I'm always trying to come up with new ways to make pedal building easier. Sometimes I do the dumbest things out of habit, sometimes because it hasn't dawned on me that there's a better way. I only recently saw Chromesphere's video on the use of blue tak and am realizing all of the reasons I need a ball of that stuff on my bench. I hadn't thought of any solution like that before.
I thought it would be good to get your ideas. What genius things have you come up with that make the process easier? It would be great to see pictures of your inventions. Or just let me know your way of doing whatever it is that you have figured out.
I've got a few. One of them centers around the fact that I'm a bit color blind. Enough that I can't reliably read resistor codes, so I test them. I came up with this little rig because I got tired of trying to pin resistors down on my bench using the DMM probes or having to hold it all together in my fingers. This way I just grab a resistor and set it down in the little notches. I have the clips soldered slightly open, so they're not actually pinching the leads, but they're closed enough to get good contact. There's enough continuity coming through the machine screws that I get good readings. I like it because it's one handed and fast. If I need to measure something with the probes, I just pop the leads off the spade connectors and pop the probes on.
What are your little tricks and tips? I would love to get some new ideas.
OK, here's another one I do. This is how I clamp wires to LED's when I use flying leads. I suppose if I had blue tak I wouldn't need the vice!
(sorry if it's bad form to reply to my own post)
Thanks Lee! im finding since using blue tack I use my helping hands about 5% of the time now. Its also pretty much the only way to solder smd in my opinion.
Paul
Quote from: chromesphere on February 15, 2014, 09:10:53 AM
blue tack [...is...] also pretty much the only way to solder smd in my opinion.
Wow, nice idea, but the parts are so small - do you mean you roll the blue tack into really thin strips to hold the components down when soldering them?
Nah I meant hold the pcb still on the table while ur soldering the components. Works well for me.
Quote from: chromesphere on February 15, 2014, 09:10:53 AM
Thanks Lee! im finding since using blue tack I use my helping hands about 5% of the time now. Its also pretty much the only way to solder smd in my opinion.
Paul
I hate helping hands. I was always fighting with them. My wife bought me a hobby vice for Christmas a couple years ago and I haven't used HH since.
When you solder components that are pressed into the BT, does the heat ever do anything funny to it?
I tried using blu tack after reading a previous thread about it. I used it to hold a few diodes and resistors in place on some vero and the heat from the iron made it all sticky and I couldn't remove it properly, ended up looking unintentionally gooped
I've never had that happen, I'm thinking you may be heating the component for too long or with too high a temperature?
Probably, either that or I need to try a different brand of blu tack. I had the iron on 300C. What temp does everyone else use?
I'm normally at 350 so that limits my guesses to
- overdoing it - more likely, as with a higher temperature you can be in and out quicker
- different blutack
Someone should do a blue tack shootout
cool! Keep the pics/ideas coming :D
Quote from: Hangingmonkey on February 15, 2014, 09:47:12 PM
Probably, either that or I need to try a different brand of blu tack. I had the iron on 300C. What temp does everyone else use?
I have some real Blu Tac that works great, then got another brand from Homebase that gets all goopy with the same temperature and technique.
I've often said that many engineers would be totally lost without BluTak. It is so useful for so many things.
I've certainly set things on it and soldered , but I am not a fan of using it to hold down components on the board. It gets soft and sticky and can leave residue on the board. I do solder at a high temperature, but my dwell time is generally very short.
I had trouble with some cheap yellow stuff. I also use it sparingly for holding things down too. Sometime resistors and diodes mostly. More often I tack one leg in and then the other. The putty helps hold the board and reposition quickly.
I don't really have the goopy-ness problem that people report. Sure, the bluetack sticks to the component, but it comes off just as easy. Im thinking it could be the brand. The stuff im using is 'bostick' and apparently is 'the original blu-tack'. You can see the packet in the video at approximately 32 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ACT2w93Mc
Sorry Leevibe I know this thread was supposed to be about other ideas then just blu-tack :D
Paul
DGP
More often than not, I remove the clips from the helping hands and use the to hold resistor leads on the solder side of the board. I use the helping hands when wiring pots though. Also I use the magnifier on the helping hands to read tiny codes.
I use the helping hands all the time even though they are pieces of junk. Heatshrinked the jaws so i can grab painted and delicate things without meesing them up. The biggest issue with for me was the alligator clip base would get crushed by the tightener so you couldn't easily position the clips where needed. What i did was jam an awl in to uncrush the base, fill it with a glued in piece of dowel so now i can just adjust by just playing with the alligator clip tightener and avoid the whole thing collapsing on itself. No pictures but easy to do.
I'll load up a pcb place a block of wood against the components flip it over and clip the board to the helping hands so it doesn't skate away as i try to solder, the block of wood holds the components flat to the pcb.
