Best practice: securing socketed transistors

[jonboper]

I'm going to give away a few pedals, but at home I haven't worried too much about securing the socketed parts. A few searches have revealed that people are using hot glue (? really?) or soldering the transistors into another socket, then inserting socket into socket...(?)

There has to be a better way that doesn't add to the parts height in some already tight builds. Any help appreciated.

[somnif]

I use a cheap hot glue gun (3$ at a local hobby store). Couple drops on the socket and it stays, but its easy to pop off when I need to (I use a small flat head screw driver to pop the glue off). Useful for keeping LEDs in place or tacking down unruly wires too.

[jonboper]

Thanks for the reply somnif - are you worried about heat or conductivity over time with hot glue?

[somnif]

Heat not so much. Glue sticks melt below 250F. If a transistor can survive my 700F iron for soldering, I'm sure it can survive 250 for a moment or two. And running at 9V I've not run into an occasion where any part I've glued down has gotten that hot.

Conductivity I've considered, but everything I have read says the glue is essentially non-conductive. I've not run into problems with it in any case. Granted, My oldest glued-in-place part is less than 2 years old, so maybe in the long run? But I'm not really worried about it.

Maybe someone with more experience will have something else to say.

[alanp]

Once you're happy with the transistors selected and it all goes, solder one of the legs in the socket. (You can "sodder" it if you're American, if you like )

[jonboper]

I like to solder with a silent l, yes, but alan p, why not solder all 3 legs in that case and never worry about it (in the case of pedals you let go to others)?

[Boba7]

I like to solder with a silent l, yes, but alan p, why not solder all 3 legs in that case and never worry about it (in the case of pedals you let go to others)?

Yep, I do that exactly, test and then solder all 3 legs to the socket.

[brucer]

Test, then hot glue for me.  Added bonus, my pedal then feels more bootique 'cause it's gooped!

[reddesert]

I haven't given away any socketed components, but when I was unhappy with the looseness of a socketed transistor, I bent the end of each leg slightly with pliers. You get sort of a spring action that forces a good contact.

[midwayfair]

If it leaves your ownership or goes on stage or goes into a studio, solder it.

[selfdestroyer]

If it leaves your ownership or goes on stage or goes into a studio, solder it.

This has been my practice also. Its extra time but it's not worth the headache of the ICs or Trannies falling out during usage or travel.

Cody