First pedal build - making a RAT clone pedal from a kit

jonnygreentrees

english_bob said:

What soldering irons are you using, @jonnygreentrees , @ewal ? I've never wreaked that sort of destruction using my feeble little £10 Iron (25W?). Never fried a component, never lifted PCB traces...

I have burned a couple of holes in Mrs_bob's tablecloth though, which is arguably worse... 

that's the only time I have lifted pads on a FuzzDog kit, I've got a fancy ERSA soldering station my dad gave me which runs up to 450 degrees

ewal

I'm using a cheapo Maplin 30 watter. Can't remember how I got to that actual point, but it involved desoldering switch wires which I'd soldered to wrong side of board. I possibly managed to desolder them but then got in a mess trying to remove excess solder left behind - ended up lifting tracks and botching together a really messy hack.

jonnygreentrees

ewal said:

I'm using a cheapo Maplin 30 watter. Can't remember how I got to that actual point, but it involved desoldering switch wires which I'd soldered to wrong side of board. I possibly managed to desolder them but then got in a mess trying to remove excess solder left behind - ended up lifting tracks and botching together a really messy hack.

same!

I made a Mutron Phasor on DIY single sided copper etch board and that was a nightmare. Think I ended up with about 7 lifted pads that I had to fix!

english_bob

Huh. Maybe I'm just a solderer of incredible restraint and taste


...although @megii, stories like these do serve to highlight the importance of doing everything slowly and double-checking every step before you make it! Undoing your balls-ups can be way harder than just not making them.

ewal

I never had this problem until my most recent Fuzz Dog Percolator build - definitely learned from the experience... My hack meant that I had to sacrifice the switch out the circuit which defeated the point of the build in the first place! Like a real newbie, I've decided to buy another board and re-build, rather than live with a half-arsed pedal...

lasermonkey

I can only remember a few times where I've had to heat-sink components, and that's been on particularly difficult desoldering jobs. If you have good quality solder, an iron which operates at the correct temperature (this is important depending on which type of solder, ie tin-lead or lead-free) and have the correct size bit, you shouldn't need a heat sink.  I can't stress the last bit enough. Too small a bit, and you'll have the soldering iron on the component forever, and you risk damaging the component and the circuit board. You want a lot of heat into the solder area quickly. I use the largest bit I can get away with. Those fine, needle-point bits are great for surface-mount stuff and tiny areas, but not much else.

 A couple of other points. Wet (ie tin the bit) before soldering, as it aids the heat transfer. You'll need to wipe clean and re-wet frequently. Don't soak the cleaning sponge either. It just needs to be damp. Any wires you need to solder into the board should be twisted and tinned before soldering. If you don't have any wire strippers, use the back edge of your wire cutters. With a little practice it'll work every time!

 One more thing. Until you are au-fait with colour codes, always check that the resistor is what you think it is. More than once I've been sent the wrong value. Also, you'll be surprised how much that red, brown and violet can look like each other under certain lighting conditions. That, and some manufacturers use browny reds, reddish browns and violets that could be anything! Always best to be sure that you're putting the correct component in first, rather than having to remove it afterwards. Desoldering can be a bit of a black art if you don't have specialist kit.

If you take your time, read and understand the instructions and double check everything before committing to solder, you should hopefully have trouble-free build.

Good luck and have fun!

ewal

I use this http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/tools/resistor-color-code-calculator/ to calculate resistor values, then verify with a multi-meter

Megii

english_bob said:

Huh. Maybe I'm just a solderer of incredible restraint and taste


...although @megii, stories like these do serve to highlight the importance of doing everything slowly and double-checking every step before you make it! Undoing your balls-ups can be way harder than just not making them.

Try to avoid the balls ups in the first place - got that, cheers @english_bob ;

@ewal hope you can get the harmonic percolator build finished and working as it should - just looking at that one on the Fuzzdog website, and it's intriguing.

And cheers very much for that excellent advice re soldering technique @lasermonkey - I will do my best to follow it.  

ewal

Megii said:

english_bob said:

Huh. Maybe I'm just a solderer of incredible restraint and taste


...although @megii, stories like these do serve to highlight the importance of doing everything slowly and double-checking every step before you make it! Undoing your balls-ups can be way harder than just not making them.

Try to avoid the balls ups in the first place - got that, cheers @english_bob ;

@ewal hope you can get the harmonic percolator build finished and working as it should - just looking at that one on the Fuzzdog website, and it's intriguing.

And cheers very much for that excellent advice re soldering technique @lasermonkey - I will do my best to follow it.  

Cheers @Megii I'm building the Percolator as a replacement for a BYOC Rat clone which I've had excellent service from. However I want to use the Rat as a second gain stage with the Percolator undertaking 1st gain stage overdrive duties. In the meantime I've re-discovered a DOD250 clone build I did years ago which does everything you'd expect from from a boosty type overdrive, so maybe the Percolator is surplus to requirements.... The Muff Gun however, discussed in a separate thread, is a different matter! Ah the joys of building exceptionally similar pedals in the hope of unlocking tone!

Megii

The Fuzzdog kit has arrived! and it looks excellent. I am suddenly itching to get on with things (in a non-rushing, meticulous, careful sort of way) so I will be getting all the other bit's and bobs I need ordered today. I know it's daft, but I'm always concerned with how things will look, and the dayglo orange knobs plus matt black powdercoat case is a bit of a killer combination. You get a free sweetie too, which I love, even though I can't eat it, because I have diabetes...  

