My first pedal build

Adam_MD

If you get a solder sucker get a good one and not one of the cheapie Maplin electrical store ones. I picked up one of these last month and correcting mistakes is really easy now. My old one went into the bin where it belongs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/innovative-silicone-Japanese-quality-engineer/dp/B002MJMXD4

english_bob

@Adam_MD- what's so good about that one? Is it just the heat resistance?

Adam_MD

I like it because it actually works. The previous cheapo plastic one I had worked ok on Vero but was useless on a double sided pcb. The one I posted above has been brilliant since I got it and swooping a part now is really easy.

AustrianJohn

While my Tube Screamer clone build works great, it looked rather anonymous, so I decided to refinish it. I learnt a lot along the way.

1) black is not a good colour if you plan to add decals, as anything + black = black, hence the gold respray
2) a powder paint finish is not good for decals, I had to spray several coats of varnish to get them to take
3) remember to reseat the LED before putting the box back together again
4) don't forget about the size of the knobs when locating the decals

Noting points 1 and 2, what finish had I origninally selected? That's right, powder black.

First picture shows the sophisticated insulation solution I used to stop the underside of the PCB rubbing on the case, as @tabbycat suggested.