Holder for unmounted pots, jacks, plugs and rotary switches.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/2d6305be-5220-4fcc-ba5a-8005057398bd_zps1f32d591.jpg)
In use;
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_3014.jpg)
Plexiglas shelf above workbench for exposing photoresist pcb's.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_4629.jpg)
Assembly jig for assembling assymetrical enclosure layouts. If it's symetrical layout you can mount the pots and things outside and assemble there for ease of access.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_2844-3.jpg)
Lazy-susan bearing, shelf liner and a spool of solder. Will have to make changes to this once the solder spool weighs a lot less.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_5933_zpsf066cc3c.jpg)
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_5934_zps0afdfe04.jpg)
Cable assembler.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_5935_zps4dc7fe5f.jpg)
Workbench as photo studio. Turn off the room lights and only use the bench light.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/Workshop/IMG_5313_zpsf90e9475.jpg)
dave
Quote from: chromesphere on February 16, 2014, 03:23:40 AM
I don't really have the goopy-ness problem that people report. Sure, the bluetack sticks to the component, but it comes off just as easy. Im thinking it could be the brand. The stuff im using is 'bostick' and apparently is 'the original blu-tack'. You can see the packet in the video at approximately 32 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ACT2w93Mc
Sorry Leevibe I know this thread was supposed to be about other ideas then just blu-tack :D
Paul
DGP
No problem. This is the kind of info that's valuable! I don't think it's too big a deal for me. I'll most likely continue to use my vise to hold boards for soldering. Bending the leads has always held parts securely enough for me. I love the idea of using BT for holding parts to the bench when I'm rigging things together for testing though.
The reason I started the thread is because I want to build myself a test rig for circuits that aren't boxed. I want to be able to hold stuff together and not have my guitar cables pull everything off the bench. I was actually inspired by the infamous Bill Finnegan article. I liked his test rig and I want to come up with my own. (sans card table)
Paul, I have to say that I will be making up a bunch of those test leads with the little spade connectors for clipping to solder lug pots. Great idea!
Keep the ideas coming and let's get to the bottom of this blu tack thing. Is it getting the right brand, or is it get in and get out with the heat? Inquiring minds want to know.
I use those breadboard / spade connector leads whenever im breadboarding pots. Makes this so much more secure!
I think its a bit of both (right brand, don't overheat). I can tell you if I sat there holding the iron for too long, mine would probably melt as well. Still easy enough to clean up.
I want to build some leads with the pot lug connectors on one end and these test clips on the other. I think these are the ones th at have the little retracting claw.
http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Grabber-Minigrabber-Color-Interface/dp/B00AH3OYGQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1392525896&sr=8-5&keywords=test+clips
Quote from: davent on February 16, 2014, 04:27:49 AM
Lazy-susan bearing, shelf liner and a spool of solder. Will have to make changes to this once the solder spool weighs a lot less.
Not really, just put a weight of some sort on top :)
Love the cable assembler, davent! Simple=good. I could combine that idea with your pot/rotary switch holder to make a switchcraft pancake plug building jig
Quote from: alanp on February 16, 2014, 05:45:46 AM
Quote from: davent on February 16, 2014, 04:27:49 AM
Lazy-susan bearing, shelf liner and a spool of solder. Will have to make changes to this once the solder spool weighs a lot less.
Not really, just put a weight of some sort on top :)
Excellent, problem solved before it gets here, there's always a simpler/better way!
Thank you!
You can also get a solder spool holder. At home I just have a single spool holder, but at work I have a double, which is great as I can have two different solders at a given time. In retrospect, I should've gotten that for home as well:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31o9cqQgQhL._SY300_.jpg)
Here is a collection of tricks I use:
(http://i.imgur.com/BlmOJ30.png)
The big block of wood is a fluxing station (complete with a small flux pool) and a tip cleaning station. The sponge is nailed, so it won't come off as I clean my soldering iron
The soldering iron itself is modded - it has one of these dimmer light switches attached to it. Sort of a DIY Power regulator. It also gives me a switch, so I can turn off the iron without having to unplug it
Quote from: pickdropper on February 16, 2014, 07:05:37 AM
You can also get a solder spool holder. At home I just have a single spool holder, but at work I have a double, which is great as I can have two different solders at a given time. In retrospect, I should've gotten that for home as well:
200g and 250g rolls of solder fit nicely in the palm of my left hand while I'm soldering, with no costs for lazy susans or fancy holders :)
Davent, i love that cable making idea also mate, pegs, who woulda thought. I've always used those stupid helping hands and i've never enjoyed the process much, always a struggle, so thanks for that one :)
I just snip off a foot or so of solder, gets me through most boards. Then for offboard wiring (this is from my vero days) i snip off another foot. My solder spool never leaves the desk drawer. This became my preferred method because I mostly build on the dining room table and need to be able to clear out quickly before the wrath of the One comes crushing down on me.
sent from my mobile device
Plywood scrap and a bolt from the miscellaneous hardware stash
I think the most clever thing on my bench was a riser that sits on top of my desk. It allows me to put all of my computer monitors on top of that and put most of my equipment below it. Before that, I didn't have much in the way of workspace. Now there is plenty of room to accumulate junk. ;D
For breadboarding.
