how do you keep pot shells from shorting out your board?

[randall]

I am closing in on finishing a Nautilus, and I notice the pc mount pots are very close indeed to the circuit board. I wonder what is the preferred method for making sure they don't short out the board? A non-conductive sheet of material placed between, perhaps?

[Stomptown]

I would say the best way would be to get some dust covers for your pots if you are really worried about it. It will solve two problems for the price of one!. You could also slip a piece of paper between the pots and the pcb. Or you could tape the back side of the pots (I would recommend using 3M blue painters tape.

FWIW, I would not be too concerned with the nautilus pcb shorting out on the pots. The middle pot is positioned lower than the outer pots and it should make the pcb sit like a table top on top of the three pots.

In case this is your first time using pcb mounted pots, I would also recommend mounting the pots in the enclosure before soldering them to the pcb. This way you can make sure that the pcb is not in contact with the pots and you will not put stress on anything when you box it later. If you slip a piece of cardboard between the pots and the pcb you can get the pcb a little higher and this will make it even less likely you will deal with shorts. Just check that your electrolytic caps are not too tall to fit in the enclosure in this case. If you are using a 1590BB it will be tight if you are using typical electros...

[davent]

Not pcb mounted pots but i used some recycled transparent plastic (bubble pack ?) between the board and pot backs. Bit thicker then purchased transparencies but much thinner then those Alpha covers which have caused problems in the past being too thick.



dave

[Matt]

Liquid tape

[Stomptown]

Not pcb mounted pots but i used some recycled transparent plastic (bubble pack ?) between the board and pot backs. Bit thicker then purchased transparencies but much thinner then those Alpha covers which have caused problems in the past being too thick.

dave

That should work great! Another option is to make your own pcb mount pots. All you do is solder excess component leads (thicker the better) onto the solder terminals and then solder those to the pcb. Works like a charm!   

[alanp]

Ice cream containers make excellent shims to go between conductive things that are not supposed to conduct to each other.

Tip Top Hokey Pokey has the best toan. Orange Choc Chip also sounds good.

Electrical tape also works well. A square patch on the back of the pot will do it

[jimilee]

Electrical tape also works well. A square patch on the back of the pot will do it

This.

[midwayfair]

double sided foam 3M tape (or heavy duty variants).

Also keeps the PCB from moving around.

[DutchMF]

I usually slip a bit of the foam IC's are stuck in between pot and pcb, works great.

Paul

[Vallhagen]

I usually slip a bit of the foam IC's are stuck in between pot and pcb, works great.

Paul

Be careful, this material can be conductive!

**

I myself use insulating tape or cardboard from... not icecream but cornflakes packs:).

[DutchMF]

Be careful, this material can be conductive!

Seriously? Never would have thought that! Any way to test this?

Paul

[muddyfox]

Yeah I was just about to say that some foam is actually conductive. Haven't seen any myself but have read enough about it to not use any scrap I find lying around...

[Vallhagen]

Be careful, this material can be conductive!

Seriously? Never would have thought that! Any way to test this?

Paul

Yep, all serious. Its easy to measure with dmm/ohm-meter. Just stick the test leads into the foam.

Cheers

[pickdropper]

double sided foam 3M tape (or heavy duty variants).

Also keeps the PCB from moving around.

This.

I prefer 3M VHB.

[robrhy]

Use these http://www.guitarpcb.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1409402