Scenes from the Workbench (w/pics)

soggybag · October 13, 2005, 12:58:29 PM

Here's a few pics from the workbench. No amazing revelations or new ideas here, just documenting the progress.
A bunch of unfinished stuff: box, TS808, Big muff, Tripple Fuzz, Titan Boost, Ugly Face, FET driver, Titan Boost w/octave and another Ugly Face.

The perfboard and a pile of parts.

Close up of an Ugly Face. I think I will try and box these (there are 2) this weekend. I have thought of a design for the box...

A box of stuff that never got a box. At this point I'm trying to rebuild all of this stuff so the jacks and switches will all be mounted on one board. I have a design for BB sized board finished. I'm trying to exhaust the B sized projects before starting on the larger ones.

A close up of the Titan Boost/Octave. I built this a few weeks ago and had a design for a box, but lost motivation because the octave sound was disappointing. The boost is very nice, clean and loud, very acceptable; but the octave is weak. I socketed the diodes. I gave a half arsed attempt at matching them with my multimeter. But I don't think they are matched very closely. Maybe a more serious attempt might show some improvement and earn this guy the right to move into a box. That's a 3DPT toggle switch from Futurlec (curse there slow as molassas asses! I waited over a month almost two for that switch!) it was only $0.35! I soldered some wires on the lugs and mounted it to the PCB.

Here's a few boxed up. Big Muff/Pickle, Rebote 2, BSIAB 2. The second row is the same except for the unfinished box.

Here's something interesting. I wanted to use these aluminum knobs for the Rebote 2, but the look with the nut that holds pot secure sticking out of the bottom was very disappointing. Wait a minute where's the nut? It was so disappointing I couldn't live with it, I had to get rid of it! Here's a close up. I used the Dremel tool and ground the edges of the nut down until it fit under the skirt of the knob. I had to finish it off by hand with a file and attach carefully with pliers. Here's a close up.

vanhansen · October 13, 2005, 01:05:28 PM

Cool stuff. Can't see the closeups though. I dig your perfboards. That is an awesome idea. I need to either etch some or get some from you at some point.

Hal · October 13, 2005, 03:55:45 PM

dude, those are _sweeeeet_

Are those the Al knobs from futurlec?

I REALLY like the etched boxes, and the onboard constuction. So neat.

nightingale · October 13, 2005, 04:31:07 PM

Really nice work!
Inside and out!
I was crusing your site the other day. I am going to give one of your boards a try when I run out of the odd sized eclosures that I have from circuitspecialists.com

Exited to check out your BB sized board!

soggybag · October 13, 2005, 04:33:52 PM

Thanks Hal, the knobs are not the knobs from Futurlec (the aluminum ones). The ones in the close up are from Smallbear. In the back row the second delay (with the fish) has three knobs these are slightly different and come from Mouser and are the same size as the smallbear knobs.

WARNING! I did buy some small aluminum knobs from Futurlec that were listed as 1/2" diameter for 1/4" shafts they come in silver and black I got some of both, THESE DO NOT FIT A 1/4" SHAFT THEY ARE TOO SMALL!!!!! Yes they are a little too small! I have not used them for anything yet. I think it would be very difficult to drill them out with tools found in my house, but I think I might be able to sand down the shaft of a pot enough to fit one. You have been warned!

The Tone God · October 13, 2005, 04:48:11 PM

Quote from: soggybag on October 13, 2005, 04:33:52 PMWARNING! I did buy some small aluminum knobs from Futurlec that were listed as 1/2" diameter for 1/4" shafts they come in silver and black I got some of both, THESE DO NOT FIT A 1/4" SHAFT THEY ARE TOO SMALL!!!!! Yes they are a little too small! I have not used them for anything yet. I think it would be very difficult to drill them out with tools found in my house, but I think I might be able to sand down the shaft of a pot enough to fit one. You have been warned!

Sounds like they are for 6mm shafts. 1/4" is 6.25mm.

Andrew

Khas Evets · October 13, 2005, 05:23:36 PM

I can second the Futurlec knob problem. It's a shame because they look good and come in a variety of sizes. Good ol' Futurlec.

soggybag · October 13, 2005, 07:23:36 PM

Thanks for the compliment. As far as Futurlec is concerned I want to do business with them but everytime I order something the service is so disappointing!