I picked up a PCB holder on eBay for $6-$7. Works great for small - medium sized boards, looks like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Gino-Rectangle-Circuit-Repair-Holder/dp/B00899XJ3O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392565240&sr=8-3&keywords=pcb+holder (http://www.amazon.com/Gino-Rectangle-Circuit-Repair-Holder/dp/B00899XJ3O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392565240&sr=8-3&keywords=pcb+holder)
I'll load a bunch of resistors, either bend the leads or use masking tape to secure them, flip over the board & mount it in this for soldering.
Quote from: madbean on February 16, 2014, 03:04:31 PM
For breadboarding.
Hey Brian, this one is very cleaver!!
Cool idea for breadboarding pots Brian. Saw this solution in a photo from Electrosonic, vero and terminal blocks, ran off and made up a few of these, combined with pcb mounting pots... all set.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_6066_zps04e0f2e4.jpg)
Used to take off a length solder, coil it around my fingers and solder with that but i'd lose it in the chaos of the bench, drop it on the floor, it would tangle and have to be de-tangled before i could go on, had the bearing to use as a painting turntable, $3.50 at the surplus store so easy re-purpose.
When working on bigger stuff like amps and such, i work on old cookie sheets, keep all the bits and pieces, tools and junk i'm using on the low rimmed sheet and when i need the bench for something else just put the cookie sheet away and have my work surface back again... and another cookie sheet. Keeps everything together for a return to the project.
The cookie sheets are steel and my endoscope base/stand is magnetic so easy to use the endoscope on the wooden workbench, and when the day comes will be able to see those SMD parts on the computer screen for easy soldering.
And of course stole the cable idea from somewhere but can't recall who i need to give credit to.
dave
Quote from: madbean on February 16, 2014, 03:04:31 PM
For breadboarding.
Another great idea!
So, what's the best way to cut the SIP sockets? I never get good clean breaks. I usually end up with chunks of the plastic missing. Sometimes the little sockets go flying and I never find them again.
I use a very fine saw, kerf of .010".
Quote from: davent on February 16, 2014, 09:49:39 PM
I use a very fine saw, kerf of .010".
That's a great idea. I have a flush cut pull saw for flush cutting dowels and plugs. I bet it would work.
Here's another one that I recently started using. I don't like having a laptop on the bench because I worry that I'll splash flux and solder on it and it takes up way too much space. On the other hand, using my iPhone is a pain because the screen is so small. My wife got me a kindle fire for Christmas and it's the perfect size. (And they're way cheaper than iPads) I just hang it right on the pegboard so it's off my work surface but easily visible. And, yes, I realize I could just print them and use paper. :)
On the pot connections tip that Lee mentioned before, for those that haven't seen it:
Quote from: Leevibe on February 16, 2014, 09:44:22 PM
Quote from: madbean on February 16, 2014, 03:04:31 PM
For breadboarding.
Another great idea!
So, what's the best way to cut the SIP sockets? I never get good clean breaks. I usually end up with chunks of the plastic missing. Sometimes the little sockets go flying and I never find them again.
Are yours from Tayda by chance? I've had a lot of chipping issues with the Tayda ones. I still buy them sometimes because they are a lot less expensive. Usually, the best way to avoid chipping is the cut a little on each side with a razor blade.
With the better ones, I've never had any issues. They are designed to break free cleanly.
Quote from: pickdropper on February 16, 2014, 10:31:39 PM
Quote from: Leevibe on February 16, 2014, 09:44:22 PM
Quote from: madbean on February 16, 2014, 03:04:31 PM
For breadboarding.
Another great idea!
So, what's the best way to cut the SIP sockets? I never get good clean breaks. I usually end up with chunks of the plastic missing. Sometimes the little sockets go flying and I never find them again.
Are yours from Tayda by chance? I've had a lot of chipping issues with the Tayda ones. I still buy them sometimes because they are a lot less expensive. Usually, the best way to avoid chipping is the cut a little on each side with a razor blade.
With the better ones, I've never had any issues. They are designed to break free cleanly.
No, SB. I haven't bought from Tayda yet. I'm a little afraid to!
Quote from: Leevibe on February 16, 2014, 10:51:19 PM
Quote from: pickdropper on February 16, 2014, 10:31:39 PM
Quote from: Leevibe on February 16, 2014, 09:44:22 PM
Quote from: madbean on February 16, 2014, 03:04:31 PM
For breadboarding.
Another great idea!
So, what's the best way to cut the SIP sockets? I never get good clean breaks. I usually end up with chunks of the plastic missing. Sometimes the little sockets go flying and I never find them again.
Are yours from Tayda by chance? I've had a lot of chipping issues with the Tayda ones. I still buy them sometimes because they are a lot less expensive. Usually, the best way to avoid chipping is the cut a little on each side with a razor blade.
