Buying parts

deaconque · March 12, 2008, 12:05:29 AM

+1 for Futurlec. How can you go wrong with $.50 pots. also www.effectsconnection.com has some good stuff and they ship quickly

Radamus · March 21, 2008, 03:07:33 PM

This might be a dumb question, but I think it belongs here. What does a socket do and what kind should I buy?

deaconque · March 21, 2008, 03:16:12 PM

A socket is soldered in place of certain components. Once in place it allows you to insert different value components without having to desolder everytime. They make sockets specially made for transistors that you can pick up at mouser and places like that or you can get some opamp sockets and cut them up for whatever you need.

Faber · March 21, 2008, 05:40:37 PM

Quote from: deaconque on March 12, 2008, 12:05:29 AM
+1 for Futurlec. How can you go wrong with $.50 pots. also www.effectsconnection.com has some good stuff and they ship quickly

+1 for effectsconnection. I've used them too (mostly for pots and switches). very easy, good ship time.

cpnyc23 · March 21, 2008, 07:02:39 PM

another +1 for http://www.effectsconnection.com.

They have great prices on things like LED bezels, DC jacks, battery snaps, etc. And, their shipping is top notch

Small Bear is perfect for those random parts that only those of us who build pedals seem to need. Lots of parts that you really can't find anywhere else (CLM6000 for example).

I really suggest gathering a list of a half dozen pedals you would like to make, writing out the parts lists, combining them and then placing an order.

You are guaranteed to forget parts and have it crush your weekend plans to complete a build. It happens to everyone and it is tough to avoid until you've built up a solid collection of common pieces.

-chris

merc · March 24, 2008, 06:16:39 PM

Where do you guys buy your blank PCBs, Press and Peel, and etchant from?

deaconque · March 24, 2008, 08:00:59 PM

i got my copper board and press n peel on ebay. etchant from radio shack

merc · March 24, 2008, 09:11:04 PM

$:-\$ That's what I was afraid of... those were the only places I could find stuff at too. I'm not a big fan of either place. Ebay, because I've seen so many shady sellers, and Radioshack because their stuff is for the most part too expensive and low-quality. Darn.

dxm1 · March 24, 2008, 09:30:55 PM

You could consider using less expensive etchant - a gallon (!) of pool acid costs about seven bucks, a quart of peroxide a buck or two. Search the forum for threads on etching with muriatic acid. Small Bear has Press-N-Peel for two bucks a sheet. That's...well, reasonable at least - and no eBay.

merc · March 24, 2008, 10:37:14 PM

That's a start at least. But what about the boards? Is ebay the only reasonable option?

merc · March 25, 2008, 12:47:22 AM

Thanks for the etchant idea dxm. Easily available, cheap chemicals, and from my research it sounds like it does a good job. Just don't drink it

. As for the boards, I found some at Small Bear, and they seem VERY reasonable compared to the price and quality of Radioshack boards. Are there any other places, or is Small Bear the best choice? So I've got the etchant (muriatic), I've got the transfer method (laser copies, photo paper or transparencies), but I still am wondering where to get the boards.

dxm1 · March 25, 2008, 12:59:49 AM

Well, I don't know how cheap it is, but Mouser offers an 8x10" single sided board for about $11. 3x5 for about $3. Since I have a stash from the "old days", I haven't had to buy copper clad in years. If you're making a Mouser order anyway...

merc · March 25, 2008, 01:15:46 AM

Well that's funny, I searched Mouser earlier and found nothing but two entries with a big "OBSOLETE" on them. Small Bear has a 3x4 board for 1.50 and a 6x8 for 4.50. Small Bear's boards are cheaper, so that's what I would go with if shipping didn't offset the savings. I guess I could order a few more parts from Small Bear to make the shipping worth it.

brefmint · March 25, 2008, 07:32:42 AM

So what kind of jacks do you guys use? I've been using the open Switchcraft but they can get expensive. I think Mouser has been the cheapest but not sure

Brefmint

DougH · March 25, 2008, 08:09:03 AM

Start here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

All this info is at the top of the page, folks.

ayayay! · March 25, 2008, 11:53:37 AM

Wow I'm really surprised you guys are using effectsconnection so much. I like the guy and his parts list, but 3 times he's botched my orders and 2 of those times he never sent me the right ones.

I'm still waiting on 10 DPDT's from 6 months ago.

Maybe I should try him again, but he's ended up with quite a bit of my money and I've got nothing to show for it.

cpnyc23 · March 25, 2008, 06:08:20 PM

I've yet to have a problem with effectsconnection. I really like that when you look at your cart, it shows you if something is out of stock. Small Bear is great but I really really dislike that you don't know something is out of stock until it isn't in your order.

I think effectsconnection needs to upgrade their enclosure choices and I don't see them as the go-to for actual electronic components. I leave those things to Mouser and Small Bear.

By the way, I once ordered a number of enclosures from Pedal Parts Plus (http://www.pedalpartsplus.com. After a few days, when it should have arrived, I emailed them. They agreed it should have gotten to me and put out another order the next morning. That makes them the top of my list for enclosures!!!

-chris

ubersam · March 25, 2008, 07:45:24 PM

Quote from: merc on March 25, 2008, 01:15:46 AM
Well that's funny, I searched Mouser earlier and found nothing but two entries with a big "OBSOLETE" on them. Small Bear has a 3x4 board for 1.50 and a 6x8 for 4.50. Small Bear's boards are cheaper, so that's what I would go with if shipping didn't offset the savings. I guess I could order a few more parts from Small Bear to make the shipping worth it.

Try searching for "Copper Clad Board"

Single sided copper clad boards from mouser.com

DougH · March 25, 2008, 08:15:46 PM

Don't remember who, but one of the "cheapie" guys threw all my parts into one box or one bag (and it was bunch of mixed stuff- 16mm pots, jacks, etc). I don't like that. It's worth it to me to pay Steve or Mouser to individually bag the stuff. I don't mind paying a little more for good service. It's kind of like the difference between buying clothes at a store where the clerk folds them neatly and puts them in a box- vs. buying them at Wal-mart where they toss them in a bag with your toilet paper and garden hose while shouting, "Next!"...

Pushtone · March 25, 2008, 08:54:55 PM

About sockets for ICs.

There are two types to look for. Each has uses in DIY stompbox building.

First there is the leaf socket. We all use these for ICs. The little holes are rectagular and a flap of metal (the leaf) is sprung to hold the IC pins in with lateral preasure.

Then there is the machine sockets. The little holes are round. These are great to cut up and use for transistors sockets.
Here is a photo of the machine type sockets. These were part of a 14 pin DIP socket that I cut into groups of three to mount transistors

I didn't know about the difference when I started so perhaps this is news to some.

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Buying parts