Give a Breadboard, Get a Breadboard!

[rnfr]

i would just make sure that the boards to given away are in good condition.  i got my first breadboard used, and it really put me off it, as i later found that there were parts of the board that weren't making proper connections.  i felt like a lot of time was wasted because i couldn't get circuits to work, and just gave up on it for a while.  i really wish i would have bought a new one right away, as i have really taken off with designing stuff since i got into to it.

[frequencycentral]

The tracks in breadboards do 'push down' over time, especially if you insert components with wider leads/legs. Trimpots will do it every time, as will big resistors. I.C.s can do it too. I periodicaly push the tracks back up by applying a bit of pressure underneath. Having said that, there are parts of my current breadboard which are unuseable - they do degrade over time. Time to get a new, bugger, better one. Everytime I improve my prototyping setup, a while later I think of some other feature I'd like to add.

[orangetones]

Just out of interest folk, are breadboards expensive where you are?  I find they are very reasonably priced, and not that difficult to get a hold of.  Along with the suggestions made earlier for extra jumpers (I just use any old solid core wire of the right guage, ethernet, telephone cable, anything) I don't really see why trading or getting your hands one would be much more difficult or expensive than getting your hands on some parts to build a pedal.

[jefe]

I don't think they're particularly hard or expensive to get your hands on. It's just a nice gesture - if you've decided that breadboarding isn't for you, pass it along. The funny part is, this thread may end up inspiring more guys to dust off their breadboards and give it another try, so there may actually be less breadboard love being spread. 

They do wear out though... or so I've read, I think mine is starting to get a bit old.

I'm off to go mess with a fuzz...

[liddokun]

I can never find the time to breadboard a circuit before comitting to pcb. I have a very short attention span, so I like to build right away onto pcb so that I have a pedal to use. I rely on soundclips to give me an idea of what the circuit sounds like. Also, I'm not at the point where I have a large stock of parts, so sometimes its hard to breadboard when you don't have enough parts.

[jefe]

Also, I'm not at the point where I have a large stock of parts, so sometimes its hard to breadboard when you don't have enough parts.

It's just as hard to solder a pcb when you don't have enough parts. 

What I mean is... I usually don't have all of the parts on hand either. I order what I don't have, breadboard it, and if I like it (with my guitar, my amp, etc), then it gets soldered. 

[liddokun]

Also, I'm not at the point where I have a large stock of parts, so sometimes its hard to breadboard when you don't have enough parts.

It's just as hard to solder a pcb when you don't have enough parts. 

What I mean is... I usually don't have all of the parts on hand either. I order what I don't have, breadboard it, and if I like it (with my guitar, my amp, etc), then it gets soldered. 

Well, what I mean is, when I commit to a project, I order all the parts I need for it. Then it goes straight to solder. When I (rarely) do breadboard, the leads always get bent in odd directions which leaves them undesirable for my pcb as I like to do a neat job on pcb's.
And I'd rather not order twice the amount of parts.