Mine has to be drilling the enclosure. It's one of those processes where you get one shot to get holes lined up. Although since getting a stepped drill bit the process is much easier. I've drilled the dc jack hole to close the pot hole, haha pot hole, and dc jack would not insert all the way because it was too close to the back of the pot. What are the steps you all least enjoy?
I would say mine is attaching the circuit board to the housing. I've tried a few different methods and haven't found my favorite yet.
Mine is the crying when I find out where I didn't think enough before committing it from mental to physical form.
Lately, drilling, current limiting resistors to LEDs, putting on knobs.
Building.
When I finish a layout, I wish the finished product would just magically appear.
:icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: glops on April 10, 2013, 09:04:46 PM
Lately, drilling, current limiting resistors to LEDs, putting on knobs.
I think the "putting on knobs" stage is one of the best - For me it means the build is done!
Painting the enclosure or whatever... hate it! :icon_evil:
Drilling sucks, but is pretty quick.
Building more than one or two of something.
The worst was possibly drilling PCB lead holes, hundreds of them. I dont do that anymore.
Actually stopping prototyping and calling it done so it can be put in a box. I'm in an extended phase of messing about with insignificant details right now, rather than getting on with PCB layout and whatnot.
I just can't let go!
i wish everything could just stay "solidly" on the breadboard ... like I could just throw a lever and the breadboard would become indestructible and shrink to the proper size to be housed in a pedal
The drilling I'm happy with. I like measuring twice and drilling once. :icon_mrgreen:
I hate wiring. And I always get nervous when I'm working on a design and I have to call it "finished". If I don't give it time to sit between working on it and "doing" it, I almost always forget something.
Quote from: digi2t on April 10, 2013, 09:21:17 PM
Building.
When I finish a layout, I wish the finished product would just magically appear.
:icon_mrgreen:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. I like the mental part of this hobby alot more than the building part of it.
Used to be wiring, but I've started using a bunch of board-mounted pots. Now it's a tie between wiring & drilling the PCB.
Oh, and mixing Envirotex. The last batch didn't cure. ::)
LEDs. Hate doing them.
#1 Realizing that I've cut the wrong vero traces because I didn't mirror the layout in my head when I flipped the board over.
#2 My butt and legs going numb from sitting for several hours at a time.
#3 Cutting, stripping, and tinning all of the off-board wires. I don't know why, but I just don't like doing it.
Ordering the parts
That moment when you realise it's not as good as you thought it would be.
And wiring.
Looking at the clock when you thought you did a fast job...and wiring pots (a related issue).
I hate when you accidentally lay the soldering iron across it's own chord, exploding it in two, with a loud popping sound as the wires short.
actually, I'll go with drilling.
not being able to walk the next day
Graphics. I suck at the graphics. I'v actually resolved to just leaving everything unmarked and popping a "brand" sticker with my logo and name of the effect on it. Screw decals and screen printing...
Actually on the subject - What's the preferred method to securing circuit boards? I'v usually just left them free floating and attatching some nice foam padding to the underside and fastening it to where it's secure in place, but not in harms way of grounding to anything...Debating just getting a mass amount of silicone and filling up the empty space in there with calking haha!
Wiring and drilling the pcb.
cutting pcb,
drilling pcb
populating pcb
wiring
drilling
feeding the cat halfway through
finishing
putting those 4 screws in
turning it on..
turning it off
tidying up...
pouring a whiskey or 2..
why the hell do i put myself through this hellish nighmare!!!... ;D
SANDING!
(It's in capitals because I AM shouting it!)
Christopher
searching for right parts
for me, it's drilling since I lived in an apartment and maybe my neighbors will complain, I don't like it when I'm wiring, it means it's almost done, anxiousness and excitement can jinx sometimes. :)
^ true, that last dash to the finish has to be reigned in sometimes... :)
Debugging:
Where did that hum come from? I'm using regulators and there's no hum going stright from guitar to amp.
Is that a red band or an orange band on that resistor?
Something is squealing when I turn the gain up more than half way.
The tone control doesn't do anything.
A control works one day but not the next.
Why can I wiggle that supposedly soldered wire?
Quote from: Eric.nail on April 11, 2013, 04:16:19 AM
Graphics. I suck at the graphics. I'v actually resolved to just leaving everything unmarked and popping a "brand" sticker with my logo and name of the effect on it. Screw decals and screen printing...
Actually on the subject - What's the preferred method to securing circuit boards? I'v usually just left them free floating and attatching some nice foam padding to the underside and fastening it to where it's secure in place, but not in harms way of grounding to anything...Debating just getting a mass amount of silicone and filling up the empty space in there with calking haha!
Do you worry about wires coming loose on a free floating board if the pedal is tossed around a bit? The silicone mass thing is great. I've often thought about something similar. Something easy that you could just glop on there or spray. This would also help with the weight of the pedal as DIY builds on average seem to be lighter than commercial stuff.
@Eric.nail: Some folks use velcro, some hot glue, some self-adhesive standoffs, some use jb weld to attach screws inside the enclosure.
Quote from: J0K3RX on April 10, 2013, 09:41:51 PM
Painting the enclosure or whatever... hate it! :icon_evil:
+1 GAZILLION!!! Hate...Hate...Hate!!!
Quote from: bean on April 10, 2013, 11:22:32 PM
LEDs. Hate doing them.
Yup. I don't even include them on pedals I build for myself. I can tell when it's on, but customers can't for some reason.
Quote from: deadastronaut on April 11, 2013, 06:36:31 AM
cutting pcb,
drilling pcb
populating pcb
wiring
drilling
feeding the cat halfway through
finishing
putting those 4 screws in
turning it on..
turning it off
tidying up...
pouring a whiskey or 2..
why the hell do i put myself through this hellish nighmare!!!... ;D
So you only like etching the PCB?
