'Rock it before you box it!'

[PhiloB]

Great advice, really great advice BUT....
How do you deal with pots and toggle switches.  I've been leaving my leads long with the intention of clipping them shorting when populating the box. But this becomes cumbersome on larger projects.
My question is how do you handle this aspect of rockin before boxin?  I have a 6 knob/1 toggle and don't really want to desolder over 20 joints and resolder when populating the box.  Is there a good way around this?

[jkokura]

Rock before box is usually just a phrase we use to test a circuit before wiring up the switching and jack system. In other words, you should test the circuit separate from the switching and i/o to make sure that if it doesn't work, it's easier to track down the issue. If it works before adding the switching, then if there's a problem after with the switching involved, you know the problem is with the switching.

Jacob

[GermanCdn]

I leave the power, in, out, and ground wires long to trim to suit in the box, everything else I wire up as if I were boxing it, whether that be using board mount pots or off board wiring.  If it's off board, I generally make my wire runs a little longer anyway, as you can hide them under the board in the end.  Make a mark on the top of each shaft of each pot so I know where the relative levels are at, then I hook it up to my 1590A RIBYBI rig and try it out.

To preface this, I only use the RIBYBI rig to do two things before I bother to drill an enclosure.

1) Confirm the circuits works (duh)
2) A "go or no go" on whether or not I like the circuit enough to actually like it enough to box up.  If I don't, I generally put it in the "Not boxed yet" box, which is actually larger than my BOF, because some times I come back to them later.

You don't want to resolder 20 joints on pots/toggles if you don't have to.  It's a great way to make a circuit that worked on the test rig not work in the box, as you've overheated a joint/melted a switch/inadvertently caused a short.  I have successfully screwed up two Stage Frights in succession this way.  But I will overcome.

[PhiloB]

Guess I wasn't clear.  I am only attaching the toggle switches, not the foot switches.  For instance, the vintage/modern voicing toggle for the 'Upper decker'. 

[PhiloB]

Thanks GermanCdn.  Guess I need to take more time to measure out the anticipated length.

[bcalla]

I'm with Philo on this one.  When I attach pots & switches to RIBYBI, I invariably have the leads too long, or worse, too short when I go to box it.  I am always impressed with build reports where the wires are all just the perfect length.  I can achieve this (sort of) on a simple build, but I'm not even close with the more complex builds.

[GermanCdn]

You don't need to get too specific with your lengths.  Wire is cheap.  I always install my lead wires in four inch lengths (I don't build 1590A effects), gives me lots of lead to strip and will reach point to point in any typical enclosure.  Two inches of twisted three conductor (see Jacobs cordless drill technique video for this) will generally suit just about any layout for pots without too much extra spaghetti, usually I give it a little more for toggles as you sometimes need to pop them out past the edge of the board to fit.  Zip ties (and possibly the adhesive zip tie mounts if you get really creative) will enable you to clean up any slack in the wires when you box up.  Or build a wiring tempate out of 1/4" pressboard and wire the whole thing to length at the beginning.  You can reuse the template for similar effects down the road.

To your second comment - are you trying to determine which setting you like better, and eliminate the toggle?  If so, just solder in some cutoff resistor legs into the board (leave them long so you can easily remove them later), then join them with alligator clips in place of the switch to try out the sounds.  Once you've decided on which one you want, desolder the resistor legs, jumper the toggle holes to suit, and you are good to go without using or damaging a switch.

[PhiloB]

It'd be nice if there were a way to temporarily but reliably connect leads to the pots/switches.

[PhiloB]

Not trying to determine which I like better.  Just trying to make sure it works properly.

[GermanCdn]

It'd be nice if there were a way to temporarily but reliably connect leads to the pots/switches.

http://www.taydaelectronics.com/connectors-sockets/terminal-blocks/pcb-mount/dg301-screw-terminal-block-3-positions-5mm.html

Same principal as the Liberator wiring harness from SD, costs $0.15 per pot, allows you to switch out pot values without desoldering the board.

[davent]

i assemble all the bits except jacks on a jig that matches the enclosure layout then just need to hook up the power and the in/out to 'rock it'.

[rullywowr]

i assemble all the bits except jacks on a jig that matches the enclosure layout then just need to hook up the power and the in/out to 'rock it'.

This is exactly what I like to do. In lieu of that, get a nice desoldering gun/station then you can detach wires/pots with the quickness.

[selfdestroyer]

I too test everything before I box it up.. I don't even work on an enclosure (drilling, painting etc) until I have a tested and working circuit. I always use a little more wire than needed and just trim as needed.

I use the Engineer SS-02 Solder Sucker I got from Adafruit and simply love it. Because the tip is silicon based it gets a good suction and I have not had any problems with single sided and double sided boards as of yet. I mainly remove pots and wires the most and it has worked out great.



Cody

[rullywowr]

I too test everything before I box it up.. I don't even work on an enclosure (drilling, painting etc) until I have a tested and working circuit. I always use a little more wire than needed and just trim as needed.

I use the Engineer SS-02 Solder Sucker I got from Adafruit and simply love it. Because the tip is silicon based it gets a good suction and I have not had any problems with single sided and double sided boards as of yet. I mainly remove pots and wires the most and it has worked out great.



Cody

Wow Cody..that is the most bad-ass manual solder sucker I have ever seen.  Really trick dude!  I think I now have to get one to use as a backup/portable sucker.

[davent]

The spring is so powerful it almost explodes right out of your hand, also they're really small so takes some getting use to, how to best hold and manipulate it.