Mounting PCBs

[stankyfish]

What's the common practice on mounting PCBs?  I've done a few things -- just jam them in there, attach them to the interior of the case with velcro, and attach it via screws through the face of the pedal into standoffs.  They all have their plusses and minusses -- whether it's troubleshooting weird shorts or PCBS not clearing the pedal case's cover because the standoffs are too big.  What do you all do to mount the PCBs?  I love building my own pedals but seriously dread the final assembly -- the thing I find the most difficult of all pedal building steps.

[Rick]

You can try just wrapping the board with electrical tape ...this is often good enough. But for insurance cut up one o your old dirty socks, and use a piece of that between the board and the pots ...good buffering and a little mojo too!

[Dave_B]

Check out the Wiki link at the top of this page and go to:
Printed Circuit Boards (in the Construction section) > Mounting Techniques (at the bottom of the page) 

Or just click here. 

[markm]

This is what I do if possible,
When there is not any room for standoffs, I use 3M double sided foam tape

[nelson]

Use PCB mounted pots. Less offboard wiring and you dont have to worry about stand offs or socks... .

[Connoisseur of Distortion]

where do you guys get useful board mounted pots?? i remember going on a great hunt for them months ago and turning up NOTHING that met all of my criteria. that is, decent range of values (at least up to 500K), proper orientation (none of those silly 90 degree ones), fair pricing ($2.00 for a pot at the absolute most), and probably some other stuff which just isn't getting through at the moment.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

The PCB mount pots I use (by the thousand) are Alps "snap in" pots. Avoid look-alikes.
Note the shafts are 6mm, NOT 1/4 inch!
Also note that if you want them to "snap" in, the tolerances of your holes must be around .15mm or better. But, that isn't essential, if you don't mind holding them in place while you solder.

[gez]

I use Omeg pots and bend the pins up to anchor the board:



Not sure how easy they are to get outside of the UK, but they're really classy pots (sealed and poly something or other track, which is quieter than carbon).

The other end is anchored by a nylon 'cheese-head' screw.  Super glue them in place, leave overnight and they're impossible to budge!

Edit:  PS Alpha's pins will snap if you try this with them.