With the better ones, I've never had any issues. They are designed to break free cleanly.
No, SB. I haven't bought from Tayda yet. I'm a little afraid to!
I haven't tried any of the SB ones. I've had good luck with the ones I've gotten from Mouser
If I have a pot knob that is wanting to drag on the case, I'll use a guitar pick to shim it up while I tighten the set screw.
Not exactly workbench related, but I thought this was a pretty clever idea. I do worship music with a lot of players who have a few pedals but can't justify buying a board or don't have the woodworking skills to build one. I think this is a great solution for people just getting started with effects or for a practice rig.
http://tonereport.com/blogs/do-it-yourself/hack-your-rig-building-a-pedalboard-for-under-15
I have had a lot of success with a pcb clamp that's spins 180 and electrical tape. I'll add in the helping hands for wires.
Genuine Bostik Blu-Tack ordered from Amazon! Thank you Chromesphere for opening my mind! I also ordered this diy capacitance meter kit (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C5TRI3Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394517349&sr=8-1). Thank you Haberdasher! I can't wait for these and I can't believe I'm spending as much on blue putty as on electronic test equipment.
No worries Lee! I encourage anyone else that hasn't tried it to give it a go. For 99% of the soldering I do, I find blu tack much faster then helping hands and even more versatile!
Quote from: Leevibe on February 21, 2014, 05:39:20 PM
Not exactly workbench related, but I thought this was a pretty clever idea. I do worship music with a lot of players who have a few pedals but can't justify buying a board or don't have the woodworking skills to build one. I think this is a great solution for people just getting started with effects or for a practice rig.
http://tonereport.com/blogs/do-it-yourself/hack-your-rig-building-a-pedalboard-for-under-15
I picked up a couple of these at Ikea, but they're pretty flimsy. They flex alot when you step on the pedal. I was super excited about this too :-(
Quote from: gjcamann on March 11, 2014, 11:55:38 AM
Quote from: Leevibe on February 21, 2014, 05:39:20 PM
Not exactly workbench related, but I thought this was a pretty clever idea. I do worship music with a lot of players who have a few pedals but can't justify buying a board or don't have the woodworking skills to build one. I think this is a great solution for people just getting started with effects or for a practice rig.
http://tonereport.com/blogs/do-it-yourself/hack-your-rig-building-a-pedalboard-for-under-15
I picked up a couple of these at Ikea, but they're pretty flimsy. They flex alot when you step on the pedal. I was super excited about this too :-(
Aw nuts. Oh well, that's Ikea: almost good.
Quote from: chromesphere on March 11, 2014, 11:03:38 AM
No worries Lee! I encourage anyone else that hasn't tried it to give it a go. For 99% of the soldering I do, I find blu tack much faster then helping hands and even more versatile!
Paul, you should add Blu Tack to your store! I wonder if you could sell/ship to the US cheaper than we can get it on Amazon. I just paid $9 for 3.2 ounces.
Always cracks me up to hear people talk about "ounces". (It's mainly drug dealers that work in ounces, here.)
I just get blu-tac from the local bookshop, here.
Quote from: alanp on March 11, 2014, 04:05:48 PM
Always cracks me up to hear people talk about "ounces". (It's mainly drug dealers that work in ounces, here.)
I just get blu-tac from the local bookshop, here.
Now that the BT lore is really gaining momentum, you should buy a bunch and start up a worldwide cartel! Especially since you have the good, uncut stuff down there.
Speaking of lore, I heard that Blu Tack was used to hold the JRC chip into the Maxon board in SRV's original TS808. The true JRC4558D chips can be identified by the blue residue. All else are crap.
Quote from: Leevibe on March 11, 2014, 04:13:12 PM
Speaking of lore, I heard that Blu Tack was used to hold the JRC chip into the Maxon board in SRV's original TS808. The true JRC4558D chips can be identified by the blue residue. All else are crap.
Blue Tack=Toaannn. ;D
Quote from: Leevibe on March 11, 2014, 03:17:35 PM
Quote from: chromesphere on March 11, 2014, 11:03:38 AM
No worries Lee! I encourage anyone else that hasn't tried it to give it a go. For 99% of the soldering I do, I find blu tack much faster then helping hands and even more versatile!
Paul, you should add Blu Tack to your store! I wonder if you could sell/ship to the US cheaper than we can get it on Amazon. I just paid $9 for 3.2 ounces.
I think this goes beyond just my little webstore. It should become the responsibility of every government to supply every household in the world with as much blu tack as they require. It is the most handy material for a huge range of reasons.
May I ask some of our US friends a question? How do you stick a poster to your wall without blu tack? :o Or do you just use the cheap stuff?
When i was a kid in NA the schools had something they called sticky tac a much coveted item by us school kids, was white rather then blue.
(http://www.go4costumes.com/stockimages/27283.jpg)
Isn't Bostick, the BluTac parent company, Australian?
