Building pedals, what's your weakness?

Jdansti · July 10, 2012, 07:26:55 PM

Quote from: Paul Marossy on July 10, 2012, 03:14:44 PM
Here's another one of mine: I hate perfboard. Give me a PCB!

I agree, although I'll do perfboard occasionally. My problem with perfboard is I don't document the layout. When I come back to it later to modify or troubleshoot, the underside of the board looks unrecognizable.

I usually go back and forth between PCB and Vero.

Jazznoise · July 10, 2012, 08:49:21 PM

"There has to be an easier way"

"There has to be a better way"

"There has to be a cheaper way"

These last two go opposite to my "Wouldn't it be cool if you could" statements. Sadly they don't cancel. Ambition is messy!

At any rate I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with no aesthetic talents. I rarely label, knobs often don't match. My last build didn't even have an LED on board! I am interested in using some RGB LED's for modulation effects, though.

Canucker · July 11, 2012, 02:08:20 AM

Quote from: Jdansti on July 10, 2012, 03:13:10 AM
Quote from: Canucker on July 10, 2012, 02:59:59 AM
My weakness is my inability to accept the fact that I should buy proper enclosures but I really want to DIY everything...

Can we assume that you're not DIYing your own ICs and other components?

At some point, we all have to purchase certain things that are manufactured by someone else. I do a lot of DIY home repair and remodeling. I've done woodwork, tile, pluming, and electrical. My wife wants granite countertops (solid pieces, not tile) and suggested that I should be able to do the job myself. At least she has a high opinion of my capabilities!

I modded my Playdough "mop top hair shop" so I can crank out any component I want. I just grab a bunch of random components...ball them up...roll em out with a rolling pin...ball them up again and crank them through the hair shop....and your ready to go!

deadastronaut · July 11, 2012, 03:56:00 AM

E: having 5 or 6 projects on the go at any one time and never getting round to fini.......

R O Tiree · July 11, 2012, 08:11:31 AM

Quote from: deadastronaut on July 11, 2012, 03:56:00 AM
E: having 5 or 6 projects on the go at any one time and never getting round to fini.......

Hahahahahaha! I can relate to that

bluebunny · July 11, 2012, 09:14:47 AM

Quote from: deadastronaut on July 11, 2012, 03:56:00 AM
E: having 5 or 6 projects on the go at any one time and never getting round to fini.......

Oh my. I have a whole box full of "E"s. (No, not that sort...) Between contracts at the mo', so I should have no excuse for not making a bit of progress! (Having said that, the sun just came out here in leafy Berkshire. Yes, sun. Remember that?)

Paul Marossy · July 11, 2012, 09:55:42 AM

Quote from: Jdansti on July 10, 2012, 07:26:55 PM
Quote from: Paul Marossy on July 10, 2012, 03:14:44 PM
Here's another one of mine: I hate perfboard. Give me a PCB!

I agree, although I'll do perfboard occasionally. My problem with perfboard is I don't document the layout. When I come back to it later to modify or troubleshoot, the underside of the board looks unrecognizable.

I usually go back and forth between PCB and Vero.

I will only do perf for the simplest of projects, not for anything complex. I usually sketch up a layout so I don't go crazy trying to build the thing.

deadastronaut · July 11, 2012, 10:57:57 AM

@bluebunny..

sun?...i resorted to drawing a yellow crayon sun on A4 and putting it on my wall and basking in front of it with shorts n shades on..ahhhhh feel those rays...

i might try a crayon drawing of a few bikini clad women to complete the illusion

Jdansti · July 11, 2012, 01:40:57 PM

Quote from: Canucker on July 11, 2012, 02:08:20 AM
Quote from: Jdansti on July 10, 2012, 03:13:10 AM
Quote from: Canucker on July 10, 2012, 02:59:59 AM
My weakness is my inability to accept the fact that I should buy proper enclosures but I really want to DIY everything...

Can we assume that you're not DIYing your own ICs and other components?

At some point, we all have to purchase certain things that are manufactured by someone else. I do a lot of DIY home repair and remodeling. I've done woodwork, tile, pluming, and electrical. My wife wants granite countertops (solid pieces, not tile) and suggested that I should be able to do the job myself. At least she has a high opinion of my capabilities!

I modded my Playdough "mop top hair shop" so I can crank out any component I want. I just grab a bunch of random components...ball them up...roll em out with a rolling pin...ball them up again and crank them through the hair shop....and your ready to go!

I wish it were that simple!!!

Canucker · July 12, 2012, 12:47:54 AM

ok so maybe I just got lucky with that working the one time. A also scavenge for parts sometimes...drive out on trash day and grab and old radio or two and rip it apart to find some parts...nothing actually valuable but its fun to see whats in there! enough electrolytic capacitors to choke a horse!

Jdansti · July 12, 2012, 02:02:55 AM

Yep. I've dismantled a 30-yr old perfectly good CB radio and a working HDTV converter box because I wanted the enclosures. I also scavenged a lot of caps and transistors from the radio. I've got an old picture tube TV sitting in the garage that's about to get a transformer-ectomy. I'll harvest whatever else I can too before I send it to the electronics recycling center.

Canucker · July 12, 2012, 02:07:53 AM

never got any transistors that were usable....but wire...tons of wire. Enclosures are what its all about...and enclosures at yard sales/thrift stores and so on.

LucifersTrip · July 12, 2012, 02:39:27 AM

Quote from: Canucker on July 12, 2012, 02:07:53 AM
never got any transistors that were usable....but wire...tons of wire. Enclosures are what its all about...and enclosures at yard sales/thrift stores and so on.

you can get loads of silicon transistors from kiddie/baby toys at thrift shops/yard sales

News:

Building pedals, what's your weakness?