-Carr.com if necessary. I'll likely have to switch from Torx to metric hex pan or buttress head on selected fasteners or be willing to wait 6-8 weeks.

Since lower cover and power supply cover are cast products they won't be as pretty as the top cover after anodizing like they too were machined as cast parts it tends to show how the aluminum swirled and flowed together before taking a set. On the power supply that hardly matters as its hidden inside. And I'm willing to forego aesthetics on the belly-pan for the sake of better temperature efficiencies. If it were to bother anyone else it can always be 'prettified' with the lightest coat of laquer externally without anywhere near the insulative thickness of powder coating or significant loss of thermal efficiency.

I've determined the catch pan will be screw-mounted this time to it's original spot with non-magnetic flat-head tapered hex screws using Arctic Alumina heat sink thermal transfer fixative underneath which I have around instead of that pesky Mystery Blu-Goo.

I'm hoping to have some idea of a reassembly date by EOW. Follow-up procedures and related pics to follow as they develop...