my tubescreamer diode and cap testing lab setup... (content warning: messy)

[xdfo]

This is my first ever diy pedal build - I grabbed the tayda pcb kit for the tubescreamer and went at it... I wanted to try some different diodes and caps so I tried to jury rig a system to clamp in components without soldering, basically there's a resistor leg soldered to each jumper male tip and it helps hold the component leg in place, kind of.  Next time I'll try using steel wire because it's not strong enough.

[amptramp]

You can get individual socket pins like those used in IC sockets that might make testing a bit easier.  In fact, there are sockets made with no plastic body - just machined pins held together with tape so when you have soldered the pins in, you just remove the tape and you have a socket with the minimum of capacitance between pins.  These were used on my Heathkit AJ-1510A FM tuner kit.

[Rob Strand]

I wanted to try some different diodes and caps so I tried to jury rig a system to clamp in components without soldering, basically there's a resistor leg soldered to each jumper male tip and it helps hold the component leg in place, kind of.

Building jigs for testing - that's commitment!
Good stuff.

[xdfo]

You can get individual socket pins like those used in IC sockets that might make testing a bit easier.  In fact, there are sockets made with no plastic body - just machined pins held together with tape so when you have soldered the pins in, you just remove the tape and you have a socket with the minimum of capacitance between pins.  These were used on my Heathkit AJ-1510A FM tuner kit.

Are these easy to find? Would I just search for socket pins? Sounds like a great solution!

[marcelomd]

There are pogo pins made for "bed of nails" jigs just like that.

[xdfo]

There are pogo pins made for "bed of nails" jigs just like that.

so the idea here is to make small chunks of strip/veroboard with the component and plug it in?

[marcelomd]

The picture was just an illustration of the pins. There are thousands of ways to do this kind of testing.

The simplest is to solder sockets, like Amptramp suggested.

Or solder a few wires to the main board and connect the other side of the wires to a breadboard. When you select the combination you like, just remove the wires and solder the components.

The most complex is to build a jig, with pogo pins, that fits over the main board. Like a bed of nails. On this jig you have the components with switches.

Or you can make a little jig with the pogo pins and wires from there to a breadboard.

Or anything in between: