What do you love about pedal building?

[Leevibe]

Thanks Leevibe and EBK. Yeah, for some reason I got stuck with vero. I've tried perf and pcb building but I just like starting a build by cutting up the vero, from scratch. and that weird smell, dunno know if I should avoid smelling it. should I? lol is there a prop 65 warning on those boards? 

I don't know if my builds are worthy enough to be posted here. XD I still suck at clean wiring and have zero talent in designing enclosures. I will get there soon. Need to practice my soldering skills first. hehe

It's good to post build reports even if you don't feel they are worthy. There are always other people out there who feel inspired and encouraged. Everyone has something different they are after with this hobby. Around here we like all of it and we tend to be pretty affirming. Plus, anyone who has built on vero vs. PCB knows the challenges to getting it all tidy.

[jimilee]

That moment you realize you forgot to order a part from a site that charges ludicrous amounts for shipping.

That moment your second order arrives and you realize you forgot something else...

That moment you first plug something in and your hear a POP and smell smoke.

That moment you plug in your board and hear a loud squealing howl.

That moment you realize you were following the wrong version of the build docs.

That moment you knock your soldering iron off the bench.

That moment you catch your soldering iron after dropping it....

That moment you smell roasting pork for some reason.


....erm, wait, no, these are the opposite of what you asked for. Oops. 

All those magic tricks and smoke! Good times....

[Willybomb]

Are Verobuilds allowed here?

90% of my builds are vero.  The rest have some vero in there somewhere....

[Muadzin]

I reckon that building pedals satisfies an innate need to build things and do things with our hands. Having just worked for a whole week at a local festival there's something inherently satisfying in working with your hands and body, rather then sitting by your desk, pushing ones and zero's all day.

[thesmokingman]

I reckon that building pedals satisfies an innate need to build things and do things with our hands. Having just worked for a whole week at a local festival there's something inherently satisfying in working with your hands and body, rather then sitting by your desk, pushing ones and zero's all day.

I used to turn wrenches for that satisfaction ... I should get another project car.

[alanp]

If it wasn't for the expense and cost, I wouldn't mind learning car mechanics. Plus there's nothing sexy or interesting, for me, in boring daily driver type cars.

[Muadzin]

If it wasn't for the expense and cost, I wouldn't mind learning car mechanics. Plus there's nothing sexy or interesting, for me, in boring daily driver type cars.

There are of course more cars then just daily driver type cars. There's classic cars? All modern cars look like the same aerodynamic piece of shite, but classic cars still have that individuality and quirkiness that makes them actually interesting. Or go motorcycles. Or restore an old WW2 Willys Jeep?

[thesmokingman]

I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.

[Leevibe]

I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.

I've actually thought about doing a rat rod style pedal. I think it's a really cool idea. Do it!

[alanp]

I imagine that the hardest part of doing a ratrod is making it look like complete garbage, and hiding all the structural details that means that will pass a Warrant of Fitness test.

[EBK]

I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.

Eat some holes through those pedals with some etchant and patch it up with bondo before you prime them. 

[thesmokingman]

yeah ... going to have to pass on the bondo, lead filling only!

[TNblueshawk]

For me, it's in my nature to build things. It started with my first house. Landscaping, painting etc.. then our second house I learned tile, hardwood etc.. built a patio, bricked steps and on and on. Just gutted my old tile kitchen floor and laid tile last month and painted it for the 4th time, courtesy of my wife. So, that piece is in me which is the satisfaction of creating something out of nothing and calling it your own. Enter pedal building, and a few amps too, in 2011. Same feeling. Same reasons although not as physically demanding. Mentally demanding, for me, for sure as I don't fully understand it all.

I think if we are all honest there is some satisfaction in showing it off as well to people who appreciate what you can do.

After that there are many other reasons you guys mention that apply to me as well. I usually pop a beer open, put my Ipod on shuffle and enjoy the hell out of sitting at my bench and soldering. 

[bamslam69]

A few things I love about this hobby:
Being able to look at a drawing and turn it into a pedal.
Being able to make a pedal that's not available, or I could not afford with family/bills, etc. (apologies to the commercial builders here.)
Successful faultfinding.
Playing the finished product.

The weird/expensive pedal thing relates to my brewing hobby too: Once you get hooked on belgian dubbels, DIPA's, sours... it's fun trying to do it at home.