I'll get a pic or two of what's in the kit up shortly anyhow.  

english_bob

Megii said:

I am suddenly itching to get on with things (in a non-rushing, meticulous, careful sort of way) 

 

I know the feeling!

Megii

english_bob said:

Megii said:

I am suddenly itching to get on with things (in a non-rushing, meticulous, careful sort of way) 

 

I know the feeling!

I'm always like this with things - spend days humming and harring, and then when I finally get going, I want it finished yesterday...  

BigMonka

Exciting times @Megii !
I'm in the same boat as you as I've got the parts all ready for my first proper pedal build (a Timmy clone from Bits Box) but I'm still going through and trying to work out which resistor is which - doesn't help when you're colourblind and have left the multimeter at work!

Megii

BigMonka said:

Exciting times @Megii !
I'm in the same boat as you as I've got the parts all ready for my first proper pedal build (a Timmy clone from Bits Box) but I'm still going through and trying to work out which resistor is which - doesn't help when you're colourblind and have left the multimeter at work!

Cheers @BigMonka - exciting times indeed, and it's is good to have a fellow pedal building newby on the forum I must say, we're in it together I guess! A Timmy clone may well be my next one, assuming I get through this initial project in good shape.

Wait to get hold of that multimeter if necessary I would say. I still haven't got around to sorting out all the components, maybe that will be tomorrow. Have bought solder, tip cleaner and side cutters now. Just wondering what would be a decent helping hands to buy without going bonkers on the price - if anyone has any ideas there, they'd be welcome.

Megii

Just chose a helping hands that looked a bit better design than some of them on evilbay anyway, hope it will do the job OK.

Adam_MD

Megii said:

Just chose a helping hands that looked a bit better design than some of them on evilbay anyway, hope it will do the job OK.

I used a helping hands for my first few pedals then started using bluetac after watching a diy guitar pedals video on YouTube and found it much easier to work with.  I haven't used the helping hands for a year now.  

english_bob

BigMonka said:

Exciting times @Megii !
I'm in the same boat as you as I've got the parts all ready for my first proper pedal build (a Timmy clone from Bits Box) but I'm still going through and trying to work out which resistor is which - doesn't help when you're colourblind and have left the multimeter at work!

When I've ordered stuff from Bitsbox, all the components have arrived individually bagged and very clearly labelled with values. Good thing too, since pretty much everything else about the Bitsbox kits is considerably more "hands-off" in terms of guidance than you'd get from, say, BYOC, who are very much holding your hand every step of the way.

Megii

Pic I took earlier of the Fuzzdog kit:



Those dayglo orange knobs have to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated, the photo doesn't capture their full magnificence.

Today have ordered:

Helping hands thing with magnifier (ebay)
One of those curly-metal soldering iron tip cleaner things (ebay)
Solder Sucker - the one recommended by @Adam_MD ( http://www.pcb-soldering.co.uk/precision-japanese-solder-sucker-with-silicone-nozzle.html )
0.5mm silver content lead free solder 3 metres
Side cutters - as recommended by @Sporky ;
SIL socketing strip stuff (Bitsbox)
Fibreglass pencil (Bitsbox)
Small size bit of stripboard to practice soldering (Bitsbox)

From what Adam_MD says, I may well find blutack works as well or better than the helping hands, but it's ordered now anyhow FWIW. Already got a suitable multimeter from having worked on guitars in the past, and I got a variable temp. soldering station from Maplins for just under 40 quid on Sunday. There may well be other bits and bobs I pick up after a while, but I'll see how I get on with this little lot for now.
 

english_bob

Exciting times!

I just ordered the bits to make the Big Omar boost @juansolo sent me a PCB for. Gone for a big knob (in keeping with the theme) and a 10mm yellow LED just for giggles- will be a bit different, and with just one knob on the pedal there will be plenty of room.

...also gone for some solid core wire instead of stranded. Going to see if I have the patience for those super neat wiring jobs:



(pretty sure I haven't).

stickyfiddle

Megii said:

Pic I took earlier of the Fuzzdog kit:



Those dayglo orange knobs have to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated, the photo doesn't capture their full magnificence.

Today have ordered:

Helping hands thing with magnifier (ebay)
One of those curly-metal soldering iron tip cleaner things (ebay)
Solder Sucker - the one recommended by @Adam_MD ( http://www.pcb-soldering.co.uk/precision-japanese-solder-sucker-with-silicone-nozzle.html )
0.5mm silver content lead free solder 3 metres
Side cutters - as recommended by @Sporky ;
SIL socketing strip stuff (Bitsbox)
Fibreglass pencil (Bitsbox)
Small size bit of stripboard to practice soldering (Bitsbox)

From what Adam_MD says, I may well find blutack works as well or better than the helping hands, but it's ordered now anyhow FWIW. Already got a suitable multimeter from having worked on guitars in the past, and I got a variable temp. soldering station from Maplins for just under 40 quid on Sunday. There may well be other bits and bobs I pick up after a while, but I'll see how I get on with this little lot for now.
 

Is that four knobs AND a switch? I'm assuming that's for the pot-based variable Ruetz mod plus a clipping switch?  Brilliant! 

I did those mods myself but great that they're available from stock now. THIS is why I love Fuzzdog