What I've learned so far....

[morcey2]

I've been building amps and effects for a couple of years.  Here's some of what I've learned:

Don't start etching PCBs....  If you value you're free time.  You won't have any afterwards. 

Use real acetone if you can get it.  Nail polish remover just doesn't cut it. 

Buy a drill press. 

NTE is just too danged expensive.  Unless you need the part NOW and NTE is available locally.

Buy a good soldering station.

Avoid Radio Shack resistors for anything above 120V.  Even the 1W resistors are only rated to 250V.

Don't start etching PCBs.... If you have an amp that you need to finish for a customer.  You never will.

Put down the soldering iron and pick up the guitar.  Still need to do that more often.

Watching someone perform with an amp/effects that you built gives one heck of a rush. 

Get a drill press.

Get organized.  ("I've got a dozen 33k 1W resistors here! Why can't I find any of them?")

Always buy more than you need. How do you think I ended up with a dozen 33k 1W resistors.

Stripping old electronics for parts is fun, but rarely is worth the effort.  Germainium trannies are the exception here.  (old clock radios)

Don't solder while barefoot.

Getting distracted while soldering is painful.  Getting distracted while debugging a live amp can be deadly.  (That hasn't happened to me, at least that I know of.  I'm very careful about that and everyone in the house knows it.)

On that same note,  Keep one hand in your pocket. 

Don't start singing "Iron Man" when applying PNP blue to copperclad.  You're likely to get pegged in the back of the head with a shoe.  Personal experience.

Put down the soldering iron and go fishing occasionally  (Or something else non-electronics or music related)

You will never have enough resistors.  Or capacitors.  Or transistors.  Or enclosures.

The only perfect-looking solder joint is the bad one.

If you made it, it sounds better.

Having the Hiwatt rep at the Amp show tell you one of your homebrew-redneck-looking amps sounds like "The wrath of G?D, but in a good way" is one heck of a rush. 

It sucks when motherboards die.  There aren't any useful parts there.  other than standoffs.

Radio shack is open on New Years Day, but McDonalds has a better selection of components and more knowledgable employees.

Band-aids.  Lots of band-aids.


Matt

[aron]

That is funny... but sadly so true!

[Papa_lazerous]

Such wise words

[GREEN FUZ]

Nail polish remover works fine for me.

[snoof]

Getting distracted while soldering is painful.  Getting distracted while debugging a live amp can be deadly.  (That hasn't happened to me, at least that I know of.  I'm very careful about that and everyone in the house knows it.)

Boy howdy!  That is the truth.  After you've been bitten by a live tube amp, you're NEVER gonna forget to be careful

[the_random_hero]

Another addition: Never test if your soldering iron is on by holding it close to your face to feel the warmth and get distracted in the process 

[Papa_lazerous]

Another addition: Never test if your soldering iron is on by holding it close to your face to feel the warmth and get distracted in the process 

why would you ever do that man??

[theehman]

All of it is so true.  I do solder barefoot, though.  Often, while only wearing my boxers.

[morcey2]

Another addition: Never test if your soldering iron is on by holding it close to your face to feel the warmth and get distracted in the process 

I've got a cousin that has part of my grandpa's and uncles brand on his hand.  He was checking to see if the branding iron was hot and he got distracted.   It was just getting warmed up, otherwise it would have been much worse than it is.

[the_random_hero]

Another addition: Never test if your soldering iron is on by holding it close to your face to feel the warmth and get distracted in the process 

why would you ever do that man??

Because I'm rather unintelligent at times?  I've heard of at least 3 other people with facial burns from soldering irons, so I know it's just not me 

[Papa_lazerous]

Another addition: Never test if your soldering iron is on by holding it close to your face to feel the warmth and get distracted in the process 

why would you ever do that man??

Because I'm rather unintelligent at times?  I've heard of at least 3 other people with facial burns from soldering irons, so I know it's just not me 

I generally just hover my hand over the stand that iron sits in, or just touch the iron on the cleaning sponge below the stand.  Always works for me