Stacking power amps mono blocks


I have two tube mono blocks that are stackable. However when I put one on the other there is only 1/2" space for heat dissiation between the two of them. I am worried that the lower unit will fry over time if it gets to warm and the heat from the tubes can't escape. I can obviously put a 2" x 4" to create space. However, the look may not be great. Anyone that has figured out a nifty thing or purchased something that creates a nice 3 to 4 " gap between two pretty heavy (at least 50 lbs each) power amps. By the way if I put them into my Target stand (the ampsare 8 " tall (mono blocks) I need to remove one shelf and loose three shelves and not great look for putting in two amps. I am I just not getting it?
dcaudio
Detlof: I routed the aluminum plates, just two routes per plate. They are about 3/8" wide and almost as long as the plate, stopping about 1 inch from either end (long being side to side in this case--if that makes sense). Then you have one with the grooves on the top, put two marbles near the ends of each groove, then put the other aluminum plate with grooves downward onto the four marbles. That's my recipe for my aluminum marble sandwitch. As to the concerns of heat dissappation--these concerns are probably correct for tubes or other types of amplifiers which do not have the heat sinks located to the outsides as mine do. Also, the ambiant tempurature and air flow around the units play a significant role. My units are only about 2" separated, which is adequate, although I have been considering increasing the flow under the bottom amplifier. In this situation it's really how much airflow you can get around the heat sinks--how much heat dissapation per hour. With tubes, this is probably much more difficult to accomplish since the heat generating device is located centrally in the amplifier--rather than on the external sides with massive heat sinks. I should have considered this with my original post.
Thank you. I am starting to get convinced. Need to run to look for amp-stands for my mono blocks.
Cheers.
Thanks for your time and consideration Abstract7. You make very good sense to me. I 'm thinking of following your footsteps and doing something similar.
Regards,
You can also try a couple of very quiet running fans...I've rigged 2 three inch cooling fans to blow across the top of each of my VTL monoblocks (they're on their own shelves above each other). I don't actually run them when I'm listening, but for the warm up period (approx. 1/2 hr.) and in between songs- whether I'm changing CD's or albums, a 2 min. or so cooling will quickly bring the temp. of the upper shelf back down to "reasonable limits". I'm using a standard [adjustable shelf] Salamander #5 rack and have about 4"-5" between the top of tubes and bottom of shelf above.What I did was simply rig a wire from the front right vertical support rod straight back to the aft one at the very top just below the shelf above it.Pull the wire very tight and then a couple of cable ties or whatever,to hang the fan on the wire. Rig yourself a switch and a plug and you've got yourself a "cross-flow" ventilated rack.Obviously this will only work with an open design rack(no side panels),but if you really wanted to (depending on the material) you could conceivably drill a hole into a side panel type,and mount it somehow? - Where there's a will.... Bottom line,it can be done and still be effective and neat looking. Regards
Dcaudio, I also have a Target rack (5 shelf) with two VAIC 52B monos stacked inside it. These amps are very tall, and I removed a shelf apiece for each amp to fit them inside the rack. They each have 8" overhead clearance, which seems enough for heat dissipation. I put the extra shelves under the mono blocks and a layer of rubber beneath them to make a sandwich support. The whole set-up looks fine enough for my wife who is a scrupulous interior design aesthete (with a soft spot for the Bauhaus-chrome-castle VAICs anyhow).