The aluminum Swiss cheese of failure

[moid]

If you end up having to drill a new enclosure (been there, done that), regarding the old swiss cheese enclosure - there are two things I've filled additional holes with when adding a circuit that doesn't need so many - a large 10mm LED or two can look cool - just enlarge as many holes as you like and add LEDs of your choice. Alternately (my preference) is to add SPST switches to them and see if different parts of the circuit can be circuit bent by connecting them together via the SPST - sometimes you'll find some interesting sounds, other times it's just noise or silence... do be careful to make sure you don't connect the input power to any parts of the circuit that need lower amounts of voltage (something to be aware of in digital pedals especially)... you can guess how I learned this tip!

[soggybag]

Sorry if this has been covered but what do you use for the graphics?

Thanks

If you're asking me, I used a desktop mill. I milled the design onto a black powder coat enclosure.

[soggybag]

I've been building pedals pretty much non-stop for the past two years, especially during the pandemic, so I convinced myself that I just might be able to pull off a DIY drilling for the Aion Meatball clone.

It's all just a friggin' HAIR too far off to one side and the PCB doesn't fit. 

Normally I keep my rejects around for repurposing, but I think this is on its way to the recycle bin. 

Yep, fair play for the brutal honesty.

I think you *could* mess about for hours trying to save the box as suggested by some of the other posters, but I think you're right and it's easier to accept the losses and start again and do it right the second time. We learn by experience, and sometimes (ok, mostly) that means that the "mark 1" version gets slung in a box never to see the light of day. C'mon, people! Let's be honest! Haven't we all got a HUGE box of prototypes that sort-of work but were superseded by the version that we actually show the world?!?

I know I do. Most of my projects are on Rev.4 or so before they ever see the light of day! If you get this right on the second go, I'll be impressed!

So...yeah...it's not a aluminium Swiss cheese of failure. It's an aluminium Swiss cheese of early testing, leading to an altogether better final aluminium pedal of success.

Good point, keep the cost of the enclosure in mind. Usually this is $5 for large box like like this it might be $15. If takes an hour or more to fix it might not be worth it. That said I hate wasting anything!

[Rob Strand]

Good point, keep the cost of the enclosure in mind. Usually this is $5 for large box like like this it might be $15. If takes an hour or more to fix it might not be worth it. That said I hate wasting anything!

You could say that about any DIY stuff. Like you can buy finished pedals cheaper than you can make one.  It's hard to equate DIY time with money because you have DIY time to give but when you give money there is clearly a hole afterwards.    I've probably spent several man-months of time tweaking diode clippers.  Probably a few hundred man hours designing, building, tweaking something I could buy off the shelf for $200.     If you just buy stuff you end-up being a dumb consumer all your life - like most people in my country 

[Onion Ring Modulator]

Wow, look at all these replies. I should have checked back on this!

I will say that there are other problems, as the switch holes don't line up either.

I have made holes bigger in the past and hid the difference with washers, but this is a bit much.

I am pretty bad at paper drill guides for some reason. I love making Pedal PCB 125B projects because I bought one of their drilling guide attachments and that just works so slick. I'm never worried...and with stripboard stuff, put the holes anywhere as long as the stuff fits inside.

In the end, I wanted to give it a shot, but I didn't have high hopes. It's fine. Now I can make some nice artwork and have one drilled and UV'd by Tayda. That'll be very nice.

I gave up on fancy artwork long ago and mostly just use a Dymo label printer, but this is a project that calls for a little something extra special.

Thanks for all the replies. 

[bluebunny]

Did the board not fit because you'd already soldered the pots to it?  Or was it just a case of shocking drilling?    (Been there, done that!  )  If the former, then a tip for the future: dry-fit the pots to the board, carefully attach the board and pots to the enclosure, then solder the pots.

[Onion Ring Modulator]

No pots yet, just attached the template a little too far to one side and also did a poor job of getting the center punched right for the switches.