Quote from: davent on March 12, 2014, 12:58:14 AM
Isn't Bostick, the BluTac parent company, Australian?
Yes and I own half the company....I've been busted....
seriously though i'm not sure, typing in 'bostick' brings up bostick.com.au as the first result so I guess that's a yes? Maybe this is why its hard for your guys to find it?
Quote from: chromesphere on March 12, 2014, 01:01:25 AM
Quote from: davent on March 12, 2014, 12:58:14 AM
Isn't Bostick, the BluTac parent company, Australian?
Yes and I own half the company....I've been busted....
seriously though i'm not sure, typing in 'bostick' brings up bostick.com.au as the first result so I guess that's a yes? Maybe this is why its hard for your guys to find it?
Yep. But apparently it's readily available in Europe too.
I looked all over for Blu Tac in California. No luck..Best I found was Blu Stik....Works great. Best tip ever. Cost me $2 US for several oz, or about five sticks.. A ball is about 1/4 of a stick so enough to last a while..
Home Depot carries it.
I also think that using a blue tack kind of holder its very convenient. (hate the helping hands).
i had to find similar in Germany and the name is UHU- Patafix
you can find some similar products, dont know how is the experience of the pips here with different putter´s like stickers.
here is what i´ve found:
UHU-Tac by UHU/Patafix/Bostik (available in white and yellow)
the Prestik, same stuff from Bostik for the South Africa market,
the Sticky Stuff, Sticky Fix or Multi-Tack by Pritt
Tack-It by Faber-Castell (available in many colours)
Duck Brand Poster Putty
Fun-Tack by LePage
Adhesive-Putty or Mounting-Putty by Scotch
Tac'N Stik by Ross
Tak Tabs by Elmer's
Sticky Tack by AMscan
QuoteIsn't Bostick, the BluTac parent company, Australian?
As I said in the Blu-Tac thread, if anyone wants some sent over, I'm happy to do so!
First references i saw for it was using it for HIFI, first i bought was from a diy HIFI dealer.
Let the workbench mojo begin!!!
Quote from: Leevibe on March 12, 2014, 07:19:55 PM
Let the workbench mojo begin!!!
The real deal...slightly jealous, not gonna lie! 8)
Now if Tayda would carry it there'd be something worth ordering there... duck now!
Quote from: davent on March 12, 2014, 08:22:52 PM
Now if Tayda would carry it there'd be something worth ordering there... duck now!
I do like Tayda and order there often, but they would probably have "Eurolive Bloo Tak" or similar. You could tell on the package where the original brand was sanded off and the new label applied. :P
I haven't read every single reply, but here's and indespensible tool for me:
a locking tweezer, that is, you squeeze it, it opens, you let go and and it clamps ... I find it very handy when I'm wiring off-board stuff, and it applies just enough pressure, without leaving a mark:
(http://www.smallbearelec.com/catalog/TWZlock.jpg)
http://www.smallbearelec.com/servlet/Detail?no=416
What I need is a good pair of small-gauge wire strippers... my strippers are designed for amp-gauge wire (I built a 5E3 long before any pedals), and I use a pair of sidecutters for stripping right now.
Yes, the sidecutters have stripped all my wire, from the Rangemaster, through to the Tremopanation.
A Hockey Puck! Best thing that ever happened to my bench.
It as hole going through it, one side is the size of a footswitch actuator. I stick the footswitch in there, pre-wire it or install daughter board. Once hardware is mounted in the enclosure i stick the actuactor in there again... it holds the pedal perfectly straight, heavy enough so it don't tips over, overall diameter is just perfect, so i can use it with any type of enclosure from 1590BB to 1590A without interfering with the pot shafts.
The surface is smooth and non abrasive so i don't scratch the finish.... ...something i don't really care about... more scratch equal more mojo with the kind of finish i do...haha
On the opposite side of the Puck, the hole is now big as a preamp tube socket hole... use that side when i need to drill from the inside of an enclosure on the fly.
It's 99cents and it rocks, it's Hockey! ;D
Quote from: alanp on March 13, 2014, 03:56:10 AM
What I need is a good pair of small-gauge wire strippers... my strippers are designed for amp-gauge wire (I built a 5E3 long before any pedals), and I use a pair of sidecutters for stripping right now.
Yes, the sidecutters have stripped all my wire, from the Rangemaster, through to the Tremopanation.
Get these puppies. Simple but very good.
I've got an Ideal branded pair, just like that, but large gauge (#24 wire just slides through the smallest hole in them, effortlessly, with no harm whatsoever.)
I have those same Klein's, and they've served me well. ;)
Quote from: GrindCustoms on March 13, 2014, 03:59:13 AM
A Hockey Puck! Best thing that ever happened to my bench.
...
It's 99cents and it rocks, it's Hockey! ;D
Brilliant idea. I actually use my solder roll this way. the hole is about the same size as a 3PDT switch, and handy on my bench.
