Subtle Signs of terminal buildage

[Om_Audio]

I got one of these the other day from overseas, had =no idea= what it was and had to research it and my paypal account to figure it out. It was an "and or not" ClariNOT squared. I didn't even remember ordering it. 
I stay up all night, have built only one pedal so far, broken an OCD trying to desolder the IC, built a test rig, and ordered enough boards to keep me busy for years. I'd say I'm terminal and loving it.

[rollo greb]

Looking through project docs and deciding I need to build something because I know that I have ONE of the cap values it requires on hand. Justifying the purchase of 79 components to use up one leftover.

I'm very guilty of this, especially with unusual IC's. Except whenever I order them, I always order at least one extra. It's a vicious cycle.

I keep a folder on my computer with subfolders for documents about projects I have planned (and another folder for completed projects). Currently the "planned" folder is 24 MB!  The "completed" folder is only 20 MB. 

I am constantly plucking component ends out of my feet.

I build projects just because I like one of the colors on pedal parts plus that I haven't used yet.

I complete a build, spend 10 minutes with the guitar testing it out to make sure it works properly, and then put it in a drawer and start working on another build. Even the ones that sound really good! Eventually I'll slow down and spend more time playing I hope....or at least lend them to friends who actually play guitar.

And so on....

[icecycle66]

Looking through project docs and deciding I need to build something because I know that I have ONE of the cap values it requires on hand. Justifying the purchase of 79 components to use up one leftover.

This reminds me of what I do, just a little different.

I'll look through a BOM and see that I don't have a part, so building the pedal gives me a reason to buy more of them than I'll ever need.

[alanp]

Masking tape is a must-have, I reckon. Not the blue stuff that the American posters photograph every now and then, the white-cream coloured stuff that you can write on with pencil, biro, vivid marker, anything.

You can use it to hold down IC sockets, SIL socket pins of any number, cantankerous components that will not stay bloody still, PCB mount pots, all sorts to the front side of a PCB while you're soldering the back.

You can use it to mark out drill patterns on painted enclosures.

You can use it to make wires stay put temporarily.

All this, and it will come off cleanly, in one piece, and won't damage the paint.

[DutchMF]

+1 on the masking tape!!

[gordo]

If nothing else, you guys are making me feel better about myself.  I thought I had a problem.  Bad news is...it's confirmed.  Good news is...ummmm...let me think...

I've spent enough money on velcro for my builds that I'm on a first name basis with everyone at Home Depot.

[GermanCdn]

Gordo, simply repeat my mantra

"It's not a problem if I'm OK with it"

I'm sure there's a 12 step program for us all, however, if we were all in the same room, I'm certain it would just turn into a new OD with 12 diode selections....wait, that gives me an idea....

[DutchMF]

I've actually been thinking 'bout that! Would be nice, big rotary switch and all....

[GermanCdn]

I said it cause I've already done it.  Built a hot rodded TS9 clone with switchable transistors, stacked opamps, dual footswitchable gain pots, and a rotary for all kinds of diode selections.  And the end result - a total of three sounds I love, and the rest I can live without.  But had to try it.  One day I'll get around to boxing it up.

Yet another sign of terminal buildage - a second desk covered in completed unboxed projects and enclosures drying in the garage.

No, I don't need help

[gtr2]

Right now I have random parts and etched proto pcb's of varying success across 3 rooms in my house for projects I've been working on and continually modifying...

All while my poor amp kit is still sitting lonely in the box it arrived in and 3 guitar bodies lay neckless in the dining room and bedroom.

Wifey picks up a pcb and asks "is this board any good or is it trash..."

"well...it's version 1 of (insert project here), don't throw it away, I'll put it in the BOX of FAIL to rip components off when I get a min.  Meanwhile I continue to pull nice new shiny resistors and caps out of the storage bins for more attempted chaos..

Son then says... "when I grow up I'm gonna fix and build Mustangs and sell them, like you do with guitar stuff"

I say.. "better get a well paying job first"

The poor kid comes from a long line of tinkerers, he has no chance of escaping the quick sand.

Josh

[alanp]

Haha. Dad is a terminal collector in some ways -- "This will be useful someday, better hang onto this!"

There's a neon sign transformer, a 486, a Pentium 66, ten bicycles, a pie warmer, all sorts in his shed.

[crashguitar]

Kids are good barometers. My four year old daughter made a comment yesterday about the nice chicken head knobs on a pedal. 

[jkokura]

My one year old son's favourite room in the house is the Master Bedroom's Walk In Closet, which is where he finds a guitar leaning agains the wall he can strum, and my desk of creation/destruction at which he tries to pear over the edge and reach for my tools... I'm just waiting for the day he tries to cut his finger off with my wire snips.

Some days I think about quitting pedal building entirely because then I could become a superstar guitarist and record multiple albums a year because of all the time I'd save surfing the interweb and tweaking Eagle layouts.

Jacob

[TNblueshawk]

My one year old son's favourite room in the house is the Master Bedroom's Walk In Closet, which is where he finds a guitar leaning agains the wall he can strum, and my desk of creation/destruction at which he tries to pear over the edge and reach for my tools... I'm just waiting for the day he tries to cut his finger off with my wire snips.

Some days I think about quitting pedal building entirely because then I could become a superstar guitarist and record multiple albums a year because of all the time I'd save surfing the interweb and tweaking Eagle layouts.

Jacob

Yeah, I've thought about actually playing the guitar instead of building but I'd like to keep my gear to talent ratio at 1000 to 1. It's not that my gear is special and 1000 great, but my talent level is surely a 1