Enclosure Layout: Precise Measurements or Just Eyeball It?

[Ben Lyman]

I've always had enough spare room to eyeball it and make some rough measurements then drill away. This box looks like it could give me trouble, especially with the screw holes in the corners. What do you do if you want to get the parts exactly in the right spot? I think I need to get the footswitches as close to the bottom corners as possible. No battery in this pedal and I think the LEDs won't be a problem but I must have the DC jack up top and the 1/4" jacks on the sides.

[robthequiet]

Tape some paper or something to the top and draw a drilling template, should give you a better impression of how tight the squeeze is.

[EBK]

Remember that your enclosure has depth too.  You can probably stand that board up at and angle (perhaps 90° even) to allow further adjustment.  Your jacks can most likely fit over the backs of your pots too.

I always prefer top-mounted jacks on a wide enclosure, but the best part about building your own gear is that you get to define the rules.

I might as well link to this post I just wrote since it seems relevant:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=116342.msg1076868#msg1076868

[stallik]

Ben, you're looking at it as a 2 dimensional layout whereas the inside of the enclosure is 3D.
It's surprising how much extra space is available when you mount one thing low in the box, another high. For example, the pcb would happily sit above the pots. Also, the switches at the top could be mounted at 90 degrees to save a couple of mil and the 9v socket could fit between the pots if you were to reverse the position of the pots and switches.
As for accuracy of planning, I tend to use a vernier gauge for the top layout and eyeball the vertical thing.

EBK beat me to it

[thermionix]

So far I've been using blue tape and a combination square to mark, then an automatic center punch, then drill.  I sometimes lay the parts out like you have done in your pic to make sure everything will fit and determine where I want the holes to be.  Since we're using relatively soft diecast aluminum, I've found it quick and easy to drill a small hole and go with the hand reamer from there.  Mine goes up to 1/2" diameter, covers pretty much every pedal part bushing.  If I had a drill press I would use the stepped bits.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks for the tips, really helpful stuff. I'm going to try the paper template next.

On the depth and 3D thing... I haven't had much luck getting the jacks to go over the pots, sounds like a good idea though. This is a 1590BB, so it's not as deep as I wish it was, still I guess I can always fit the board over the pots, I have done that before plenty times but I can't make it stick solidly to the pots the way I can with sticking it right to the enclosure surface. This board will even fit 90º but I've never done that either, I'll take a closer look at that option too.

The mini combo square, tape and center punch is exactly how I've been doing it, then I use step bits in a hand drill.

I think maybe I need to just stop being lazy and learn how to measure accurately and do addition/subtraction with fractions... I was really hoping there was a way around that

[bloxstompboxes]

I strongly suggest using the vector pack and something like inkscape for laying out your enclosures for drilling and even doing your decals or artwork. It is what I used to layout my 1590bb for the neutron and MN3207 electric mistress builds I did. While the decal on the neutron kind of sucked, I suck at art, the layout was perfect. Everything went in as I intended and nothing shorted to anything else or was in the way. I even took my own measurements of my own enclosures, since they differ between vendors, including the screw locations you mentioned. You have to remember the thickness of the walls and even the slopes of them if you're getting tight with all your controls. That layout looks like it will work fine but using the vector pack and printing your template will ensure everything fits the first time. It takes a lot of time to get comfortable with the software and take measurements. But, it will save you money on botched enclosures and aggravation in the end.

I use to use templates found on the web but they were always fitting loose and holes weren't always straight. Now I know where a hole is going to be drilled for sure.

Good luck!

[stallik]

The trick to getting the jacks over the pots is to go between the pots. There's enough room that way but you have to rotate open jacks correctly to save them shorting on the pots when a plug is inserted. lock them firmly in place to stop them rotating.

[pdavis68]

If you can't put the board under the pots, you could do the pots in a square (2x2) centered, instead of a row and then do the jacks to the sides of the pots.

Who knows, maybe there's enough room to fit the board under the pots in a 2x2 with the jacks on the sides. That would open up tons of space.

[EBK]

The trick to getting the jacks over the pots is to go between the pots. There's enough room that way but you have to rotate open jacks correctly to save them shorting on the pots when a plug is inserted. lock them firmly in place to stop them rotating.

I find that if you get the jacks as close to the lid as possible, you clear the pots easily, regardless of where they are.  You can even clear a dual gang pot if you are careful enough. 

[davent]

I use a CAD program with my parts library to draw a layout. Printout is attached to the enclosure then drilled.

Why not a horizontal orientation? Top mount jacks, the two stompswitches well seperated.



I've pulled the guts from this Skyripper few times to make mods, seven pots, three toggles, two stomps and three top mount jacks.





dave

[Ben Lyman]

Wow Dave, that's incredible! I've been moving forward though and I hate going backwards. So I can't even fathom that Vector Inkscape stuff after a quick google search. Sorry, I need really simple stuff if I'm to do anything with a computer. It gave me an idea, not perfect but combined with Rob's paper template idea, I managed to get this far using DIYLC:

[fraser]

Masking tape, verniers and a small steel ruler here. Then a center punch and step drill in a small drill press.
I aim for precision, take my time, research like crazy.
Yet despite all this and my years spent in machine shops i still screw up.
A lot lol.
Im a relative beginner so im consoled by the fact i can build a functional pedal to begin with.
Lol.
Enclosures are my least favourite part of the hobby. Just not my thing.

[Ben Lyman]

I can't believe I might be going metric, they all tried to tell me 40 years ago that it is easier.
Gonna quit while I'm ahead, it's late. Wish me luck tomorrow

[EBK]

I can't believe I might be going metric, they all tried to tell me 40 years ago that it is easier.
Gonna quit while I'm ahead, it's late. Wish me luck tomorrow

Assuming you have 10 fingers and 10 toes, you were born metric.   

So far, so good.  Glad to see you forging ahead, but at a sensible pace.

[thermionix]

The mini combo square, tape and center punch is exactly how I've been doing it, then I use step bits in a hand drill.

I think maybe I need to just stop being lazy and learn how to measure accurately and do addition/subtraction with fractions... I was really hoping there was a way around that

I should mention that I don't own a printer, so that narrows my options down quite a bit.  A neat tool I've seen is a "centering ruler" which has zero in the middle and counts up either direction from there.  Saves some headache as you don't have to think about the fractions so much.

[duck_arse]

I think maybe I need to just stop being lazy and learn how to measure accurately and do addition/subtraction with fractions... I was really hoping there was a way around that

there is - they're called "millimeters", don't be scared.

the method you show is pretty much the one I use, you joggle the parts around the enclosure until they align/proportion right, then measure, and draw diagrams with dimensions. draw a centre line down the face of the box, and measure either side of it, up and down. and don't forget that the knobs are often much larger than the pots they are covering.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks again, all your tips are spinning around in my brain and helping me.
I'm feeling lucky, I might get a battery yet but that is a question for the original thread that started this pedal. It was hard for me to figure out how to measure the right distance in from the outer sides on the top of the box but I wrote the measurements down as usual for future use. I think I can get 1mm closer next time.

[Ben Lyman]

So far, so good, a little room to spare even.
Should I surge forward impatiently and begin soldering in an attempt to get it working asap... or should I take a moment to paint the box? hmm.... it's a tough decision.

[EBK]

My vote is to get it working.  But keep it slow and methodical.