Jacob
Quote from: alanp on March 13, 2014, 04:04:55 AM
I've got an Ideal branded pair, just like that, but large gauge (#24 wire just slides through the smallest hole in them, effortlessly, with no harm whatsoever.)
The. Kleins grab that 24ga and show it who's boss.
Quote from: jkokura on March 13, 2014, 04:23:41 AM
Quote from: GrindCustoms on March 13, 2014, 03:59:13 AM
A Hockey Puck! Best thing that ever happened to my bench.
...
It's 99cents and it rocks, it's Hockey! ;D
Brilliant idea. I actually use my solder roll this way. the hole is about the same size as a 3PDT switch, and handy on my bench.
Jacob
That's also what i was using at first, but last time i bought solder it was a deal on a 12 pack of 1pound spool, they where too small to suit the need.... did it the Canuck way! ;D
Quote from: alanp on March 13, 2014, 03:56:10 AM
What I need is a good pair of small-gauge wire strippers... my strippers are designed for amp-gauge wire (I built a 5E3 long before any pedals), and I use a pair of sidecutters for stripping right now.
Yes, the sidecutters have stripped all my wire, from the Rangemaster, through to the Tremopanation.
I have a pair of the Ideal Stripmaster 16-26 AWG and they make me smile everytime I use them. A bit pricey (around $45 USD) but way worth it. The 22ga and 24ga slots get the most use.
(http://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/images/ProductImages/8853514-23.jpg)
The only caveat is that the wire needs to be at least about 1" long in order to strip it. For wires that are short, I use a regular old pair of these with great results:
(http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_17561.jpg)
I don't care much for the spring, so I either buy them without or take the spring out of it...the spring takes away the "feel" of the strip..(gee that sounded a bit dirty) ;D
Quote from: chromesphere on February 15, 2014, 09:10:53 AM
Thanks Lee! im finding since using blue tack I use my helping hands about 5% of the time now. Its also pretty much the only way to solder smd in my opinion.
Paul
Paul, this device is for those times when you don't want to have to decide which to use
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps663f3678.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps663f3678.jpg.html)
^ ;D
I have a little lifehack I came up with today. I lost my comb today, luckily I had some 40 pin SIP sockets that did the job. :D
I needed some way to paint enclosures and not miss the bottom edge. I usually sit my enclosures on a metal rack and they get placed in the oven on them. I like this method so I do not have to touch a enclosure or risk dropping it while transferring it to the oven. My father-in-law I call him MacGyver-in-law) came over last night with a few devices he made to help me. He used some Tie Plates he had on hand and some nuts and bolts
(http://music.codydeschenes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/20140318-220823.jpg)
(http://music.codydeschenes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/20140318-220841.jpg)
Cody
I love it Cody! I had done something similar for powder coating cases. I used pieces of expanded metal that I formed into little stands that I could rest parts on in the toaster oven. I worked, mostly. Yours look way more stable. I will remember this!
Cody, thanks for sharing. A totally great solution! I'm going to try this ASAP.
I use small blocks of wood with four drywall screws topped with double sided foam tape or just a couple small blocks of wood attached in a "T", then the double sided tape on top. Line the inside of the enclosure with masking tape first as the double sided tape is tenacious and can be tough to get off the bare enclosure.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_3302-1.jpg)
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 19, 2014, 08:36:24 PM
I needed some way to paint enclosures and not miss the bottom edge. I usually sit my enclosures on a metal rack and they get placed in the oven on them. I like this method so I do not have to touch a enclosure or risk dropping it while transferring it to the oven. My father-in-law I call him MacGyver-in-law) came over last night with a few devices he made to help me. He used some Tie Plates he had on hand and some nuts and bolts
(http://music.codydeschenes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/20140318-220823.jpg)
(http://music.codydeschenes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/20140318-220841.jpg)
Cody
maaaaan! that is a cool father in law!
need to build this...great and practical idea!!!
Here is my simple contribution!
Its a cake holder! I paid 2 euros and its very good to keep the mosquitos away after coating ! Very practical!
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/21/mage8aqy.jpg)
Plus, cake is yummy.
Jacob
The cake holder..... It keeps away mosquitos BUT.....
Doesn't it also trap the paint fumes in as well and thus causes the drying time to be significantly longer?
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on March 20, 2014, 07:56:24 PM
The cake holder..... It keeps away mosquitos BUT.....
Doesn't it also trap the paint fumes in as well and thus causes the drying time to be significantly longer?
Hey,
Not really, only if u really close it fully!
I also turn the top part 90• to let some of the remaining solvent evaporate! A slow film formation is anyways not so bad. It helps for an even coat and avoid orange skin formation. I leave it there for 20 min, than in the toast oven for more 20 min at 50•C
Quote from: Gledison on March 21, 2014, 11:37:24 AM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on March 20, 2014, 07:56:24 PM
The cake holder..... It keeps away mosquitos BUT.....
