Any tricks for wiring up potentiometers?

[AutoPRND21]

So, I have to wire up some custom builds for people.  With three pots, three wires per pot, that means nine eeentsy weentsy little wires, and eighteen solder joints.  UGH!

I don't have board mounted pots, so I wanted to know if you guys have faster suggestions - a good kind of ribbon wire that can be in threes, perhaps?

Thanks!

[theehman]

I use the leads I cut off resistors/capacitors.

[MikeH]

+1- I do this too

[AutoPRND21]

Ron, do you get any trouble with the solder at one end melting while you're trying to get the other?  I imagine that resistor lead conducts heat really well.

[fatfoohy]

IMO board mounted pots aren't worth the time and effort.  Ribbon cable is nice,  smallbear just got some in http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=1045, and you can just break it into 3 connector sections or however many you need.  that would be my preference, I'd use that for almost everything if i were you, not just pots.

[petemoore]

  I use the whole dern resistor, got buckets of dinky value resistors.
  Besides I like a stop R on the volume pot so it never sounds 'broken.
  Generally these teeny R values added are so dwarfed by something else that it makes no difference or brings the other 'that much' closer to specs.

[caress]

So, I have to wire up some custom builds for people.  With three pots, three wires per pot, that means nine eeentsy weentsy little wires,

don't make custom builds for people if you feel like wiring 3 WHOLE POTS! is too much wiring...   
9 wires take maybe 5 minutes to cut and strip...?

for reliability, not necessarily speed, i use thermal wire strippers.  no nicks!
i don't feel that ribbon cables speed things up... you still have to strip all three wires and the actual time it takes to cut 3 wires of equal length vs 3 wires already bundled together is pretty negligible.

[anchovie]

Put some music on to distract you from the repetition of the job.

[LucifersTrip]

So, I have to wire up some custom builds for people.  With three pots, three wires per pot, that means nine eeentsy weentsy little wires, and eighteen solder joints.  UGH!

wow, 18 joints...

[theehman]

Ron, do you get any trouble with the solder at one end melting while you're trying to get the other?  I imagine that resistor lead conducts heat really well.

No, that's never been an issue.

[KazooMan]

If you want to tidy things up a bit you can either braid the three wires together or twist them.  Take three (or more) pieces of wire and chck one end of them into a drill.  Pull taught and clamp the other end (or hold it with pliers) and run the drill until you get the amount of twist you desire.  Cut to length as needed.

[stringsthings]

So, I have to wire up some custom builds for people ...

I don't have board mounted pots, so I wanted to know if you guys have faster suggestions ...

since you are doing a custom build, i would suggest simply taking the time to do the job correctly  .... a custom job naturally takes longer than a "normal" job ... and TBH, wiring up outboard parts isn't that hard ... is it?

[LucifersTrip]

Ron, do you get any trouble with the solder at one end melting while you're trying to get the other?  I imagine that resistor lead conducts heat really well.

No, that's never been an issue.

...you can always use a heat sink if worried

[Quackzed]

Just find someone and teach THEM how to wire one up!   And make sure they do it right! 

[BDuguay]

At the risk of sounding like we're ganging up on the OP, this reply is BBS gold!
B.

So, I have to wire up some custom builds for people.  With three pots, three wires per pot, that means nine eeentsy weentsy little wires, and eighteen solder joints.  UGH!

wow, 18 joints...

[deadastronaut]

looks simple to debug!...^^^^^^^

[Hides-His-Eyes]

Ron, do you get any trouble with the solder at one end melting while you're trying to get the other?  I imagine that resistor lead conducts heat really well.

No, that's never been an issue.

...you can always use a heat sink if worried

[newfish]

Take your time - it's worth doing properly - then you don't have to keep re-doing what is arguably the most tedious part of FX building.

Tin your pot lugs beforehand.

Use good quality stranded wire.

+1 on music.  Pink floyd's "Animals" does it for me.

Am seriously considering PCB connectors / headers for my next few build.

[davent]

Hello,

Do as much wiring as possible before putting it in the enclosure. John Lyons suggested to me to make up a fixture/board with holes drilled to match your enclosure and mount your stuff to the fixture and do the wiring there. Makes it easier to avoid the rats nest.  You can even test it before putting it in the enclosure.  Last one i finished




dave