Some Ugly Builds

[jessenator]

SO...

I've wanted to learn PCB design for a while now—ever since I saw some amazing (and more complicated) designs on some vintage computing forums. Just amazing stuff. I decided around March to just dive deep and brute force my way through it (thanks for all of the help proffered by members here). I started by 1:1 copying a board design (only for myself) to get the hang of both the software and how layouts are best optimized. Since I was going that route to start...okay, full disclosure, I did do something before this and it was a complete disaster.

So this first board replication came out working as intended. Good. I can at least lay out components and not muck it up entirely.

I then moved on to other schematics I had sitting in a collection and started tinkering with those to see how I fared. Many hours later and I still didn't know what I was doing, and so made my way through botched boards, botched file structure, and threw away nearly all of it.

The first actual successful board that was my own layout was a Univox Super-Fuzz. The next was a Kloninspired board with a 4-way slide switch for different clipping diode pairs. Several failed iterations on the board that worked, and I moved on for the time being. The latest board is a Nobles ODR-1 with bass control. Since I wasn't terribly confident, I hadn't actually ordered the enclosures, so I just printed them, because I could. Here they are (oddly enough the first sharpie job is the worst):


and gutshots

that poor superfuzz / Sardine Tin is living up to its name—will have to have some desoldering to get it out of that 1590B... It's got the tone pot modification (which a member told me I'd want and I blew it off...sorry).

The Noblest Odor has the bass control mod, but is otherwise like the original.

My Death to the King (again, sorry for the subliminal quasi-plagiarism there...) has a pre-gain stage in the form of an LPB-1 stripboard (the combined board failed completely). Again, more ugly with the masking tape. I also subbed the 1N4742 for an in-series 1N5817 because either my home wiring is just $#!@, or I still screwed it up (thanks for the tip, mauman!). But, with that mod, it's dead silent! I've got 1n270; 1n34a; BAT41; 1n60P diode pairs loaded up. I found the 1n914 just loud and not particularly juicy. I'd rank the sets in here currently: -1-  -4-  -3-  -2- although 1 and 2 are very close. IF anyone's got other suggestions, I'd love to try them.

I like having the pre stage. Gives me a bit more hair on the hair. I want to try this next with the Noblest Odor, too.

I promise that not all of my builds are ugly! But I have to show my progress on my current boards, if only for my own sanity. I did a lot of experimentation along the way with the enclosures and didn't want to waste too much filament on reprints.

Proof  : P   Glasshole just waiting on a drilled 1590BB and some art

Not perfect. Still getting the hang of trimming just the right amount of wire. (I also wanted to do some laser etched work, but haven't made time to test it on my neighbor's machine)

I will make these nice in the near future

[gordo]

That's awesome!  Bonus points for making your own boards AND your own enclosures.  You're one of the folks that inspired me to finally get a 3d printer so I love seeing this stuff.

[jimilee]

Fantastic! I've Ben messing around with eagle too. Neat designs.


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[jessenator]

That's awesome!  Bonus points for making your own boards AND your own enclosures.  You're one of the folks that inspired me to finally get a 3d printer so I love seeing this stuff.

Thanks! Glad to be of service

Yeah, it's definitely more economical (well, for now anyway...) to experiment with the design going from 2d to 3d. I must've measured and remeasured the components for a flat, top-down view in Illustrator, but I'd still get awkward tight spots, or straight up 'not gonna fit' snafus.

Fantastic! I've Ben messing around with eagle too. Neat designs.

Thanks! You can tell the ODR-1 was the most recent, because I actually read Brian's guide; made the voltage traces thicker, signal traces thinner, etc.

I'm ashamed to admit how friggin long it took to nail down the graphics-to-tPlace pipeline down, but it's one of those things I obsess over (even over the component layout). If there's a tutorial on the forum, I missed it  but if not, and there's a desire, I'll put one together. It's much simpler than the several other tutorials I've found on engineering forums for it. The trickiest part is just making sure the graphics settings are correct before you even get to Eagle's mildly obtuse (and completely ancient) script for importing BMPs.

[matmosphere]

Very awesome stuff!! I haven't had time to build much lately, and I'm out of enclosures.. so maybe I need to print some!

[jessenator]

Very awesome stuff!! I haven't had time to build much lately, and I'm out of enclosures.. so maybe I need to print some!

DO IT 

I'm sending these three to a friend of mine for some real-life durability tests. If PLA doesn't hold up, I'll probably move up to PETG or nylon.

