Fuzz Pedal Problem!!!

[Ohioisonfire]

A little while ago i built a fuzz factory copy from the German site musikding.de, but the pre-drilled metal enclosure didn't come in.  So i built it in a little plastic container and it worked great!  Really, it sounded sick! Then when the enclosure came in i transferred it all over, and when i plugged it in....  nothing.  The light turns on, but no sound.  At all.  It's one of my first builds and I know nothing about electronics so i have no idea how to even figure out what is wrong.  I know you guys probably can't help just by hearing about it, but I'll take anything.  Maybe it's an issue with grounding or something, IDK.  I even re-wired the pots, jacks, switches, etc a couple times and couldnt figure it out. 

[DanielB]

Does it work when its bypassed?

[Ohioisonfire]

yeah, true bypass (when done properly) always works when bypassed right?  (just wondering)

[MikeH]

The metal enclosure is the x factor here.  Metal is conductive.  I'd bet hefty that some part of your circuit is being shorted to ground through the enclosure.  Try insulating the areas where the circuit board is.

[Ohioisonfire]

How exactly do I do that?

[petemoore]

  Isolation is the best way.
   Another way is to wiggle the circuit to see if pressure 'here' makes it come on.
  Assuming ground through metal jacks...test for all ground connections.
   I'd start with the bypass to see what the offboard wires 'do...DMMing and audio probing them.
  More than likely the box introduced a new connection [which is shunting signal or other needed voltage to ground] was introduced during transfer or the box is conducting to something.

[LucifersTrip]

How exactly do I do that?

put something non-conductive between the circuit board and the metal enclosure

[lopsided]

I would start, if possible, by taking the entire circuit out of the box. If it works then something what is not supposed to is touching the box, then you start with insulating. If it does not work, something went wrong when you were moving the circuit and you can start with debugging.
If necessary check the sticky debugging thread. You will find the list of information you need to give so people can help you more.

[Ohioisonfire]

If it was a grounding issue, would some noise still come through?  When I hit the footswitch and the LED comes on, as little bit of sound comes through.

[Ohioisonfire]

http://diy.musikding.de/images/stories/factory/factorywire.pdf

That's the link to the wiring lay out.  I've managed to figure out that when i let the poles of the "stab" pot and the 9v DC touch, it works fine.  What would cause this?

[MikeH]

http://diy.musikding.de/images/stories/factory/factorywire.pdf

That's the link to the wiring lay out.  I've managed to figure out that when i let the poles of the "stab" pot and the 9v DC touch, it works fine.  What would cause this?

If you look at a schematic: http://solgrind.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/zvex-fuzzfactory-rev1-1.gif

you'll see the stab control is directly between the 9v connection, and the rest of the circuit.  If bypassing the stab control (connecting 9v to lugs 1&2 on the stab pot) makes the pedal come alive, I'd say you have a problem with the way the pot is wired, the pot is the wrong value, or a pot lug is shorting out on the chassis (bend them up a little to make sure they clear).  All of these would prevent power from getting into the circuit.  If connecting the 9v connection to lug 3 of the stab pot makes it come alive (and the stab control functions) you have a bad connection or short at the DC jack, the 9v connection to the board, the lug 3 connection to the board, or on the stab pot itself.