Quote from: timd on April 11, 2013, 10:26:39 AM
Quote from: Eric.nail on April 11, 2013, 04:16:19 AM
Graphics. I suck at the graphics. I'v actually resolved to just leaving everything unmarked and popping a "brand" sticker with my logo and name of the effect on it. Screw decals and screen printing...
Actually on the subject - What's the preferred method to securing circuit boards? I'v usually just left them free floating and attatching some nice foam padding to the underside and fastening it to where it's secure in place, but not in harms way of grounding to anything...Debating just getting a mass amount of silicone and filling up the empty space in there with calking haha!
Do you worry about wires coming loose on a free floating board if the pedal is tossed around a bit? The silicone mass thing is great. I've often thought about something similar. Something easy that you could just glop on there or spray. This would also help with the weight of the pedal as DIY builds on average seem to be lighter than commercial stuff.
I noticed this in the local DIY store. Looks just the ticket:
http://sugru.com/ (http://sugru.com/)
I once told the luthier at my local mom and pop music store that I build stompboxes and he said, "Man, what a pain in the ass!"
Building 25, 30 or 50 of the same thing at a time...
Quote from: Eric.nail on April 11, 2013, 04:16:19 AM
Graphics. I suck at the graphics. I'v actually resolved to just leaving everything unmarked and popping a "brand" sticker with my logo and name of the effect on it. Screw decals and screen printing...
Actually on the subject - What's the preferred method to securing circuit boards? I'v usually just left them free floating and attatching some nice foam padding to the underside and fastening it to where it's secure in place, but not in harms way of grounding to anything...Debating just getting a mass amount of silicone and filling up the empty space in there with calking haha!
Be done with it and pump in expanding foam.
I sometimes epoxy aluminum standoffs to the enclosure and attach the pcb to those.
dave
Quote from: petey twofinger on April 11, 2013, 03:31:37 AM
not being able to walk the next day
Ah! It's not just me then!
Other than doing the layouts, everything is equally a pain - especially painting - and cutting pot shafts.
Quote from: GGBB on April 11, 2013, 02:57:38 PM
(...) and cutting pot shafts.
Aaaaugh those frikkin little thingies you have to cut off pots !!!! Why do they put those ? I've only had to do about 10, and haven't even finished my first pedal, and I'm already annoyed !!!
Not having the time/energy to.
Not trying to be funny or anything...for real. :icon_sad:
The other end of that medallion is a good one, so I'm still happy.
Oh here's another one: Not being able to use whatever it is in the real world. As in anywhere besides in my office/workroom/studio.
Drilling the PCB.
By far.
Dropping a part on the floor and spending ten minutes looking for it.
Andrew.
Quote from: Hemmel on April 11, 2013, 03:04:12 PM
Quote from: GGBB on April 11, 2013, 02:57:38 PM
(...) and cutting pot shafts.
Aaaaugh those frikkin little thingies you have to cut off pots !!!! Why do they put those ? I've only had to do about 10, and haven't even finished my first pedal, and I'm already annoyed !!!
turn that pot a little too far, and you`ll know where it ends...
1) Finishing it, firing it up, and having to come here, hat in hand, to ask for advice about why it's not working....after shooting my mouth off like a big shot know-it-all for 20k posts.
2) Second to that would likely be working feverishly, FINALLY finishing it around 11:15PM on a work night, and it doesn't work, but it's too late to trouble shoot and make noise***.
3) Realizing I am 1 or 2 resistors or caps or pots shy of being able to finish after recently placing an order or visiting a store where I could have got them, but NOOOOOOOOOOO.
4) Breaking the last carbide drill bit I had in that size...and its Sunday.
***Recently bought a Danelctro Hodad that has a headphone output so I can do audio probes after everyone is in bed.
Painting and labeling the enclosures, I don't have a workshop so have to do it outdoors and am at the mercy of the weather. At this time of the year it can take me a week to paint one.
Also in a weird and sadistic way, I kind of don't like it when they work first time, gotta love a bit of debuging.
Drilling pcb's and sanding enclosures >:(
Quote from: Keppy on April 11, 2013, 01:41:09 PM
So you only like etching the PCB?
[/quote]
yep...but i lied about the whiskey. :)
Quote from: Paul Marossy on April 11, 2013, 04:07:51 PM
Oh here's another one: Not being able to use whatever it is in the real world. As in anywhere besides in my office/workroom/studio.
How so?
Quote from: puretube on April 11, 2013, 07:07:39 PM
turn that pot a little too far, and you`ll know where it ends...
You mean you really use that little stub to "lock" the pot in place ??
Not being able to fit all (30+) of my builds on my dinky pedalboard at once... ;D
Or realizing that the awesome box that I just spent 2 weeks on will probably not be used that much :'(
Quote from: Mark Hammer on April 11, 2013, 07:33:52 PM
4) Breaking the last carbide drill bit I had in that size...and its Sunday.
I feel your pain... although it happened to me just before Christmas. Couldn't get replacements until about Jan 5th :(
from the start: stop drawing things. stop changing values. stop adding more pots/ oscillators/ fets doing things.
next: the vero layout. I hate vero, I hate trying always to use ALL those holes, rubbing out my diagram, start again, etc
next: cutting/ sanding/ cutting the vero. now the board is ready for parts, lose interest for a week.
next: finally start soldering, get to the adding wires, another week lost interest.
next: see above re. cutting/bending/drilling metal or wood for box. or painting.
next: the final work for the panel, lettering etc.
so now, eveything just needs to be put IN the box, and the lid closed, lose interest for another week, start something else, etc.
one year later, scavange parts for something else. lose interest again. etc, again. thay are my least favourite parts of building.
and colours.