Thanks for the kind words!

[jimilee]

Fantastic! I've been messing around with eagle too. Neat designs.

Thanks! You can tell the ODR-1 was the most recent, because I actually read Brian's guide; made the voltage traces thicker, signal traces thinner, etc.

I'm ashamed to admit how friggin long it took to nail down the graphics-to-tPlace pipeline down, but it's one of those things I obsess over (even over the component layout). If there's a tutorial on the forum, I missed it  but if not, and there's a desire, I'll put one together. It's much simpler than the several other tutorials I've found on engineering forums for it. The trickiest part is just making sure the graphics settings are correct before you even get to Eagle's mildly obtuse (and completely ancient) script for importing BMPs.
[/quote]

I'm always down for learning an easier way to do this. I sometimes fight with eagle and sometimes it's not a problem and I can figure out why.


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[jessenator]

I sometimes fight with eagle and sometimes it's not a problem and I can figure out why.

It's 'murican pragmatism vs German pedantry

I jest (mostly). We're definitely not stretching the capabilities of Eagle (well, at least I'm not...), and its engineer-focused workflow can be more hindrance than help for casuals just wanting to make beautiful noises and breathe flux smoke. We're comparatively trying to write a simple 2-page essay with a typesetting and layout tool meant for 1000+ page, multi-volume texts capable of content indexing, robust library asset management, and multi-level cross-referencing.

I'm always down for learning an easier way to do this.

I'll see if I can knock something out this weekend

[jessenator]

More dirt!

Got my new boards in and decided to put them in something


The LEDs aren't lined up for final "production" niceness. It should end up like this eventually:


Managed to shrink the PCB by a few mils here and there:


And my combo boards came out nicely. Easy enough to split with a matte knife. I made a switch version and a direct i/o version for just adding it to an existing effect.


Something odd about the new DttK board: it's MUCH LOUDER. Need to work that out. On the previous DttK and on a bog-standard klon(e) board, I can go to ~9-o'clock and get a decent level, but now I can't go much past 8 before it's incredibly loud.

That aside, the boost in is nice: adds a nice tooth to the OD (this is unrelated to the other loudness; I tested both boards independently). I know it's rather redundant, but experimentation is fun

Also, the clearance is TIGHT. But it fits



The next experiment will be a Noblest Odor with a boost at the front > again, might not work, but it's fun!

there's a 6th pot there... I'm going full insanity and putting a second boost (which is more a weak attenuation). Yet again, probably pointless, but I didn't want it to be asymmetrical... now I've got a few days on the idea, I might just leave it off...

[jessenator]

Ugly AF


It definitely doesn't need that second boost… IDK why I thought it did. The input stage boost makes the squeaky clean ODR-1 nice 'n dirty though!

The wiring is all over the place, because I wasn't thinking, and I was too lazy to drill out a hole for where it logically should have gone.

Also, the 1590BB is not ideal in the longitudinal arrangement… you're mashing pot stems with the switches.

[zombie_rock123]

Jesus man, stellar work! The CAD stuff looks next level, let alone the 3d printing. I just measure with calipers, forget the number and think "Fuck it" and drill.

PCB artwork unclear, what does the boost do again? 

[jessenator]

stellar work! The CAD stuff looks next level, let alone the 3d printing.

Thanks! I keep telling myself it's so I can be more precise and not forget things. First part I'm getting better at, the second part...

PCB artwork unclear, what does the boost do again? 

[jessenator]

Didn't want to spoil the builds I made for friends delivered this week, just in case they watch this forum

Finished this one!


Z much tamer take on the original concept:


Used some of the last blue grey hammer finish krylon paint and some red acrylics I've had around for s while now. I was able to graphite transfer the better looking pedal name script so it wasn't a total mess.

Still I've messed up the guts in organizing which side the boost goes into... ehhh I'll figure it out eventually


Also made a Sardine Tin for the same friend—helped name this one, even.

I didn't keep a photo of the guts on this one, which were actually better than the first one.

[jessenator]

Inspired by Willybomb, I made an X-Fuzz  ...in the style of sloppt/ugly

To be fair, I did this tagboard build just to see if I like it in person and repurposed the enclosure that's seen the most tours in tinkerland. I'm not completely sold, but I haven't written it off just yet. I might buy an X-Fuzz II board, but I wonder if shipping will kill me, coming from the UK.

T  h  e     X  -  F  u  z  z



the slop tone is out there...