How long does it take you to make a pedal from scratch?

[mikitz]

I thought it would be interesting to find out how long it takes people to do a build from start to finish, especially those of you who have been doing it for a while.

I just finished my first full build and have another 3/4 of the way done. It is amazing how long it takes when you are doing everything for the first time.

[duck_arse]

fecking months!

but really from scratch ....

[bwanasonic]

I find when I'm using NOS scratch it seems to go a little quicker 

[gjcamann]

I can go from a schematic and pile of parts to a working (undecorated) pedal in about 6 hours.
However you can't forget all the other stuff that goes into it....
Checking forums 100,000 hours and counting
Research and design 8-40 hours
Ordering Parts 2 hours
Breadboarding and tweeking 1-4 hours
Labeling/Etching/Decorating the pedal

[italianguy63]

My builds have gotten pretty "assembly line" as I only do a couple of builds.  And, I keep extensive notes, (like how long each wire should be cut), etc.  I don't do my own enclosures either--- I have them powdercoated, drilled, and printed.  So, for me about 2 or 3 hours from parts to tested...  MC

[midwayfair]

fecking months!

but really from scratch ....

+1.

Just building a pedal? Several hours. Design, testing, layout, and pedal? Can be months.

[GGBB]

fecking months!

but really from scratch ....

+1.

Just building a pedal? Several hours. Design, testing, layout, and pedal? Can be months.

+1

[davent]

Forever, they're never finished.

[Mark Hammer]

If the circuit is simple enough, AND I have all the parts sitting around ready, AND I don't do anything stupid, AND I've worked out all the mods I want to do, I can put something together on a Saturday afternoon.

But here is what "ready" implies:
1) The box is powder-coated, or otherwise painted and drilled
2) I have a tested PCB layout or the circuit is a simple two-transistor thing that I can very easily fit on a small piece of perf
3) I either have an etched PCB or have a nice fresh etchant bath and a clean piece of copper board of the right size
4) I don't have to fish around for the right wire or any tools
5) I don't have to fish around for the right components, or rummage through my bag of cannibalized resistors for soething that is both the right uncommon value AND has enough lead length left
6) I can do the legending and semi-bake the clearcoat over the legending without buggering anything up and needing to strip the surface and repaint

It is the dumb stuff that takes the time, not the actual making.

[digi2t]

If the circuit is simple enough, AND I have all the parts sitting around ready, AND I don't do anything stupid, AND I've worked out all the mods I want to do, I can put something together on a Saturday afternoon.

But here is what "ready" implies:
1) The box is powder-coated, or otherwise painted and drilled
2) I have a tested PCB layout or the circuit is a simple two-transistor thing that I can very easily fit on a small piece of perf
3) I either have an etched PCB or have a nice fresh etchant bath and a clean piece of copper board of the right size
4) I don't have to fish around for the right wire or any tools
5) I don't have to fish around for the right components, or rummage through my bag of cannibalized resistors for soething that is both the right uncommon value AND has enough lead length left
6) I can do the legending and semi-bake the clearcoat over the legending without buggering anything up and needing to strip the surface and repaint

It is the dumb stuff that takes the time, not the actual making.

I guess that rules out the «Saturday afternoon» Hyperflange...

[garcho]

Drilling is a breeze, soldering is easy, wiring is annoying, making the PCB is challenging, manifesting the graphic content is arduous, not f'ing up the thing while stuffing it together is nearly impossible. But next to research, "design", debugging, and graphics - no time at all.

[mikitz]

Agreed.. as a newbie the time and meticulousness required for off-board wiring caught me by surprise. Least fun of all.

[CodeMonk]

Drilling is a breeze, soldering is easy, wiring is annoying, making the PCB is challenging, manifesting the graphic content is arduous, not f'ing up the thing while stuffing it together is nearly impossible. But next to research, "design", debugging, and graphics - no time at all.

Drilling the Enclosure is a breeze.
Drilling a PCB is a big PITA IMO. Especially a double sided PCB. UGH
Unless its like a Fuzzface or Tonebender.

[stallik]

Not long enough. Even when taking into account the research, pcb, enclosure drilling and finishing, populating, wiring & testing, there is a limit to how many pedals I can house and I'm fast reaching that limit. But I still won't get rid of any - they're my babies!

[Seljer]

In like two hours to a working circuit if I find all the parts in my drawers and it isn't too big (e.g. building on vero/perf). Then 3 years until I finally bother to box it up 

[italianguy63]

I've started buying cheap divided plastic containers at harbor freight-- then I put the components for each particular build in the compartments.  So depending on what I am working on, I grab that container....  OCD?  MC

[Mark Hammer]

OCD?  Nah.  BS....Boy Scouts.  Remember, always be prepared! 

[Jdansti]

Long enough to irritate my wife.   I used to do marathon sessions, but that got old fast.

>I gather my components and stuff the board in one evening while sitting on the couch with the wife. (1 hr)
>An evening soldering just the components. (1-2 hrs)
>An evening to wire and solder the off board components using a flat cardboard mock up of the face of the box in order to get the wire lengths right. (2-3 hrs)
>An evening to prepare an undecorated box or three or more evenings for a decorated one. (1-5 hrs)

So about a week at a leisurely pace.   

I've left out the 2 - 10 hrs of research and ordering. Add another 4-20 hrs if I'm developing or modding a circuit.

[jimilee]

If its a quick clear coat artwork job about 3 days, if it's an enviro job about a week. If I have to order parts and the circuit about 3 weeks.

[alanp]

Waiting for the courier is what makes builds take freaking ages, for me. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)