A Quiet Place

[pickdropper]

This is my 1590a layout of the ISP Decimator circuit.  I really wanted a tiny version for my board.  I haven't put it on a board yet, but will shortly.









I see that I missed a bit of flux on the board.  I'll go back and clean that later.

[cooder]

Sorcery.... 

[matmosphere]

Very nice, impeccable inside as usual. I have to say, I rather like this artwork aesthetic you've been doing lately.

How did you cut the faceplate?

[jjjimi84]

Gord lord😳 bravo sir, bravo.

[culturejam]

I daresay nobody has done a "faceplate" graphic like that. Well done, sir.

[m-Kresol]

Wow, that's a damn fine build you have there.

I guess the enclosure is laser engraved, but how did you achieve that recessed look in combination with the black? Did you remove parts of the (thick) powder coating to get the recess and then another pass for the graphics and filled it back up with black colour?

also, what do you use to remove the flux? this is super clean... I never get it like this and it takes forever with isopropanol.

[mjg]

That really is stunning, inside and out. 

[Boba7]

Insane, beautiful, I still cant  believe my eyes when I see your builds!
Amazing...

also, what do you use to remove the flux? this is super clean... I never get it like this and it takes forever with isopropanol.

Same here, I pretty much gave up on cleaning the board!

[pickdropper]

Very nice, impeccable inside as usual. I have to say, I rather like this artwork aesthetic you've been doing lately.

How did you cut the faceplate?

Thanks, I cut and engraved the faceplate on a laser engraver.

[pickdropper]

Wow, that's a damn fine build you have there.

I guess the enclosure is laser engraved, but how did you achieve that recessed look in combination with the black? Did you remove parts of the (thick) powder coating to get the recess and then another pass for the graphics and filled it back up with black colour?

also, what do you use to remove the flux? this is super clean... I never get it like this and it takes forever with isopropanol.

Actually, the enclosure itself has no engraving.  The faceplate was reverse engraved and cut on the laser engraver/cutter.  I then backfilled it with ink.  Because it's small, I did under a microscrope with a syringe and a small dispensing needle. 

I often use high purity isopropanol as a first pass cleaner, but it does leave a residue behind (unless you do a number of washes).  After the quick isopropanol wash, I sometimes use actual flux remover.  It's nasty and expensive, but it does remove the residue significantly better.  Just make sure you are in a well ventilated area.  With either one, I find I get better results if I use a clean, soft bristled tooth brush to scrub.  For more targeted cleaning, I use q-tips.  I twist the head of the q-tip to tighten up the cotton a bit.

[mrclean77]

  I feel like I might use some kind of "shocked" emoji a good bit, but when I got to pic 3, I know I felt my eyebrows raise and eyes bulge out haha

Nice work as always. Graphic is great and unique, but those guts, man.....

[m-Kresol]

Wow, that's a damn fine build you have there.

I guess the enclosure is laser engraved, but how did you achieve that recessed look in combination with the black? Did you remove parts of the (thick) powder coating to get the recess and then another pass for the graphics and filled it back up with black colour?

also, what do you use to remove the flux? this is super clean... I never get it like this and it takes forever with isopropanol.

Actually, the enclosure itself has no engraving.  The faceplate was reverse engraved and cut on the laser engraver/cutter.  I then backfilled it with ink.  Because it's small, I did under a microscrope with a syringe and a small dispensing needle. 

I often use high purity isopropanol as a first pass cleaner, but it does leave a residue behind (unless you do a number of washes).  After the quick isopropanol wash, I sometimes use actual flux remover.  It's nasty and expensive, but it does remove the residue significantly better.  Just make sure you are in a well ventilated area.  With either one, I find I get better results if I use a clean, soft bristled tooth brush to scrub.  For more targeted cleaning, I use q-tips.  I twist the head of the q-tip to tighten up the cotton a bit.

Thanks for claryfying. I just now realized that there is a faceplate at all, just not covering the whole top surface.

I guess SMD is easer to clean up as the parts are not in the way as much and you loose less solder. Poor excuse on my part, but I will take it

[jubal81]

And it doesn't even look cramped....Pretty doggone slick.
Looking at it, though, wondering if you'd considered just putting the footswitch on the main PCB - looks about the same height. Then maybe mounting the pots to a second PCB with a ribbon connector.

[cooder]

Actually, the enclosure itself has no engraving.  The faceplate was reverse engraved and cut on the laser engraver/cutter.  I then backfilled it with ink.  Because it's small, I did under a microscrope with a syringe and a small dispensing needle. 

I often use high purity isopropanol as a first pass cleaner, but it does leave a residue behind (unless you do a number of washes).  After the quick isopropanol wash, I sometimes use actual flux remover.  It's nasty and expensive, but it does remove the residue significantly better.  Just make sure you are in a well ventilated area.  With either one, I find I get better results if I use a clean, soft bristled tooth brush to scrub.  For more targeted cleaning, I use q-tips.  I twist the head of the q-tip to tighten up the cotton a bit.

You know, there are also self-help groups in your area I'm sure that can help with that, I'm pretty sure.
The OCD I mean.

It usually starts like this:
"Hi I'm Dave and I build stompboxes..."
(deep sigh and murmur in the group... another one of those... they are the nuttiest type...)

And from there it will develop into a nice woolly friendship with weekly meetings and occasional decaf coffee outings on the weekends.
You will be able to sleep without having removed the speck of flux late at night. You can do it in the morning. Maybe even after breakfast.
And after a year or two you might be able to even leave it for a day or two, discovering another speck of dust on the day after that resting period. Your blood pressure will go down by a cent too, maybe.

Seriously perfect work, awesome.

[Rockhorst]

I'm with Cooder here...your OCD must've been very pleased when you designed that one.