BDuguay · October 13, 2005, 08:52:32 PM

Nice work indeed!
I really like your layout design too. I'll bet it saves mucho build time. You've probably covered this in another post but I'd like to know breifly how you etched the boxes. They look, dare I say, 'professional'.
Keep up the great work. I feel unworthy

B.

Hal · October 13, 2005, 08:53:37 PM

haha thats strage, I got some of the black Al ones a while back and they worked...but I might have had 6mm pots...idk. I think I put them on the futurlec pots, actually.

soggybag · October 13, 2005, 10:32:09 PM

Thanks for the compliments BDuguay. There is a thread here on Etched Boxes here. I have notes on my Website here.

Up close the boxes don't look quite as professional as I would like. But it's all learning and they seem to get a little better every time. I have to admit that I did take a few ething classes in college so I do have a little experience.

formerMember1 · October 13, 2005, 10:47:49 PM

Yeah, i like those boxes. I have seen them before in your etching thread, but everytime i see them i like them more,

i tried with bad results,
I have a spare 1590B al hammond box, i used it to practice drilling, i don't care if it gets ruined, i am gonna try etching again,

It looks like your work is really quality!! What do you use that etched box for with no holes drilled in it except for a 3PDT?

soggybag · October 14, 2005, 12:39:35 AM

formerMember1, thanks for the compliments. I get the best results by etching the boxes before drilling. The problem is getting the etchant on the inside of the box, but this really isn't that big of deal since no one sees the inside. I put a page on my site with some tips on the process. There is a link above in this thread.

The one with out holes has not been drilled yet, that box was a test. I'm still deciding what to put in it. I have a whole list of things I want to build. I might do another BSIAB 2, the first one sounded good, or maybe a TS808 or ?

MartyMart · October 14, 2005, 04:07:12 AM

That's fantastic work soggy !!
Makes even my "neatest" builds look a bit "scruffy" !!
Jacks/switch/pots on the board seems cool to me

I need to start etching both PCB's and boxes ...... soon !

Marty.

Melanhead · October 14, 2005, 06:34:40 AM

I've always loved those etched boxes! ... Great work, I'd be afraid to show my workbench ... like you I have many "Works In Progress" on it but they're buried under piles of junk

formerMember1 · October 14, 2005, 10:54:15 AM

QuoteI'd be afraid to show my workbench

I wish i had a work bench

Temporarily, at this location, my living room is my workbench, along with my rehersal space,...

Mark Hammer · October 14, 2005, 12:02:30 PM

Nice work. Not just interesting or clever, but well done too.

Question:

Who here has experimented with painting etched boxes and removing paint from the surface to leave colored lines/patterns on the box? For instance, painting the control labels and wiping/sanding/buffing away the excess.

If you have, how did it turn out, what tips can you provide, and was it worth the effort?

soggybag · October 14, 2005, 01:47:50 PM

Thanks Mark, a guy just posted some his work today and it's exactly what you are asking about. Etched boxes painted and sanded.

jmusser · October 14, 2005, 03:40:50 PM

Very nice work! I'm constantly amazed by the degree of craftsmanship I see here. One of these days, I'll get my stuff out of the carboard box and into their enclosures. It's just really hard to stop building new circuits to do the much needed mechanical stuff. I have stuff in unpainted enclosures with a piece of tape for the name. I have boxes built and ready to be drilled, etc., but I'm a heavy procrastinator on the aesthetics portion of the build. As for the Titan Boost/Octave, the up octave section of that is a bit weak, because it's not being driven very hard. I find it gives a nice overall warming to the boosted tone, and compliments it real well. You're only into it for 4 diodes and a switch if you want to go back and forth between the two, so it's worth while. I have other pedals for a strong up octave, so I wasn't dissapointed by the tone.

soggybag · October 15, 2005, 02:21:44 AM

J, it seems to me the titan boost has a lot of boost, mine is really loud. It seems like it would be strong enough to push the signal through the diode ring. I keep thinking there might be some way to get a better octave sound out of it?

I was also wondering if it might sound better through only two diodes like the Bobtavia and other similar octaves. I built a Bobtavia and it's really loud and the octave sounds better.

The boost by itself sounds good, kinda warm and clean. If the octave doesn't sound good I might have to leave it out of the finished version. then again maybe I should give it another listen, sometimes things sound better with a second listen...

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Scenes from the Workbench (w/pics)

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