which potentiometer for which build?

[add4]

Ok so i'm trying to figure it out once and for all since its never been that clear for me

this is how i see it now:

different types of alpha 16mm pots:
- solder lug : useful when you don't have board mounted pots
- straight pcb lug : useful when the store doesn't stock the solder lug type and you really need that pot NOW in that order
- 90 degrees pcb lug (short) : useful for board mounted pots, a pain in the ass for preparing the enclosures. CANNOT BE USED IF THE PCB INCLUDES BOARD MOUNTED JACKS and 3PDT. these pots are usually mounted on the solder side of the PCB (i now this depends of the design, but it's often the case apparently...) so in the box you have the components facing down. the usual toggle switches have the same height so the switch and pots align when used together (IS THIS RIGHT?)
- 90 degress pcb lug (long leg) : useful for board mounted pots, only used for board with board mounted jacks and 3PDT. the pots are soldered on the components side. so the components are facing up when the box is on the floor.
How can i align the 3PDT and long leg pot with one board soldered swich (?)
is this height compatible with the toggle switches? with the smaller 9mm pots?

9 mm pot
is this height compatible with short leg 90 degrees pcb lug pots?

I'm trying to understand which type of pots to avoid in order to unify my stock of parts at home and avoid spending fortunes on pots i will probably never use

Advices?
am i missing something?

thanks

[GermanCdn]

Long answer(s)

You can use solder lug pots for any application.  It takes less than a minute to convert a solder lug into a board mount with three offcut legs from 1N4001 diodes or some 22 Ga solid core wire.  Easiest way to match height between switches and board mounted pots is actually to make your own with extra long legs, mount the switches to the boards, and then adjust the length of the legs accordingly.

Straight PCB lugs are still designed into some suppliers designs (poodleparts boards for one).  They can be converted into solder lugs with a piece of 5 X 3 vero, which in turn can be converted into pcb mount.

PCB mount - easily the best for building with, but to find every single value that you'd need from a single supplier can be a challenge, so then you're dealing with multiple shipments, extra costs, etc.  Can be converted to a solder lug with a pair of diagonal cutter.

9mm - actually my least favourite pot currently, but I said that same thing about PCB mount when Brian first came out with them and now I love them.

Short version

Don't worry about getting down to only one kind of pot, there is not standard between pcb suppliers (though board mount 16 mm is the most common).  You can always modify one to work/mount like the other.  I'd focus more on getting only solid shaft pots if you can, that makes your knob inventory more uniform.

[strat68]

Don't sweat it.  I have virtually every different type.  As was mentioned, getting all value from one supplier is virtually impossible.  I really don't care what the insides look like or necessarily how durable they are.  I don't play in a band so the pedals do not get a lot of use. 

[add4]

Yeah i probably should add that i dream of making one 'perfect' pedal once, with all the pcb mounted pots, mounted, the switches on board also, all the resistors aligned and he caps of matching types ..

[Muadzin]

Solder lug or straight pcb lug pots are the bees knees over pcb mounts because you can use them with regular wiring, or just solder some clippings to them and turn them into pcb mounts as well. Had to do that a few times because Tayda is not selling all the same values with pcb mounts.

[raulduke]

Solder lug or straight pcb lug pots are the bees knees over pcb mounts because you can use them with regular wiring, or just solder some clippings to them and turn them into pcb mounts as well. Had to do that a few times because Tayda is not selling all the same values with pcb mounts.

This. You can easily convert them to PCB mount to so big deal.

However, one other benefit of PCB mount pots is they are very convenient to use on a bread board when prototyping.