1Q22 challenge. Build a Fuzz Pedal - I swear this bloody thing is jynxed!

paulnb57

Never built a pedal before, so this will be a steep learning curve, keeping it reasonably simple it will be a Tone Bender style Fuzz on tagboard, I also hope to make my own enclosure from a billet of aluminium.
 The aluminium billet is 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches long. I have a vey old engineers lathe in the shed, which is pretty tired but should be good enough to create an enclosure…..pedal parts and a new soldering iron are in the mail…chances are there will be some sort of decoration on the enclosure if I dont cock it up, If the worst happens I have an alloy Hammond type enclosure as a fall back to doodle on…..

TTony

paulnb57 said:

I also hope to make my own enclosure from a billet of aluminium.

I would have precisely no idea where to start doing something like that!

eSully

Following and looking forward to seeing this progress.

paulnb57

eSully said:

Following and looking forward to seeing this progress.

Thanks!

TTony said:

paulnb57 said:

I also hope to make my own enclosure from a billet of aluminium.

I would have precisely no idea where to start doing something like that!

Billet machined parts are created by machining from a solid piece of (usually) metal.
It is usually done on a computer controlled CNC machine and is incredibly wasteful, as most of the material you start with gets machined away to leave the desired component. Generally the finished component looks pretty fabulous, compared to say something cast or fabricated, think Drewman aluminium guitars, the whole body is machined from a big aluminium billet, you could bend sides and weld a top and bottom on, tidy up the welds and polish to achieve a similar result, but the billet jobby is fantastic, and reassuringly expensive.
So for my enclosure, think shallow circular margarine tub, but machined from solid, turn it upside down so the base becomes the top and thats where the controls will mount, there will be a recessed lip around the open end where a base will be mounted.
Most of my 20quid lump of ally will end up in the recycling…..or possibly all of it if I cock it up and resort to a Hammond cast alloy enclosure!

Similar to this


Parts are in the mail, but will be a while, apparently there is a new year coming!…

paulnb57

Aluminium billet has just arrived along with a new soldering iron…the billet weighs a lot, but most of it will end up in the recycling…

Hope to start machining on Monday, when all the New Year stuff is over with, the lathe is pretty tired and I reckon Ill be doing well if I can take half a mm off at a time, so it will take a while…. it could take ages to cock it up!

Here is the billet with one of my favourite fuzz pedals for comparison..

tanihhiavlt

Are you using a CNC mill for this? I'm intrigued...

paulnb57

tanihhiavlt said:

Are you using a CNC mill for this? I'm intrigued...

No, a very old and tired lathe….

paulnb57

Started machining the enclosure today, Id forgotten just how tired the old lathe is, so its a case of removing about half a mm at a time, so it takes forever, got the inside roughed out and got chronic backache and have given up for today, machining will start again tomorrow, I need Gin and a Nap!

First cut to square the end of the billet

https://youtu.be/A8NFnZFNT_k 


and end of play and a couple of hours bent over a lathe that Noah probably used! The cutting tool is sticking out too far, but its all Ive got, so we make do….
Tomorrow I need to tidy it all up, turn ot round in the chuck and skim the top face, drill the holes for the pots and footswitch, the holes for the jacks and power supply will wait until I can tell how much room the circuit will take….

Cookiemonster

paulnb57 said:

Started machining the enclosure today, Id forgotten just how tired the old lathe is, so its a case of removing about half a mm at a time, so it takes forever, got the inside roughed out and got chronic backache and have given up for today, machining will start again tomorrow, I need Gin and a Nap!

First cut to square the end of the billet

https://youtu.be/A8NFnZFNT_k 


and end of play and a couple of hours bent over a lathe that Noah probably used! The cutting tool is sticking out too far, but its all Ive got, so we make do….
Tomorrow I need to tidy it all up, turn ot round in the chuck and skim the top face, drill the holes for the pots and footswitch, the holes for the jacks and power supply will wait until I can tell how much room the circuit will take….

That looks great Paul. I think the circuit will be tiny. 

paulnb57

Yes it will, but the billet of aluminium was 25quid, I don't want to drill it until Im sure!

tanihhiavlt

that looks awesome - the pedal is going to be solid! 

As Bubbles would say: 


the video appears to be private atm.

would like to know where you're getting the tagboard from  

paulnb57

tanihhiavlt said:

that looks awesome - the pedal is going to be solid! 

As Bubbles would say: 


the video appears to be private atm.

would like to know where you're getting the tagboard from  

Cant seem to work out the video issue, but its nothing special!

Tagboard came from ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362832120539

Ive bitten the bullet and bought a proper boring tool for the lathe….

paulnb57

Pretty much finished machining the enclosure, the old lathe is pretty much knackered, so the inside is a bit rough and ready, the tools vibrated so much as there is so much play in the old clunker.
But I think it will work, circuit parts should arrive in time for the weekend..need to make a bottom cover too..

PhilKing

I think it looks great.  Will you tap the case to attach the base or just use a sheet metal screws?

paulnb57

PhilKing said:

I think it looks great.  Will you tap the case to attach the base or just use a sheet metal screws?

I plan to tap it..

Sesh

paulnb57 said:

Pretty much finished machining the enclosure, the old lathe is pretty much knackered, so the inside is a bit rough and ready, the tools vibrated so much as there is so much play in the old clunker.
But I think it will work, circuit parts should arrive in time for the weekend..need to make a bottom cover too..

Turned out nice

TTony

That is neat!

paulnb57

The enclosure is complete as far as machining goes, a bit of fine tuning and hole drilling for jacks was done today.

Offset Footswitch position and lack of led hole will become apparent later.

Mocked up with jacks (old) pots and knobs, theres loads of room within

 Next job; Make a baseplate

Electronic parts have arrived,  thats a job for Monday morning, when Mrs B is at her Sewing Bee

paulnb57

A little more progress on the enclosure

Print an Angry Wasp onto waterslide transfer paper, allow to dry then a couple of coats of lacquer



Soak for a couple of mins



Apply and allow to dry



Lacquer and when dry compare knobs…not sure yet, prob go with the Marshall type as the alloy top is similar to the alloy enclosure….




On Sunday Mrs B goes to a special sewing bee so Ill have the house to myself, so that time is set aside to solder the board…

tanihhiavlt

The enclosure looks awesome and it's novel (for me) to have an enclosure before completing the board 

andy_k

Looks awesome, at this point, if I were you, I would drill for an LED right at the high-lit part of the eye, but you always know when a fuzz is on anyway.
Nice work.