What's in the works.......

[Les Paul Lover]

I thought it would be a cool idea to have a thread to talk about stuff we're doing, exchange ideas and tips, can dip in and out as we want.

I'll start it going with a couple of small build I'm doing at the moment.

So I bought a couple of pedal kits recently, a SHO clone and a reverb.

I've started 1st decorating them - I knew if I was to build them 1st I'd have a hard time waiting for the boxes to be ready!!!!

So I primed the boxes:



Massive mistake. I used brush on primer thinking I'd sand it neat and flat. By the time I had it flat, is was back to the aluminium. It took some perseverance - read stupidity - and lots of time and primer layers to be able to sand it reasonably flat and not be back to the metal.

Next time I buy proper spray primer....

Next I sprayed the colours:


Well.... Let's say that the primer I thought I sanded flat wasn't quite all the flat. The colour showed that superbly.

I had too sand both back Almost back to the primer...also bought small cans of colour to save cash... And they were empty by now...!!!

[Les Paul Lover]

So I bought more cans of colour spray paint... Another point - don't trust internet colours. Both cans are quite different to.the colour shown on screen (both darker) and the blue is even darker yet.

Sprayed it again, reasonably pleased now:



Further learning points:

- Dont try to sand orange peel from metallic paint - it takes off all the metallic effect. I need to respray the bottom part of the blue box.

- Dont pick up.a.box you spray.in the last couple of hours.even if it's touch dry. You could leave finger prints mark in you nice.smooth finish......


Anyway, I got to buy a cool toy!!!


Love it!!! Very handy too.

[Les Paul Lover]

Next I couldn't wait no more. I had to start soldering.


It works!!!! Yay!!! I can solder!!!!! Woop woop! Haven't had the time.to try.it out much, just enough to make sure it works.

Look at.my.scrappy soldering too.... Hearing it working was such a relief!!!!!



Did I say that one should have his enclosure ready before to.build the circuit???? Now the wait is a real b!tch!!!!

Still not sure how the final déco is gonna be. Hesitating for the boost (yellow box), perhaps tits or cleavage booster...

For the reverb, blue box, I want to paint a whale in white enamel On it before clear coating.... If it all goes well that is!!!!

[Invin]

Cool! I love this kind of stuff.

[Jondog]

Nice work. I never bother with priming. Just lightly sand the aluminum and use a good spray paint for metal. For an extra durable finish you can stick it in a toaster oven for 20 minutes set to 120 F or so, shut it off open the door and let it cool/dry before handling, (don't use your wife's good toaster oven, get one from a garage sale and do it in the garage with ventilation...). It'll smooth and harden the paint.

[Incubus]

Very nice. I like your trial-and-error approach...

[Les Paul Lover]

Nice work. I never bother with priming. Just lightly sand the aluminum and use a good spray paint for metal. For an extra durable finish you can stick it in a toaster oven for 20 minutes set to 120 F or so, shut it off open the door and let it cool/dry before handling, (don't use your wife's good toaster oven, get one from a garage sale and do it in the garage with ventilation...). It'll smooth and harden the paint.

Yes, I did sand the boxes before to prime them. The spare oven to bake them isn't a goer unfortunately as I wouldn't have the space to keep it, so I'm hoping primer and clear coat will make for a durable finish enough!

It's a shame, baking seems to be the next best thing to powder coating.

[Les Paul Lover]

Cool! I love this kind of stuff.

Thank you!!!!

I'm hoping people might share in their work too. I love seeing that kind of stuff too!!!

Very nice. I like your trial-and-error approach...

Ain't trial and error the truth here....

[Jondog]

Next I couldn't wait no more. I had to start soldering.


It works!!!! Yay!!! I can solder!!!!! Woop woop! Haven't had the time.to try.it out much, just enough to make sure it works.

Look at.my.scrappy soldering too.... Hearing it working was such a relief!!!!!



Did I say that one should have his enclosure ready before to.build the circuit???? Now the wait is a real b!tch!!!!

Still not sure how the final déco is gonna be. Hesitating for the boost (yellow box), perhaps tits or cleavage booster...

For the reverb, blue box, I want to paint a whale in white enamel On it before clear coating.... If it all goes well that is!!!!

Small critique on the soldering. Don't be afraid to keep a little more heat on the solder pad of the board before you apply solder and after you take the solder away. It'll help the solder flow into the joint better and prevent those bulbs forming which could potentially signal a cold or poor solder joint. You'll find you might use less solder as well. You'll become a pro! If you don't have a pair of small shear cutters, I suggest you get a pair (5 or 6 bucks). They'll trim those leads closer than a regular pair of wire snips will to the board.

