first build: blend circuit, absolute disaster, multiple questions.

[MrStab]

hi guys,
due to having far too much time on my hands, i recently decided to try & make a switchable true-bypass looper with a blend pot (as my DSL100 only has a series fx loop, but the real reason is i just thought it'd be fun to try). i've done various mods to different kinds of hardware throughout the years, but never built any from scratch. after much reading, i found out it'd have to have at least some active circuitry. i'm not sure if i'm allowed to post links, but i followed the schematic for a basic opamp output buffer and incorporated all the necessary jacks/pot/switch.

so before i went out & bought any stripboard or whatever, i made a prototype inside an old MG footswitch i wasn't using. it looked comically bad, but it worked! so i ordered a bunch of parts and started out properly.

long story short: i got the actual board right (eventually), but everything screwed up when i tried to wire it all up and through various blunders when closing the case, soldering (clearly had much to learn...), and trying to implement a pop-less LED circuit. i'd fix one thing and break another. and eventually it just became one big mess.

as it stands, i'm probably gonna have to start over, although most of the board looks okay despite having burnt off some copper strip pieces and the wires to in/out/battery coming off. i'm kinda frustrated because i get too obsessed with this stuff, but it's been a long time since i've been an absolute beginner at something technical. so i could just give up, and i'm getting close to it, but i wanna give it one last try. questions!

• how the hell should i go about mounting this tiny piece of stripboard inside the "chassis" and wiring everything without it getting all caught up & moved around when wiring or closing the case? any tips on efficiently laying out the wiring? in/out, send/receive, DPDT switch, pot, battery, possible LED, & grounds ofc. a problem is that the input & output need to be on the bottom half of of the case, whereas the rest are on the top. would it be easier to just make it one or the other? the switch & pot need to go on top, though.
• i've seen conflicting opinions on this: would single-core wire be better for any wires coming into the board than stranded? or can i still work with stranded? stranded is what i've used but  wasn't too easy to solder and keep in place.
• if a few missing strips of copper are the extent of the damage to the buffer circuit itself, could i theoretically just "redraw" the horizontal lines on the back of the stripboard with solder?
• any general words of wisdom? reassurance? i've read as many relevant articles as i could - many on this site - but i'm just at a loss. being a bit clumsy doesn't help.

i would provide pictures, but my efforts are so bad they may cause retinal damage.
any help much appreciated.

cheers!

[Keppy]

• how the hell should i go about mounting this tiny piece of stripboard inside the "chassis"?

Standoffs. Adhesive or screw-on, as see here: http://www.smallbearelec.com/servlet/Categories?category=PC+Boards%2FPrototyping%3AStandoffs

• i've seen conflicting opinions on this: would single-core wire be better for any wires coming into the board than stranded? or can i still work with stranded? stranded is what i've used but  wasn't too easy to solder and keep in place.

How about pre-bond stranded, as seen here: http://www.smallbearelec.com/servlet/Categories?category=Wire+And+Cable%3AHookup+Wire
It has most of the stiffness of solid-core wire without the tendency toward breakage. It solders well too, as it's pre-tinned. #24 is nice and thin, easy to get through the holes.

• if a few missing strips of copper are the extent of the damage to the buffer circuit itself, could i theoretically just "redraw" the horizontal lines on the back of the stripboard with solder?

Not really. Solder flows toward heat, so it's almost impossible to leave a track of it as it keeps returning to the iron. When I lose a trace, I use a snipped-off component lead as a jumper. I just solder it to the traces to either side of the gap.

• any general words of wisdom? reassurance? i've read as many relevant articles as i could - many on this site - but i'm just at a loss. being a bit clumsy doesn't help.

i would provide pictures, but my efforts are so bad they may cause retinal damage.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=68976.0
Read this thread and know that the posters have all been quite successful at this hobby. Welcome and good luck!

[Kipper4]

Keep at it buddy.
As you realise when your first build worked. This is a very rewarding hobby especially for those of us that are time rich money poor. (like me)
Go back to basics, strip it back check the differant parts of the circuits work and maybe rebuild with your now more advanced knowledge.
Take your time (i'm guessing thats the one thing your not short of). Make each progressive project neater, more likely to succeed,more rewarding.
Kepp plugging away.
Enjoy and welcome to the forum. I'm a newbie too.
Rich

[jdub]

I would also suggest checking out the pictures thread, too, so you can check out gut shots and get an idea of how the excellent builders here lay out their enclosures- very educational (and inspiring).  There are also quite a few threads with tips on mounting the pcb and controls in the box.  And by all means, don't give up... it gets easier (or, it at least becomes easier to fix your mistakes!)

[MrStab]

cheers for the support, guys! i woke up this morning really annoyed as in a not-so-sober state of mind, i completely botched what should've been a simple Crybaby mod last night and burned loads of the PCB, but today i managed to get it working. it looks absolutely FUBAR but it works! lol. so i have another wind of confidence, aided by your replies ofc. i overclocked an old CPU with tinfoil & superglue once, and people said that was a really bad idea, but it lasted for years, damnit! i can do this!! lol

i forgot to mention a key factor in all this: unfortunately i fit that stereotype of broke wannabe musician, so at the moment i have to prioritise actual components and use wires i have lying around. seems trivial, but it's the kinda thing i'd have to pick up along with a bunch of other stuff to make it worthwhile. i'll have a look for more suitable wiring from what i have, though. at the moment the board itself seems largely intact, it just seems to be the output on the circuit that's come loose, and one or two solder shorts. i picked up solder braid today, so that could help. i'll do the jumper thing if any strips are totally gone. i'll also attach the board to the case with loose wires i can then connect to the jacks separately, if i'm making sense, so as to allow for slack.

thanks again guys, i'll report back. couldn't help but have a wee laugh at how similar your usernames are btw! you should be a duo! lol

[MrStab]

I would also suggest checking out the pictures thread, too, so you can check out gut shots and get an idea of how the excellent builders here lay out their enclosures- very educational (and inspiring).  There are also quite a few threads with tips on mounting the pcb and controls in the box.  And by all means, don't give up... it gets easier (or, it at least becomes easier to fix your mistakes!)

funnily enough, i've turned to Google images a few times and most of the useful results have led here! i'll have a search for more specific terms on how to actually go about it. thanks

[MrStab]

update: i can get either the buffered clean signal or the wet return signal into the output or pot, but when i combine them the wet seems to cancel out the clean. i'm not convinced it's phase-related because i had it working before, including earlier this evening, but i could be wrong. i've also tried making the dry go straight into the output and the wet into the pot with a ground connection to just control the fx level on a constant clean signal - still no. the clean signal just dies. (this worked on my "prototype" & wouldn't be such a bad compromise, as one goal here is preserving the sound of my preamp section from digital vomit lol).

so any ideas why the fx return is suddenly "blocking" the clean? i could draw out a schematic unless there's some obvious cause for this. everything seems grounded.