This might be a mega noob question but..
Whats the best way to mount PCBs or Perfboard circuits inside stompboxes? ive looked around and i cant find any information anywhere and its quite hard to see clearly how its been done in most pictures of peoples' projects. Any suggestions on ways of doing it would be greatly appreciated
You can get standoffs if you want to mount the board. Small bear carries them, and I'm sure others do too. There are self-adhesive plastic ones, and metal ones. With the metal ones, you can either drill through the enclosure and screw them into place, or use epoxy them to the enclosure if you don't want to drill.
A lot of times the boards aren't mounted at all. I've only made one pedal so far, but I just got some foam from Hobby Lobby and put a pad on either side of the board. It holds it in place pretty well and keeps things from shorting.
I too have used foam padding. Cutting it to the length of the board and a little longer than the width. Then I create a valley in the foam with slits in the sides. Glue the foam to the enclosure and then set the board in foam allowing the sides to wrap over the top holding it in place. Of course let the glue dry first.
I have also glued wood dows to the enclosure and used small wood screws to hold the board in place.
Whatever your imagination conjures up should be fine :)
Bill
For my first effect project I used some double sided 3M tape. It's a kind of heavy duty thick material and sticks like crazy. I attached it to the back side of my board and then affixed the board to the inside surface of the lid of my enclosure. I've opened it up a few times since just to see if it's still secure. I don't think it's going anywhere soon. I picked the double sided adhesive up at the local hardware store. It comes in different widths.
http://shop.willyselectronics.com/browse.cfm/4,571.html
Since then I've stepped up the "pro-appearances" as my skills will allow and have started using threaded stand-off's and use epoxy to mount them to the inside of the box. I still prefer mounting the boards to the inside of the lids.
I really dislike 'loose boards'.
My favourite way is to have the pots on the board which solves a lot of problems if the circuit allows for it space-wise:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0009-4.jpg)
Recently I did a circuit where I mounted the board using very think solid core to the +ve of the DC sockets and the grounds of the in/out jacks - so dual purpose:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0001-20.jpg)
Using stand-offs and bolts is nice too, if you don't mind seeing bolts on your pedals:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0005-7.jpg)
Your perfboard work is incredible! Your projects are great! You are on a roll!
thanks alot guys :D
youve all been a big help
if i could solder on perf and have it look as neat, orderly and as impressive as that i'd be a happy man.
Recently I've been using threaded standoffs. I drill through the top of the enclosure, then countersink. The top screws are slightly below fliush, so I fill the space with epoxy. Then when you paint or put a decal over it's invisible.
You do need to be fairly precise with the drilling.
Double sided foam tape
(http://content.etilize.com/Large/11965194.jpg)
frequecycentral, what kind of capacitors are those you use, the blue ones.. Those caps seem really small..I would like to try them instead of the bigger MKTs..
Quote from: Dimitree on August 09, 2009, 06:21:53 PM
frequecycentral, what kind of capacitors are those you use, the blue ones.. Those caps seem really small..I would like to try them instead of the bigger MKTs..
I get mine for Rapid and Maplin in the UK, though similar are available here if you're in the US: http://futurlec.com/CapCerMono.shtml
Quote from: frequencycentral on August 09, 2009, 06:27:20 PM
Quote from: Dimitree on August 09, 2009, 06:21:53 PM
frequecycentral, what kind of capacitors are those you use, the blue ones.. Those caps seem really small..I would like to try them instead of the bigger MKTs..
I get mine for Rapid and Maplin in the UK, though similar are available here if you're in the US: http://futurlec.com/CapCerMono.shtml
really thanks
perhaps those are the same? http://banzaieffects.com/High-Voltage-c-460.html
Anymore I just hot glue the solder side of the boards to the back of the pots. Very stable & cheap. Looks good. Of course the drawback of the glue ain't so great, but even that is usually easy to break away if needed.
Quote from: Dimitree on August 09, 2009, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: frequencycentral on August 09, 2009, 06:27:20 PM
Quote from: Dimitree on August 09, 2009, 06:21:53 PM
frequecycentral, what kind of capacitors are those you use, the blue ones.. Those caps seem really small..I would like to try them instead of the bigger MKTs..
I get mine for Rapid and Maplin in the UK, though similar are available here if you're in the US: http://futurlec.com/CapCerMono.shtml
really thanks
perhaps those are the same? http://banzaieffects.com/High-Voltage-c-460.html
Those are real high voltage caps you linked to, therefore more expensive, and somewhat over-spec'ed for pedals, but they'll work well enough.
