Things I learned from building my first board....

[lerxstlover]

Well, I finally finished my first project....the DOD 250 Overdrive from Tonepad.  To my surprise, it worked the first time and sounds pretty much like the actual DOD 250 I had a while back.  I'm taking it to practice tonight to show it off.  Now I'm on to bigger and better....

A few things I learned while building my first board:

1.  Press N Peel Blue is a miracle
2.  When you're trying to get a really close look at your PCB board in a bucket of Etchant, don't actually put your nose in it
3.  Soldering irons are H-O-T, and the big white blister proves it
4.  Your wife knows you are lying when she calls you for dinner and you say "I'll be there in a minute"
5.  Ref #4 above, she always needs you for something when you're up to your eyeballs in a project
6.  No matter how many times a day you go to Radio Shack, they won't give you a discount
7.  At some point you have to stop and go to work, pick up the kids, eat.....etc.
8.  For some reason there are 50,000 varieties of whatever part you need at Mouser.com, so give yourself a couple of days to shop
9.  Just because a resistor, transistor, whatever, costs only .03 each, you still don't need to buy 5,000 at once
10.  If it weren't for the good folks that participate in this board, I'd still be getting blank looks from the sales "chick" at Radio Shack.

Thanks to all who responded to my posts and pointed me in the right direction!   

[markm]

Ahhhhhhh.
Another success story.
It's great to hear of an acheivement now and then.
Congratulations, you now are at risk of becoming addicted.
DIY stompers are the "crack-cocaine" of DIY......trust me! 



.....and this is an OLD picture. 

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

amen

[modsquad]

Man just one blister, I have just built my 3rd one and I already have scars from the soldering iron.  I can relate to the 5000 parts thing.  My wife thinks I am going to start building these in bulk.  We have a electronics shop here that somehow gets but loads of everthing.  They have every resistor, cap, etc. known to man.  When I go I always buy at least ten of everthing so I don't have to go back (okay its only about 15 minutes away but heck).  Last time I bought 10 trimmers, a boat load of caps, resistors, ICs.   The old guy looks at my 30 or so parts and goes, "That looks like $2, need a receipt".   Its like a crack house.

Sorry about the diatribe,  way to go.  You'll need another fix.

[Snuffy]

modsquad that shop sounds awesome. 
and Yeah, its a great hobby. 

[Marcos - Munky]

You forgot this one:
11. When you're etching boards, keep distance from your brother's (and yours) clothes.

[lerxstlover]

Oh, yeah, I'm addicted.  I actually built the A/B switch first, then once I saw the pretty LED's light back and forth I hastily ordered stuff for the overdrive, now I've got a package with parts for the Rocket Fuzz and Omni Drive on the way.....drooling by the mailbox each day.  I'm waiting for the day I'm good enough to take the DOD FX56 American Metal pedal schematics I have from 1984 and build that bad boy.

I think after those I'll take my new found electronics skills and build a lightsaber or something.....

[lerxstlover]

Ahhhhhhh.
Another success story.
It's great to hear of an acheivement now and then.
Congratulations, you now are at risk of becoming addicted.
DIY stompers are the "crack-cocaine" of DIY......trust me! 

[PIC SNIPPED]

.....and this is an OLD picture. 

\

H-O-L-Y  C-R-A-P! (but in a good way!)