[joeminer]

I built a BYOC OD-2 this winter. It's the first pedal I've ever put together and the first time I've done any soldering. You're right - I should have painted first, but I was impatient. Now I need to wait for warmer weather to paint, and I think I'm going to have to de-solder to take this thing apart. I borrowed from from older art to design the top (I'll print it out on water slide decal paper) as an homage to the tube screamer circuit inside.

[Les Paul Lover]

Next I couldn't wait no more. I had to start soldering.


It works!!!! Yay!!! I can solder!!!!! Woop woop! Haven't had the time.to try.it out much, just enough to make sure it works.

Look at.my.scrappy soldering too.... Hearing it working was such a relief!!!!!



Did I say that one should have his enclosure ready before to.build the circuit???? Now the wait is a real b!tch!!!!

Still not sure how the final déco is gonna be. Hesitating for the boost (yellow box), perhaps tits or cleavage booster...

For the reverb, blue box, I want to paint a whale in white enamel On it before clear coating.... If it all goes well that is!!!!

Small critique on the soldering. Don't be afraid to keep a little more heat on the solder pad of the board before you apply solder and after you take the solder away. It'll help the solder flow into the joint better and prevent those bulbs forming which could potentially signal a cold or poor solder joint. You'll find you might use less solder as well. You'll become a pro! If you don't have a pair of small shear cutters, I suggest you get a pair (5 or 6 bucks). They'll trim those leads closer than a regular pair of wire snips will to the board.

I will probably buy one soon. Side cutting pliers aren't expensive, and it annoyed me not to be able to nip them closer to the board.

Thanks for the tips 're soldering - much appreciated! I got a bit better as I went on, but I was worried some were cold joints. They all look very nice and bright and shiny On the other side, but on the bottom it looks a right mess!!!

[Les Paul Lover]

I built a BYOC OD-2 this winter. It's the first pedal I've ever put together and the first time I've done any soldering. You're right - I should have painted first, but I was impatient. Now I need to wait for warmer weather to paint, and I think I'm going to have to de-solder to take this thing apart. I borrowed from from older art to design the top (I'll print it out on water slide decal paper) as an homage to the tube screamer circuit inside.

Quite a big board for a 1st build! I like your design very much!!!

Will you protrude waterslide yourself or will you get it printed?

[Les Paul Lover]

Last time I posted about my pedal build, I had successfully built my SHO clone.

Well.....


It didn't worked at 2nd test. I had wiggled the pot and probably weakened the soder there - and as my solder was patchy at best, I reflowed every single joint.

I duly fried the transistor in the process. Yay. It only took a multimeter and LOTS of time to find out. Anyway, replaced it, all solder points are quite nice now, so I'm good on that front. And I've learnt more that way than if it had been successfull 1st time.

I've come up with a very neat stencil template to paint a cleavage on it and decided to call the boost "le Bustier", as suggested by our very own Randy B (thank you!).

So I went about using the stencil template last night. My plan was to use a very thin paint brush, do a small base line, remove the template and redo it properly.

I didn't follow my plan. Guess what happened????

I smothered it in paint, it leaked everywhere underneath the template, and it being automotive paint, it immediatly ruined my nice precious smooth finish before I coul dwipe it off...........





FOLLOW THE PLAN. FOLLOW THE PLAN. I knew i should have. Bloody impatience!!!!!!!! My own stupid fault.


Now I can resand that enclosure, and seeing the damage, I'll probably get back to the primer and have to repain it again.....

[Thinline_slim]

For you guys that sand before painting, are you doing it rough up the enclosure or trying to smooth it all out? What grit are you using?

I've been soldering on guitars and a little on amps for a long time so I decided to jump into making pedals. So far in the last 3 weeks I've made a distortion/fuzz (switchable), a Rangemaster clone, and Soul Bender clone and tonight I'll work on an Octavia clone. Getting ready to prime the enclosures today too. It's been fun!

[Les Paul Lover]

For you guys that sand before painting, are you doing it rough up the enclosure or trying to smooth it all out? What grit are you using?

I've been soldering on guitars and a little on amps for a long time so I decided to jump into making pedals. So far in the last 3 weeks I've made a distortion/fuzz (switchable), a Rangemaster clone, and Soul Bender clone and tonight I'll work on an Octavia clone. Getting ready to prime the enclosures today too. It's been fun!

Anything between p180 & p400 will do, or steel wool and acetate. Whilst that's also to smooth out rough drilling edges, it's mainly to remove oxidation. You can't see it, but the paint wouldn't stick properly over time and would flake off. Or so I hear anyway!!!!

One thing - don't use brush on primer. Make sure you get automotive priming spray. Light coats are better.

Crikey, I like the sound of what you built! What's the Octavia thing?

Pics? Any tips you'd share?





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I salvage the top coat wet sanding it from p400 to p2000..... Phew!!!!!!