wiring?

[sam-sg]

Hey really interested in building pedals this summer. especially with weather like this in the UK !  i was just wondering if you could link componants together with hookup wire rather than actually soldering them to the board? have i realised a good way to build or am i being INCREDIBLY ignorant? its just i cant really get my head around the board and things and a rather boring maths lesson spawned some ideas

thnks

[magikker]

You would be risking becoming the proud owner of a tangled mess... The board isn't "needed" it is just a tool for holding things in place, use anything you want to accomplish this.

[R.G.]

There are some alternate techniques for building things documented here:
http://www.geofex.com -> Regular features; click link "Fx Skills/How-tos" -> click link "Effects Prototyping Techniques".

That takes you here:
http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/protostyles/proto_styles.htm
The reason I suggested the long way is that I spend about half my time here answering questions by saying "The answer to that is on GEO at...."
Read the prototyping article and the other stuff too. You'll like it.

But more to the point, just connecting components with wire is what's called the "Hanging Garden" style. It works for small circuits for a short time. The slightest disturbance breaks the joints and it's almost impossible to fix when broken. That's why this style carries the suggestion that if you do it, you pour epoxy over the whole thing when you get it done and working. Very messy and tedious.

It would be far, far better to get your head around using a board of some sort. Think of it as a challenge for how flexible your head is.

[sam-sg]

oh no sorry i didnt mean completely do away with the board i woulkd still use it to hold everything down but instead of wiring to the borard wire .... to  a .. wire  if that makes any sense . oh well thanks for the like ill read it now

[magikker]

Oh, you mean running wires instead of PCB traces... That does infact work.