Making a "BREADBOX" for prototyping...hints on enclosure size?

[loss1234]

I have been designing a lot of stuff on breadboard lately, so much in fact that I am running out of free breadboards (i have tons)
but I dont want to have to Solder everything either as its not usually finished.

that got me thinking of sticking a little breadboard (for smaller circuits) inside of a 1590B box.


it works perfectly as the breadboard has screw holes...it could fit a few IC's I think.

maybe even a max1044 if i needed the headroom of an 18v circuit.


I put in a power jack as there is no room for a battery!
here is the result


http://www.flickr.com/photos/13918667@N02/5958245487/in/photostream#/


   

PROBLEM IS

the enclosure is not tall enough! the breadboard takes up some space so there is not room for the top to close as it gets stuck on jacks

maybe someone could recommend a good small, TALL enclosure?

also maybe some LOW PROFILE 1/4" jacks?


any advice appreciated.


THANKS!

[petemoore]

   I used a little mouser cardboard box [about 1-1/2x the size width of a standard raco] made sturdy to have 3 sides and a bottom, becoming an open-front tray on top of another box..the jacks-box, made of metal or anything that will hold the jacks. Testclip connects to the jack sleeves [black for ground] and testclips for input and output tips connect to the appropriate jack lugs. 
   I screwed the cardboard box to the open-side-up of a RACO box [with the jacks mounted in it], the box-tray mounted using the lid-screws [poke or drill holes through the bottom of the box, then cover the screwheads with tape or paper so there are no conductive surfaces in the test-jig tray.
   For a circuit that is easy to decide you'll probably want [boost stage 1 comes to mind] it's nice to just have one up and running on perfboard so it's reliable and frees up some breadboard space.
   Any 'extra features' in additiion to that which comes in handy comes in handy, power supply and connectors for instance, convenient places to put some various value potentiometers, bypass or other switching, perhaps a mostly electrical taped up plate with various useful sized holes screwed to the box. Perhaps a nicer insulated tray, I liked the cardboard surface just fine though.

[Brymus]

Do like Beavis Audio.
Wire up your box with the jacks and FS.
Then bolt it and the breadboard together to a piece of wood.

Or get a bigger box.

[Paul Marossy]

Get a "125" size enclosure from www.pedalpartsplus.com

[blooze_man]

Mammoth has the 1590bb tall. Its a bit bigger then a "B" but it has the extra height.

http://www.mammothelectronics.com/4S1590BBT-p/500-1004.htm

Cool idea, btw

[puretube]

ZVEX Inventobox with extension brackets...

[deadastronaut]

make your breadboards 'true bypass'  with 3pdt toggle switches.

never looked back...

[jdub]

Do like Beavis Audio.
Wire up your box with the jacks and FS.
Then bolt it and the breadboard together to a piece of wood.

+1.  For mine, I didn't bolt/stick the breadboard to the wood, though.  Instead, I mounted a dual-row barrier strip on the side of the box (with in/out jacks mounted on the other side).  Below each set of screws on the barrier strip I drilled a small hole for wires to come through (+ and - from DC jack, input and output) and connect to the lower screw of each pair.  Since I usually have several breadboards filled at any given time, I can simply connect whichever circuit I'm playing with to wires coming from the barrier strip, plug in and go.  Works great 

[EATyourGuitar]

I used the mammoth electronics jumper wires and soldered them into 1590B with switchable bypass and a volume knob on the output that can be removed on a switch. everything is held on with double sided tape.

thats a germanium NPN fuzz face with diodes and cap on CB of Q2.