Doesn't it also trap the paint fumes in as well and thus causes the drying time to be significantly longer?
Hey,
Not really, only if u really close it fully!
I also turn the top part 90• to let some of the remaining solvent evaporate! A slow film formation is anyways not so bad. It helps for an even coat and avoid orange skin formation. I leave it there for 20 min, than in the toast oven for more 20 min at 50•C
the mosquitos, and bugs in general, will be in full swing here soon with the weather. Think I will need to do this or possible some kind of net.
For painting i just puts enclosures into an old shoe box to keep the dust and crap from settling on them while they dry, for chassis' and bigger stuff made a Ziplock tent from a large storage bag, scrap of plywood and some vinyl tubing. Drilled a hole part way thru each corner of the plywood to hold the tubing hoops, knocks down and put together in seconds and really no space to store it.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_6179_zps9f6eca9d.jpg)
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_6181_zps9bd70840.jpg)
Quote from: Gledison on March 21, 2014, 11:37:24 AM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on March 20, 2014, 07:56:24 PM
The cake holder..... It keeps away mosquitos BUT.....
Doesn't it also trap the paint fumes in as well and thus causes the drying time to be significantly longer?
Hey,
Not really, only if u really close it fully!
I also turn the top part 90• to let some of the remaining solvent evaporate! A slow film formation is anyways not so bad. It helps for an even coat and avoid orange skin formation. I leave it there for 20 min, than in the toast oven for more 20 min at 50•C
I do the same thing, using a small plastic storage container. I've never had any problem with paints drying. I do the same thing when I pour envirotex. Hate it when you go through this whole process and then have some weird flying thing land on your creation.
I went to Home Depot and built a powder coating rig as Cody suggested. Tie plates, 1/4-20 nuts and bolts. Works awesome! It even makes great electrical contact for the ground wire to the powder coating rig. Here's a pic of its maiden voyage. Thanks Cody!
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/24/epenyja7.jpg)
Right on Ben, looks great, my father-in-law will love the feedback. I'll make sure to tell him tomorrow.
Cody
I hope it's not too annoying bumping this thread again.
I built me a test rig and I wanted to share it. It's pretty much Jacob's rig with signal probe.
The case is a powder coat fail that's been sitting around waiting to be used.
I used 6' of cat6 cable for my wire. It's handy because it gives you 8 leads to play with in a cable the diameter of a guitar cable. The length allows me to put my guitar ins/outs along with a stomp switch down on the floor while I work with the circuit up on the bench.
The toggle is for switching between the LED mounted in the box or connecting to a board mounted LED. Not super useful but kind of neat.
I bought the test clips off Amazon, 10 for $6. these (http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Plastic-Multimeter-Grabber-Green/dp/B008352ZP2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1396458165&sr=8-4&keywords=ic+test+clips) are the ones I bought. I like them much more than alligator clips because I can easily hook them to component leads and they stay put.
I'm going to replace the test leads with the most flexible stranded wire I can find. The cat6 wire I have is solid and it won't hold up long in this application. I'll probably scavenge some old ear buds or something for that.
I was nervous that running 6' of unshielded wire to and from the circuit board would give me noise or hum issues but it's dead quiet. If I hook the in/out clips together, I don't hear any sound difference.
Now what to do with those two extra wires?
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps21579ae6.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps21579ae6.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps57878af6.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps57878af6.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zpsde26a912.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zpsde26a912.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps92f39963.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps92f39963.jpg.html)
Wow lee, that looks great! Super clean and the test probes are nice. :)
Can't wait to check this out when I get home. My company filters most pics and unfortunately can't see these until I get home.
This will be inspiring because I just got all my stuff to build my test rig and I am going to do a hybrid of the Beavis & Jacob Test Rig. Will be using some of the connectors that you turned me onto as well.
Quote from: peAk on April 02, 2014, 07:43:47 PM
Can't wait to check this out when I get home. My company filters most pics and unfortunately can't see these until I get home.
This will be inspiring because I just got all my stuff to build my test rig and I am going to do a hybrid of the Beavis & Jacob Test Rig. Will be using some of the connectors that you turned me onto as well.
They're a little on the cheapo side but they work just fine. I think you're going to love them.
Quote from: Leevibe on April 02, 2014, 07:50:17 PM
Quote from: peAk on April 02, 2014, 07:43:47 PM
Can't wait to check this out when I get home. My company filters most pics and unfortunately can't see these until I get home.
This will be inspiring because I just got all my stuff to build my test rig and I am going to do a hybrid of the Beavis & Jacob Test Rig. Will be using some of the connectors that you turned me onto as well.
They're a little on the cheapo side but they work just fine. I think you're going to love them.
Yeah, they seemed a little wimpy but fine. I have been meaning to ask you how you grab stuff with them that isn't on the edge of the PCB?
