Any wiring tips for offboarding pots/switches and mounting PCB's?

[ImpossiblyFunky]

Been luring here for a while now... Nice place you guys have here. 

I'm planning my next round of builds, and I'd like to ask for some wisdom on offboarding my pots and switches before I start ordering parts.

I've built a number of BYOC kits and a couple MBP boards doing everything pretty much as the instructions direct.  This includes using PCB mounted pots and swtiches, which in turn provide a mounting of sorts for the PCB so that it doesn't float.

I've found myself not quite fond of the 125 and 1590B builds as much for a couple reasons.  First, they get a bit cramped.  Second, and this is purely aesthetic, but I quite like having my input/output/DC jacks on the top of the pedal.  It makes for much easier setup on my board, despite the 1590B with side mounted jacks and the 1590BB with top mounted jacks taking up, essentially, an equal size footprint.  I'd prefer to not have jacks on the side, simply put.

This brings me to two dilemmas.  Firstly, if I'm building in 1590BB enclosures, I have a little more flexibility in terms of placement of the pots.  Being that the box is wider, using PCB mounted pots would cluster the pots/knobs very closely together wherever I place the board inside.  Same goes with switches.  For example, I'm getting ready to build another Double Flush trem pedal.  My first go-round in the 1590B went fairly well, but I think I can do a better job next time around.  A friend likes the one I already built, so I think I'll give it to him when my new one is done.  If I use PCB mounted pots inside a 1590BB, I'd have to drill the enclosure such that the knobs would be very close together when there's much more space I can utilize.

Along with this, some of the new builds I'm planning for this next go-round call for SPDT or DPDT switches to be mounted directly to the PCB.  As with the pots, I'd like to move these to a more ideal location in the enclosure.

I'm not horribly worried about using solder lug pots and running wire to the PCB.  While the holes are bigger than standard pads, I can still make a connection fairly easily, I think.  The switches, on the other hand, are another story.  The build guides actually call for a solder lug switch to be mounted directly to the PCB, which I presume will have much larger holes.

This leads me to my first question.  What are some techniques I could use to offboard these components and still make a clean job of soldering the wire to the larger holes?  I'd imagine I could strip off an extra length of wire, fold it on itself so there's a larger diameter wire to fit the holes, but I don't know if this would introduce other issues.  Perhaps I should just leave well enough alone .  I'd like to make some of these builds fit my tastes a bit more from an aesthetic perspective, though.  Advice, pictures, anything, would be most appreciated.

Next, as a consequence of offboarding my pots and switches, I need a new way to mount the PCB to the enclosure without making a complete mess of things.  I'm fairly particular with tidyness inside the enclosure.  As I'm sure some of you will understand, it's a pride in the work thing.  I like the look of a clean install.

On some boards, particularly those I've bought from BYOC, there are mounting holes that accept a pin/clip standoff with adhesive base.  On these boards, I'm set.  I have standoffs ready to go.  Most of the MBP projects I'm about to undertake, though, don't have these holes.  I've been looking, but have yet to find a good standoff that will clip to the side of the board, or otherwise suspend it somehow so that it doesn't just float in the enclosure.

I'm curious, if anyone does this sort of thing, what methods produce a clean-looking and secure mount?  Again, pics, advice, etc would be fantastic.

I think I've got about a dozen projects lined up for the next few weeks/months.  A couple dirt boxes and a compressor from BYOC, a switcher from Beavis, and probably 8 or 9 MBP builds that I'll be ordering as soon as the Snarkdoodle is back in stock.

Thanks guys... I'll appreciate any advice anyone can impart.

-ImpossiblyFunky

[hubb]

I like to use the plush double-sided tape (3M) for mounting.

When using the PCB mounted pots, a small hunk of it between the pot and the PCB will keep it from touching / grounding.


Here's an orange squeezer from GGG that I did that's mounted with the double-sided tape.

I can't help you regarding offboarding the switch.  I have a Green Bean and I recall the holes being really big.

I plan on running it in a 125b, so I guess I haven't considered offboarding.

Good luck!

[gtr2]

I use a 3m outdoor double sided adhesive for the board.

[TNblueshawk]

I'm a floater and don't use PCB mounted pots. I like to come up with different knob configurations just to amuse myself I guess. It doesn't bother me in the least to run that wire in those bigger holes. I've thought folding it too but have not. It comes out neat in my opinion. When I do this I grab my thicker solder spool as it will fill that hole up much faster. Same with switches.

I "usually" try to cut my wires as short as possible for the pots. That board can't move if it wanted to assuming you have at least 2 knobs on the build. But on a few occasions I have the same double sided tape. I always use pot condomns and try to put that tape there and the board on top. I like doing that because should I have to pull it up, the condomns come right up with the tape and I don't stress the pot itself yanking on that stuff. Then you just peel the condomn off lickety split...so to speak 

[jkokura]

Take a look at some of my guts below. I actually prefer the 125B because of the reasons you stated above - I can mount all my jacks on top, and I can keep the size of the enclosure down with the Pots all in a good, tight layout. You have to be very precise, and it has taken a few builds to really get my preferred specifications nailed, but here they are.

What I've done is mount the PCB on the pots. I do my own layouts, which allows me the control of how the pots are oriented on the board, how wide and deep the board is, and where all the parts connect for bypass and LED indication and Ground.

You can do the same with a 1590BB, but I don't like having to take up more room than I need to.





(not my layout, and not my typical knob orientation, but it's an example of how you can still make it work)




Jacob

[claytushaywood]

Jacob

sorry to bring up an old thread but i randomly came across this and i'm wondering whats going on with the wires going into the bottom of the enclosure.  is that an enclosure ground of some sort?

[Stomptown]

I think it that is just a diy to achieve the same result as using molex (i.e. so he can easily remove the PCB if needed. My guess he used stripboard to bridge the connections from pin 1 to 8, 2 to 7, etc. Pretty cool idea really!

[Leevibe]

I think it that is just a diy to achieve the same result as using molex (i.e. so he can easily remove the PCB if needed. My guess he used stripboard to bridge the connections from pin 1 to 8, 2 to 7, etc. Pretty cool idea really!

That's exactly what I was thinking.