Holding circuit boards in place

[Chris oej]

Hi,

A fairly non-technical question - what methods do people use to stop the circuit board floating around inside the pedal?

Cheers guys

[Seljer]

Those plastics standoffs with the double sided tape on the bottom are a popular option.
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=84

Some people use screws and metal standoffs with JB weld or some other epoxy to affix them to the enclosure.

[rutabaga bob]

Others use Velcro...

[Fender3D]

Others use nothing... 
thanks Güero...

[merlinb]

Pots mounted to the board with sticky white pads. The pots then hold the board in place:

[petemoore]

  100 'whacky ways' that work.
   Maybe only 10...
  Wrapped in plastic wrap [garbage bag], duct taped, embedded in hotglue, hotglued, thick clear theft prevention plastic [like the soldering iron might have come packaged in] trimmed to fit the box's ID's [or anywhere I want insulation, electrical tape [though this can be punched through by a point of solder], a screw with a section of inkpen shell as the 'riser/spacer', 1 screw pins the board between the top of the cylinder of plastic and the bottom of the screwhead..they even make perfboard clip buttons with superstik adhesive pads...I just don't trust 1 part adhesives for long term use though....even without the adhesive the board wouldn't touch bottom, usually it's the electrolytics that are the tallest [lol] first thing to touch something above the board [they seem to be insulated too].

[seedlings]

+1 for floating.  I use a kraft type paper to insulate between board and pots, and between board and back.  Solid core wires become shock absorbers for the board (with the risk of a possible breakage).

CHAD

[chromesphere]

I use 3m double sided tape.  Its thin but strong, solder wont punch through.  I usually leave the backing on, i just cover the back of the board with the tape to prevent shorts, but you can stick it down as well.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3M-Auto-Truck-Car-Acrylic-Foam-Double-Sided-Attachment-Tape-Adhesive-6mm-New-/280778514759?pt=AU_Scrapbooking&hash=item415fb42147

Paul

[Paul Marossy]

Those plastics standoffs with the double sided tape on the bottom are a popular option.
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=84

Some people use screws and metal standoffs with JB weld or some other epoxy to affix them to the enclosure.

Having built pedals and modded pedals for a living for about a year, I have done all of the above. I don't like the plastic stand-offs too much because once your PCB is on there, it's almost impossible to get the PCB off the thing. Free floating for my own personal builds is OK, but I wouldn't do that for any pedal meant for someone else's use.

My favorite method is using PCB mounted pots/switches soldered to the PCB and having them hold the PCB to the enclosure. Works great.

[mremic01]

Either mounting the standoffs to the enclosure with screws or JB weld are the only things I trust. Everything else seems to 'work', but it all leaves me worried about future reliability.

[seedlings]

Either mounting the standoffs to the enclosure with screws or JB weld are the only things I trust. Everything else seems to 'work', but it all leaves me worried about future reliability.

I'm curious- JB weld what to what?

CHAD

[davent]

Just "JB Weld" the standoffs to the enclosure.



dave

[seedlings]

Got it!  Makes sense.

CHAD

[mremic01]

Just "JB Weld" the standoffs to the enclosure.



dave

This is so simple that it's brilliant!

What I meant was that I used metal standoffs attached to the board with screws and attached to the enclosure with JB weld. I don't trust the plastic standoffs because the adhesive backing seems like something that will dry out over time. But JB welding the plastic standoffs is something that never occurred to me.

[davent]

It's actually done the very way you describe but i show a nylon screw into the aluminum standoff. When i glue the standoffs in i use the nylon screws with the hope that if JB Weld does get onto the threads i'll still be able to easily back the screw out after things have set up. I just use a bit of JB at first, let it set up, take the board out and reinforce the standoff with some more of the JB Weld with no worry of contaminating the threads.

dave

[Gordo]

Most excellent shot with the dental mirror by the way.  The creativity around here never ceases to amaze/annoy me.  Wish I'd thought of that...

[davent]

Gordo... Max Webster- very cool, were a great great band, have all their albums.

[darron]

i use teflon wire, which is VERY firm (it almost feels like a thick solid core). by the time there are a few hookup wires it just stays in place. then i make sure that if it was ever pushed it wouldn't short by putting a plastic sheet on the bottom panel, and in this case a rubber cover on the pot:



(sorry about the image size)