Quote from: peAk on April 02, 2014, 07:54:26 PM
Yeah, they seemed a little wimpy but fine. I have been meaning to ask you how you grab stuff with them that isn't on the edge of the PCB?
You just grab right onto the exposed part of a component lead from the top side of the board. I can take a pic if it still doesn't make sense. If you need to connect to a solder pad, just trace the pad to the nearest component and grab its leg or you could shove a bit of clipped component lead through the pad and clip to it. You would want to bend the end so it wouldn't pop out. Bend on one end, clip on the other. Or you could put a little blu-tack to hold it in!
OK Justin. I did a little experimenting and came up with a couple cool tricks to give you access to where you need to grab on the board.
The first pic shows the normal way you would use one of these clips. Just grabbing the leg of a resistor:
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/test%20clips/image_zpsb81bf648.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/test%20clips/image_zpsb81bf648.jpg.html)
The next pic shows what you might do if you wanted access to the solder pad of a component or wire that wasn't loaded yet. You could use this method for subbing in different values until you find what you want for example. I just took a 2" piece of solid core wire and stripped a bit off the end and shoved it through the pad. The insulation on the wire holds it from the back side and the pincers of the test clip hold it from the top. The wire itself just needs to be a big enough gauge to make solid contact with the hole plating. The wire itself isn't connected to anything. It's just a handy way to anchor the clip to the pad.
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/test%20clips/image_zpsf5fddb8e.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/test%20clips/image_zpsf5fddb8e.jpg.html)
But what if you need to connect to a pad with a large hole size that a wire's insulation would slip through? Just reach right through the pad with the pincers and grab onto something on the back side. In this case I just used the same piece of wire, but I think you could even use a stripped piece of insulation and insure that you don't accidentally create a short. I haven't tried this in actual practice but I think the pincers would make contact against the edge of the pad well enough for testing purposes.
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/test%20clips/image_zps6cdeeda4.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/test%20clips/image_zps6cdeeda4.jpg.html)
Hey great stuff!
Finally made it home
Great stuff Lee! I am definitely going this route. The thing I will also do is have the breadboard like the Beavis Board so I can experiment and try and learn more about the circuits. The Cat6 was a great idea and kept things clean. I also like your suggestions with the clamps.
Hopefully I will have time to put something together this weekend.
Again, thanks for the tips and keep em coming. I can speak for everyone but I love them.
OK, I updated my rig a little bit. I went to Goodwill and found some RCA cables that were really flexible so I cut it up into a bunch of 1' lengths and spliced them in to the end of my cable. Now it's really easy to work with and I don't worry about the leads breaking.
I also discovered that my rig makes a great LED tester. Since I have a CLR mounted in series with the LED clip, all I have to do is hook 9v clip to anode and LED clip to cathode to verify LEDs before boxing.
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps145001e1.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/test%20rig/image_zps145001e1.jpg.html)
Very cool!
Got some cardboard and tape and went crazy. I couldn't find any bins around okc that I thought would work(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/02/aqureda9.jpg)
Quote from: jighead81 on May 02, 2014, 02:33:53 AM
Got some cardboard and tape and went crazy. I couldn't find any bins around okc that I thought would work
Nice! DIY all the way
Quote from: Leevibe on April 02, 2014, 05:11:33 PM
I hope it's not too annoying bumping this thread again.
[...]
No please don't share things like this ever again.
[/sarcasm]
Quote from: jighead81 on May 02, 2014, 02:33:53 AM
Got some cardboard and tape and went crazy. I couldn't find any bins around okc that I thought would work(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/02/aqureda9.jpg)
I do the same thing, only I use coin envelopes. I think it was $5 for a box of 500, and that way you can just write directly on the envelope. That way I can also set aside any empty, or close to empty envelopes so I know what I need for my next order.
Another thing I do which I find SUPER helpful, is I use pieces of cardboard as templates to build up all the wiring and for wiring all the off board stuff to the PCB. I have templates for most of the common layouts now. This way I can be doing all the wiring, while I am still working on finishing up the enclosure. I will see if I can take a pic of one tonight.
Quote from: DuctTapeRiot on May 05, 2014, 05:46:13 PM
Quote from: jighead81 on May 02, 2014, 02:33:53 AM
Got some cardboard and tape and went crazy. I couldn't find any bins around okc that I thought would work(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/02/aqureda9.jpg)
Another thing I do which I find SUPER helpful, is I use pieces of cardboard as templates to build up all the wiring and for wiring all the off board stuff to the PCB. I have templates for most of the common layouts now. This way I can be doing all the wiring, while I am still working on finishing up the enclosure. I will see if I can take a pic of one tonight.
This is a great idea Dave. I have heard that some people have done this with foam core too. Definitely post a pic.
I recently did this. It's a 1/2 in binder with playing card sleeves. It holds all of my resistors nicely. I'm gonna make one for my 1/8 watt resistors and diodes too!(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/06/ehepu3an.jpg)
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