Here's a link to the Rapid caps: http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Capacitors/Ceramic/Radial-multilayer-ceramic-capacitors/62498/kw/Multilayer+Ceramic+Capacitor
Quote from: omarvolta on August 09, 2009, 04:44:06 PM
Double sided foam tape
(http://content.etilize.com/Large/11965194.jpg)
It's not really foam tape, more like a rubbery gel tape.
I use this stuff as well. It comes in a bigger roll, which is what I use.
Super sticky and you can remove it if you want.
Does not leave the crudy mess that foam tape leaves when you
have to pop off the board.
Is this how you get such meticulously wired perfboards?
http://www.massmind.org/images/www/hobby_elec/picture/wire3.jpg
Quote from: frequencycentral on August 08, 2009, 02:09:13 PM
I really dislike 'loose boards'.
My favourite way is to have the pots on the board which solves a lot of problems if the circuit allows for it space-wise:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0009-4.jpg)
Recently I did a circuit where I mounted the board using very think solid core to the +ve of the DC sockets and the grounds of the in/out jacks - so dual purpose:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0001-20.jpg)
Using stand-offs and bolts is nice too, if you don't mind seeing bolts on your pedals:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0005-7.jpg)
Quote from: Fretts on October 17, 2009, 06:42:34 PM
Is this how you get such meticulously wired perfboards?
http://www.massmind.org/images/www/hobby_elec/picture/wire3.jpg
No, just a steady hand and an obsessive compulsion to neatness. :icon_biggrin:
My last pedal involved a transformer that had more physical size than I took into account when laying things out into the enclosure. Everything fit, but I ended up putting a small piece of velcro on the transformer and using that and another piece of velcro on the enclosure to mount the board. Works fine and is easy to remove if need be.
Hot glue gun!
Glue it to foam, wood, plastic etc. then glue that to your enclosure.
Works great for securing your wire leads too.
Never tried it, but velcro to the backs of pots or to the case sounds like a great improvisational way to get it safe in there. I like making the board vertical and capturing it between components (like footswitches and some enclosed jacks). For a while, had a weird way of using heavy solid core copper wire to make loops to either be a kickstand, or stick a jack through, soldered to ground on the board, those can double as something to hook the ground lead of a scope or multimeter on for debugging. you could solder something like that to the backs of non PCB mount pots too, I guess...
The epoxied standoffs are great too, you want to screw them to the PCB, and then epoxy the whole thing in as one piece temporarily, as then the PCB will always fit on them perfectly, no measuring involved.
All in all, there are a million ways to do it, as long as nothing is loose and rattling, and nothing on the circuit that isn't ground touches the bare metal of the box. Equally important is that it can be taken out easily when (not if) it doesn't work. I have lots of pedals that still work after years that were just irresponsibly taped up (so nothing shorts out on the enclosure) and squished into a box, terrible. Metal standoffs epoxied or screwed through the box are the most reassuring/ professional. However you plan to do it, it's good to start planning earlier rather than later, like drill holes for standoffs before starting to perf; or solder PCB mount pots/switches on first, and conform the circuit to them; or cut the board to shape if it will be mechanically captured somehow, and keep electricity away from the edge.
Quote from: Fretts on October 17, 2009, 06:42:34 PM
Is this how you get such meticulously wired perfboards?
(http://www.massmind.org/images/www/hobby_elec/picture/wire3.jpg)
Quote from: frequencycentral on August 08, 2009, 02:09:13 PM
I really dislike 'loose boards'.
My favourite way is to have the pots on the board which solves a lot of problems if the circuit allows for it space-wise:
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/000_0009-4.jpg)
Hi
I really enjoy reading all this. It's fun and inspiring to see all different solutions on the same problem that people here has come up with. This gives me hope that we all together can solve the issue with environmental pollution and save the planet as we know it for future generations of stomp box builders to come. ;D
I use a similar technique as Rick, although I use the stomp switch instead of the pots to secure the board to the box. Mainly because I use such small boxes and the boards are small as well. I have seen some one around here that has developed a PCB template for, perfboard I believe, that acommendates both the stomp switch and the in/out jacks on the board ala MXR/Dunlop style. Can't remember where tough but search the forum and you will find it (eventually).
BTW
Here's a link to a site from a guy that has an obsessive compulsion to pedals. A really good and informative page with MP3 compares between different versions of the same pedal, Eg. Fulltone OCD V1-V4 etc and many more.
http://www.pedalarea.com/comparisons.htm (http://www.pedalarea.com/comparisons.htm)
Here is two examples of how I secure the board.
(http://solderman.fatabur.se/Dr%20jekyll%20Mr%20hyde/Chili_inside.jpg)
(http://solderman.fatabur.se/Mini_viper/viper3.jpg)
PS. I tryid to "Hwol" to the trim put but they did not answer ;)