The final few Empeg Home/Office Docking Stations are now packaged up and ready to go. Of the 223 docks produced, only 7 remain. These are all the Works model, with integrated fan, serial port, and ethernet. Available for immediate shipment upon receipt of payment.

These docks can be used to convert an Empeg/RioCar unit for home/office use, extending the usefulness and lifetime of the player long beyond when it can no longer be fitted to newer automobiles. Also provides a convenient way to do away with cable clutter, and enables easy transfer between car and non-car uses.

Full information is available at the Home Docks link on this page. To purchase one, email me first (to confirm availability), and then send payment when instructed to do so. Your dock will be mailed out immediately, and should take 7-14 days to arrive (worldwide).

Thanks to all who have provided homes for the other 216 units!

Only 3 left.. last chance!

That's right, my workshop is now free for other activiites after almost a year at this, and my home office now seems larger without the stack of unshipped cardboard boxes laying around.

But there's still one dock left, ready to ship at a moment's notice..

This is Empeg Home Dock #221, the last one built -- just as good (or better) as the first 220 of them, but it too must go.

EDIT: Gone in 60 seconds! Sold to Mark C.
EDIT: Gone in 60 seconds! Sold to Mark C.

Cheers

I also have one of Mark's docks for sale. PM me if interested.

But there's still one dock left, ready to ship at a moment's notice..

I'll vouch for the build quality and the buying experience. I got one of the few remaining ones: Very nice attention to detail, and it looks loads better than the bare empeg on my stereo cabinet.

Thanks, Mark!

-jk

Aw man, I didn't get the last one. Oh well, when my order comes in, I'm sure I'll be in love anyway. Glad I managed to score one of these! Thanks Mark.

Is it too late ordering two docks now ?

Tada,
\\Kaare

You have a PM.

Anyone else? We're doing a very tiny batch of docks, and really only want to do this ONCE..

Cheers

You have a PM

You have another PM... (I'll be late for my own funeral)

Hmmm... the home dock website says you are currently working on a small batch to fulfill orders you received in November. But then it says new orders are not being accepted. : ( That sucks cuz your docks look really nice and I would love to get ahold of one.

Hi,

I can make one more dock, if you want. EMAIL me (not PM): docks@rtr.ca and we can discuss.

Cheers

Now that we've finished (for real) all production of new docks, the two model docks that I've held onto (for measurements and the like) are up for grabs.

Further info at the Home Docks link (above).

Cheers

How about a lottery of Serial Numbers?
Randomly select two serial numbers.
Lucky holder wins one of the last two remaining Docks!
If no one replys the day of announcement you can once again sell them.
Thought I give it a shot.
Not that I would'nt pay for your quality docks. Very nice work indeed.

Actually, I had an even better idea.

We have one extra extra dock here, made with solid black walnut (top & bottom), covered with three coats of hand-rubbed clear shellac finish.

I've packed it up, and am mailing it tomorrow to a previous dock purchaser.. as a Christmas/appreciation gift to someone deserving of it. Let's hope that person posts photos of it for the BBS, cuz I forgot to take some before packing it.

Cheers

Tempting, very tempting, but I should really save my money in case car shipping/titling snafus crop up.

That will be one lucky person.

<waves to Mark>

<waves back>

I have a digital camera!

Me too!

(granted, he was scheduled to send that out *yesterday*)

I suppose I ought to point out the obvious here, so that too many people with digital cameras don't get their hopes up! It was only ONE dock, and there were hundreds of original dock purchasers, more than one of which is deserving of the special edition bonus dock. But only ONE dock was sent.

Meanwhile, original dock #010 is still up for grabs. Several people emailed me asking to purchase it, but then I never heard back from them again after giving the "go ahead" for paypal.

Cheers

Docks #009 and #010 have now both been sold and shipped.

Cheers

Bloody superb.

Just got mine in the post (UK) and it's bloody quality - thanks Mr Lord, you are a gent.

Greetings!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am honored!!! The dock is GREAT!

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Congrats! That dock looks really great!
Mark couldn't have given it to a nicer person, as far as I'm concerned !
(it really blends in with your furniture too!)

Is that a real candlestick phone or a repro?

I knew Paul would get it... he definitely deserves it. Nice piece of kit! I love your mix of tech and antique. looks great. Is that an atomic clock?

Greetings!

Thanks! <embarassed grin>

It is a rather eclectic combination... Yes, that is a real candlestick phone. I did not bother connecting it, but it theoretically should work. All of the wiring is there; I would just need to hook it up to a terminal block. The clock is a GPS satellite controlled nixie clock. I like my numbers to have an orange flicker to them...

Does that clock automatically handle daylight savings time? Doesn't say on the page...

Yes. Fully configurable if you want it to or not. There is a PDF file there, somewhere, with the configuration steps and options. That is one of those options.

All of the clocks that he produces are based on the same software / configuration set. I really hope he is able to produce those wrist watches again...

Ahhh... that's what it was. I knew i'd seen those before somewhere. Me wanty!

