question on copper leads and perf boards

[Guitar Guy]

Hey forum! Guitar guy here. I'm ready to start constructing my first few clones. I'm going to be building an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Digitech Death Metal Distortion, and a Black Cat OD-1. I have already schooled myself on how to construct the PCBs, but have found little on where to buy the parts. I am, unfortunatly, needing to be frugal and budget concious.
Where can I go to buy The copper sheets and the board to attatch it to?

[LucifersTrip]

Hey forum! Guitar guy here. I'm ready to start constructing my first few clones. I'm going to be building an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Digitech Death Metal Distortion, and a Black Cat OD-1. I have already schooled myself on how to construct the PCBs, but have found little on where to buy the parts. I am, unfortunatly, needing to be frugal and budget concious.
Where can I go to buy The copper sheets and the board to attatch it to?

In the subject you wrote "perf boards":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22perf+board%22&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=939&bih=567&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

...and here you wrote " PCBs":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pcb&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=939&bih=567&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

what exactly are you after?

[theundeadelvis]

If you are intending to etch PCBs, you don't attach copper sheets to boards (unless you wanted to get super DIY I guess). You buy boards with copper bonded to epoxy glass. Lots of places carry them, but I suggest Smallbear (a great supporter of the DIY FX community) if you're in the states: http://www.smallbearelec.com/Categories.bok?category=PC+Boards+and+Prototyping&searchpath=2872314&start=9&total=23

But like LucidersTrip said, perfboard is an entirely different method (but Smallbear carries it too).

[Guitar Guy]

Um...I thought that perf board was what you attatched the copper traces to once they are cut out. I guess I have more research to do. My main question was where is the best place to buy what I need to get started. And I was talking about PCBs.

[oldrocker]

Perfboard is the type you can buy at Radio Shack that has all the pre-drilled holes.  If you are talking about PCB type board to etch the traces then you would buy single sided or if you're really experienced double sided copper clad boards.  There are no traces on perfboard only pcomponant leads and wire that u stick in the holes to solder the circuit together.  Most Perfboard does have copper around each drilled holes to solder and secure componants to the board.

[smallbearelec]

Hi--

I take it from your description that you wanted to make the PCBs for these pedals starting from on-line artwork. These tutorials:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/PhotoPCBoards/PhotoPCBoards.htm

cover two ways to get to the same result. They cover methods and materials, and the example circuit is very simple.

If you have never made a board, Don't attempt to do it as a first build for one of the circuits you named; they have too many stages. You will wind up frustrated, and I could wind up with an unhappy customer. I don't like having unhappy customers...they sometimes get upset publicly,   and I have to pick up the pieces.

The learning curve for making a board is a little steep, so it should be done with a simple circuit--no more than one stage. That reduces the number of possible problems to look for later. Of course, you can buy etched-and-drilled, ready-to-solder boards for many designs, but you don't learn nearly as much as you do from rolling-your-own.

Also note that the tools and materials for making a board are not cheap anywhere, and you say that cost is an issue. You may want to scale down your plans a little and make your first build something basic, hand-wired on pad-per-hole perfboard or stripboard (also called Vero). Here is an example of a basic build on pad-per-hole:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Projects/TweakO/TweakO.htm

and there are numerous examples in this Forum of builds on Vero.

Happy Construction!

SD