pot tab drilling?

[sir ladderhole]

hello
does anyone happen to know how far that tab to keep the 16mm pots in place is from the main shaft thing, and what size hole to drill to keep it in place? thanks

[The Tone God]

Which brand and model pot ?

BTW, you can got to the manufacturer's site and they will have drawings for the part.

Andrew

[zachomega]

Personally, I just break off the anti-rotation tab.  Diaganol cutter or pliers take it right off.  A washer usually is more than enough to keep the pot from going anywhere. 

-Zach Omega

[markm]

Personally, I just break off the anti-rotation tab.  Diaganol cutter or pliers take it right off.  A washer usually is more than enough to keep the pot from going anywhere. 

-Zach Omega

I do the same thing!

[Cardboard Tube Samurai]

Personally, I just break off the anti-rotation tab.  Diaganol cutter or pliers take it right off.  A washer usually is more than enough to keep the pot from going anywhere. 

-Zach Omega

I do the same thing!

I too have taken to doing this. My trusty side-cutters do the trick!

[$uperpuma]

IF you do want to use those...put the pot through the hole until the tab touches the inside of the box...then spin it around and score a light line with the tab on the box. viola....perfect distance.

[zjokka]

i think the tutorial at small bear (about the bear fuzz) includes drilling these holes, but you need good tools to work as exact as this requires.
That's probably why most people don't use them. In commercial production all holes are drilled by robots anyway, and precise extra hole for these pins is no effort at all.

zj

[thumposaurus]

I usually break them off too, but I have used them a few times and have just drilled the hole all the way through the knob usually covers it up anyways.

[DDD]

Hi men,
To be frank, is it possible to say that device with the damaged pots is of a high quality?  Or it's a great problem to drill couple extra holes?

[Roobin]

Well, for one box, i used the data sheet, and CAD program. Printed out layout, drilled through paper - works brilliantly.

[Minion]

I also clip off the Anti-rotation pin on my Pots...I have never had a problem with the Pots moveing after secureing the Bolt and washers so it has never been a problem for me...I usually use a Big pair of Nail clippers and they seem to cut it off quite well....

[Processaurus]

the common alpha 16mm and 24mm pots' tab center is .147" from the shaft.  A .11" hole is great if you have a way to place it precisely, otherwise an 1/8" hole is fine. I measured it with calipers, but the Tone God is smart to point out manufacturers sites likely have mechanical drawings of hole templates for their parts.

I started liking the tabs for putting complicated boxes together, you can tighten the nuts without holding the bottom part, or having the box open.  Also they're nice to locate them if there is a chance the lugs could short out on the enclosure or another pot or something if they get loose and are re-tightened by someone without your knowledge of the inner workings.  Little knobs don't cover them holes up, though, and it looks a little awkward, personally.  stickers are good to cover them up, so are full box graphics, full box plate, big knobs, or a big thin washer or some other kind of skirt.  It would be nice to be able to drill the box from the inside and stop short of the outside of the enclosure, but the hammonds' thickness seems about the same as the height of the locator tab.  Some thicker enclosure and that would work though.

[Alex C]

It would be nice to be able to drill the box from the inside and stop short of the outside of the enclosure, but the hammonds' thickness seems about the same as the height of the locator tab.  Some thicker enclosure and that would work though.

That was mentioned recently in this thread, pics included.  It came from Steve (Small Bear) (link).
It seems like a good method to make use of the tabs if you're worried about cosmetic issues with small knobs.