- me drooling-

Don't forget you still have a piano-black one coming! It's tough putting down 10+ coats of finish when you don't have a spray booth, but it's coming. The bottom now has four coats of primer and eight coats of black nitrocellulose lacquer. The other sides have four coats of primer and four of black nitrocellulose lacquer. After 10 coats of black, we stop, let it harden for one month and then FINALLY polish.

Stu

OOOH...

Stu, got any pictures of how the piano black is looking?

That walnut looks great! Congrats Paul, you deserve the dock. And Mark did a great job on it!

It inspires me to make another dock for my own.

Congrats Paul. You do so much for everyone on this board, you surely deserved it. Looks beautiful!

Yeah, congratulations, Paul!

And a very merry Christmas to you, as well.

It was a very easy choice on who to send that dock to after remembering all of the nice stuff people had to say whenever your name came up (lots!) at the Ohio meet this year.

Truly, one of the stars of this BBS!

Cheers!!

-ml & SWMBO

Here's the bottom of it unpolished with its 9th coat of black.

Stu

Wow Stu that's looking good. Although I'd be worried, as that plane in the reflection looks to close for comfort :-)

OOOOOOH.... That looks good...

Exotic docking stations. The walnut matches the wood in the bedroom perfectly. This will go very nicely in the living room once it is finished! Wow!!!

how do you go about polishing?

Water, and a very very fine abrasive, followed by an even finer abrasive..

A much quicker way to get 90% of the effect is to paint the dock a nice flat black, and then apply 5-10 coats of shellac (hardens MUCH faster than lacquer), scrape it flat, one more coat, scrape it flat again, and wax it.

Voila.. instant glassy finish, without the dangerous fumes or several months of application time. But it's not quite the same as a true black piano finish.. Pretty Darned Close, though, especially for something as small as a dock.

Cheers

when you say 'scrape it flat' what are you meaning?
and what sort of wax?
im planning on painting mine this next week, and a shiny glossy scratch resistant black is what i had in mind. piano black would be awesome, but im impatient.

I mean, use a sharp edged wood (cabinet) scraper to shave off the high points (and dust) from the hardened clear coat.

One of these: cabinet scrapers

As for wax, it would have to be a very hard wax, like this stuff.

Cheers

Paul, so happy YOU got it! Very well deserved! Mark, excellent choice!

Mark,

That wood dock is beautiful and got me thinking:

Now that you're out of the dock building business, what would you think about posting (or selling) the plans and building instructions for the dock? That way people could make their own docks out of whatever materials they want (black walnut, maybe?) and could benefit from the excellent design of yours.

Just a thought.

Jim

If you have a dock, it's rather trivial to open it up and measure it and mimic the construction. If you don't have one, that makes things a bit more difficult.

Although I've never tried it, I've always heard that clear wood finishes over a solid color result in a murky, dull appearance due to the lack of pigments in the top coat. Yes, lacquer is harder to work with and is a bit excessive for this application, but that's part of the point .

You might have luck with some of the new water-based finishes, many of which can have pigment added to them to make them opaque, and are less dangerous to work with than lacquer.

For me polishing starts with wet sanding at 600 grit, then 1000 grit, followed by three grades of car polishing compounds applied either by hand or machine, then a good furniture wax.

Stu

Now that you're out of the dock building business, what would you think about posting (or selling) the plans and building instructions for the dock?

Step 1: Fill your garage with millions of dollars worth of woodworking equipment like on "New Yankee Workshop"...

Hi,

I am not sure if I'm entirely out of the dock building business yet.

I have a somewhat fancier version on the drawing board to replace my own personal dock -- with integrated amplifier, power supply, and room for a PCATS (or original) tuner module, antenna jack, AUX-IN, and power switch.

Given the effort it takes to come up with a workable design, I might just make a few extras as I build my own. And probably use cherry or black walnut for much of the exteriors.

cheers

In reply to:

---

And probably use cherry or black walnut for much of the exteriors.

---

Any other possible woods; Honduran rosewood, cocobolo, kingwood, tulipwood etc.?

Stu

If you have a dock, it's rather trivial to open it up

bear in mind that doing so will immediately void your warranty

I guess.

I opened mine and I didn't find any warranty. Not a valid nor void one. Mark must have forgotten to include it. Damn.

Now to figure out how I'm going to finish it... Which also includes putting a docking connector in it. Hehehe.

Bruno

PS. Thanks again Mark! empeg fit like a glove (after turning the ethernet connector around )

> after turning the ethernet around

(blush) I think I did the same for the one I sent to Bitt, as well..

Cheers

Whay wunt theese durn gadget fut?

I'll have to keep an eye out.

I have a somewhat fancier version on the drawing board to replace my own personal dock -- with integrated amplifier, power supply, and room for a PCATS (or original) tuner module, antenna jack, AUX-IN, and power switch.

Daaaang. It wouldn't take much arm-twisting for me to want one of those.

Wow, that looks slick. Nice work Mark!
-Mike

I might just make a few extras as I build my own

Mark, I would definately be interested in one of these

I have updated the Home Docks pages to include wiring diagrams (kind of..) for the docks we produced here. This info may be of help to someone working on their own docks, or assembling one of ours from "kit form" (a possibility.. stay tuned).

Cheers