Help! Beginner Enclosure Problems

[Sonicxyouth]

I have build my own overdrive using the PG Distortion guide and the kit from Mammoth Electronics. I used the included perf board even though it was much bigger than the one shown in the instructions. This proved to be a terrible choice because now it won't fit inside the enclosure. I have since cut the perf board and am proceeding to flip it over but I really can't seem to get the back screwed on the enclosure and it shorts out the circuit when I try to. I'm tempted to just wrap the whole thing in electrical tape or something. Please help with any tips you use to get a circuit board in a tight fit enclosure. Thanks!

[bloxstompboxes]

First off, welcome to the site.

Second, pics and perhaps a link to the project would be helpful. What type of enclosure is it, what parts were used, etc? The more info you can give us, the better we can help.

[Sonicxyouth]

Thanks a lot! I am not quite over the learning curve of attaching pictures to this forum but I will work on getting there. This is the exact link to the kit I bought
http://www.mammothelectronics.com/PG-Distortion-Pedal-Kit-p/kit-tnfnd-dist.htm
Its slightly larger than MXR sized if that helps at all. For the circuit itself, I used an 2N3904 transistor, a few resistors, one 104 cap, one 683 cap, a 22 uf electrolytic cap.  I used a 5mm LED, a 1N4001 silicon diode, and a germanium diode to promote asymmetrical clipping. The overall goal with this pedal was to create an overdrive pedal that sounds nothing like the TS9 Tubescreamer. Which is why I am calling this pedal (if I can ever get it working) the No Clone. The 22 uf electrolytic cap and the 5mm LED are giving me trouble because their height is greater I will keep trying for pictures. Thanks again for the reply!

[bloxstompboxes]

While the values you gave are important in deducing the actual size of a cap, the voltage rating will as well. A high voltage rated cap will be larger physically than a lower voltage cap of the same capacitance value. After clicking the link, I can see that, as long as the components in the picture are the ones used and the drilling was right, I don't think there would be an issue in fitting it all together. We need a picture.

[Sonicxyouth]

Finally got it! Woohoo! Okay, so here is a photo of my initial problem. This is as far as the board would go into the enclosure and once I had the back plate  on, it would short out the circuit.

[Sonicxyouth]

Here is a picture of what it looks like now. I have flipped the perf board over in hopes it will fit in the enclosure better but its not looking to good.

[Cozybuilder]

For posting photos, first transfer your photo to a web-hosted address, such as Photobucket or Imgur. Once there, click on the photo, it will give some options, select the "Direct" one. This will copy the HTTP:/ address.

In your post, select the binoculars icon, it will give this:

"{img}{/img}", but with square brackets.

Place your cursor between the square bracket pairs, select "edit", and select "paste". Check preview- much too big, right? OK, in the left parenthesis [img]http://, size it as follows:
[img width=500]
you can play with the number to wind up with the image size you want. Check by selecting Preview below right, before posting.

[Cozybuilder]

Is this your circuit?

[Sonicxyouth]

Thank you so much for the image attachment walk through!

My question is how do you guys get a circuit board in a tight fit enclosure? Any tips on such a quest? In hindsight, I will build in mind with realizing that I actually have to fit it inside the enclosure (duh) so that should prevent this problem in the future.

[Sonicxyouth]

This is my schematic I am going off of with the exception of adding one more diode and the value of C1 being a smaller 683.

[SuzukiScottie]

You would have been better to trim the circuit board down to a much smaller size. You could make half a dozen more circuits from the free space on that board.

[Sonicxyouth]

You're right but this was my first build and I never thought about that until after the problem had occurred. Hindsight is always 20/20 or something like that.

[deadastronaut]

you may be better off just rebuilding the pcb.

only much much smaller...have you any veroboard/stripboard?..

or just cut that board down

sometimes going backwards a step takes you forward 3..

the 4.7k/led looks like its really for the switch...so leave that off for now...

keep the electro cap (100uf) though...

[Cozybuilder]

My method is to fit the hard components to the box first, including the blank perf with some way of attaching it solidly to the box, then I have a good basis to work out a wiring diagram, keeping in mind where the tall components have to sit to avoid contacting the hard bits in the box. Your circuit can take up a remarkably small amount of perf, so you have a lot of options.

[Sonicxyouth]

I really like the sound the 5MM LED provides. I have 3MM LED too...would that sound the same? And yeah I suspected I might have to rebuild the whole perf board.
Sigh.

[Cozybuilder]

View this as just another chapter in the education process, not redoing something, it takes the sting out.

[Sonicxyouth]

I just keep telling myself that one day I'll be good at this hopefully! Thanks for the help, you guys are great

[smallbearelec]

Hi--

If you look in Projects on this forum, there are two articles of mine that will help you:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginnerboost/
http://diystompboxes.com/beginnerboostbreadboardtobox/BeginnerBoost.htm

The first one covers the use of a solderless breadboard. You have actually made a circuit work as a soldered build, so maybe you are past that, but it still might be good to look at. The second piece is a look at building a pedal in a systematic way and some techniques for getting a good result.

The learning curve to building good pedals involves building several different skills, not necessarily all at once or always in the same order. I hope you'll back up a little and build something from a vetted design that someone else has worked out. For a look at a complete build that is similar to the circuit you are working on:

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BreadboardUrsaMinor/BreadboardUrsaMinor.htm
http://diy.smallbearelec.com/Projects/UrsaMinor/UrsaMinor.htm

Regards
SD

[Sonicxyouth]

Hi--

If you look in Projects on this forum, there are two articles of mine that will help you:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginnerboost/
http://diystompboxes.com/beginnerboostbreadboardtobox/BeginnerBoost.htm

The first one covers the use of a solderless breadboard. You have actually made a circuit work as a soldered build, so maybe you are past that, but it still might be good to look at. The second piece is a look at building a pedal in a systematic way and some techniques for getting a good result.

The learning curve to building good pedals involves building several different skills, not necessarily all at once or always in the same order. I hope you'll back up a little and build something from a vetted design that someone else has worked out. For a look at a complete build that is similar to the circuit you are working on:

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BreadboardUrsaMinor/BreadboardUrsaMinor.htm
http://diy.smallbearelec.com/Projects/UrsaMinor/UrsaMinor.htm

Regards
SD

Hi! Thanks so much for the reply, very helpful stuff in what you've mentioned. I think now I'm actually going to rebuy all the parts and build the same pedal again because it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to quality wise. This run should be way easier though because now I know what to do! After I do that, I'll look into what you've mentioned.

[Hatredman]

I think now I'm actually going to rebuy all the parts and build the same pedal again because it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to quality wise.

Why buy everything again?
In fact, learning to securely desolder components and stripping them out of the PCB is a skill you'll have to learn someday, so why not now?