Slo Clone Build Preparation Part 3, Doing prep for PCB Mounting, aka, upcycle cardboard to make usefull stuff instead of binning it.

Yes yes, I know, all this preparation, but I've got to do something whilst I am waiting for all the bits I forgot to order to turn up (and for the chassis and transformers that I did order to hurry up, I'm getting more impatient!)

Anyway, I decided that as the rest of the components should be with me tomorrow, that that means I can start soldering, but as I don't have the chassis yet, and as it's kind of hard to press a PCB full of components against a chassis to measure where the holes need to be drilled for the standoffs (little metal/plastic poles that provide space between the chassis and the PCB) I've gone and made cardboard templates. It's like Blue Peter, except you don't need an empty washing up liquid bottle and pipe cleaners (always a major disappointment growing up, never had pipe cleaners, ever), although don't be afraid to ask for the help of a responsible adult. Also, don't run with scissors. Sage advice indeed.

Taping to cardboard

The idea here is that when I get the chassis, I can place these on it, tape them down, and use them as drill templates to drill the holes. I'm planning to do the same for the transformers. That way I can do the layout without using the physical parts and keep them well away from the destructive force of a drill (we all accidentally and not so accidentally drill things, and wielding one can induce a sense of power and slight madness typified by finding things to drill that you didn't need to, and besides, last time I drilled something important I ended up with a spare hole in the front of a guitar...).

yes, this was meant for the bin.

I also have a lot of packaging and boxes and cardboard lying around. And I need to make amends to Greenpeace after having failed to print out the PCBs from a scan in their correct size earlier. Not just once, twice, but probably 15 times. I suck at printing.

Pretty easy to do, just tape PCB to a piece of card to hold it in place, tape across the length of all 4 edges. Then with a pen colour in the holes where you're going to be drilling (ie, the big holes in the corners not connected to any PCB tracks), and then cut along the outside and voila! Cardboard shaped objects I'll be using for drilling later, when I eventually get the Chassis.

 

I'm quite pleased with this brainwave, and hope it works out as I want it to, as it means I can get on with some of the fun stuff like burning fingers, skin (and generally finding out what a cannibal barbecue smells like), setting fire to stuff chaotically lying on my desk with the soldering iron and swearing a lot. I'm looking forward to that. 

Marking the holes with a biro on the cardboard

The finished Articles

  I'm also looking forward to seeing if I can film the soldering bits, and then make one of those "everything goes really fast" videos which always look cool (with the accidental self mutilation edited out). Time lapse. That's it. Should be cool. I've got a GoPro lying around that needs some use, and I am sure I can rig up some entertaining mounting system so it'll film everything from the top down nicely.






Anyway, this is all done, my nice and toxic lead solder arrived (couldn't find my old roll, and with some of the parts I am not Rohs compliant (the government regulation for companies that requires them not to use lots off heavy metals like lead, cadmium etc) and I do prefer it as I do believe (perhaps mistakenly, enlighten me if it's the case) that it is better and leads to less dry joints.

So, a few more emergency deliveries to arrive, some more tools (a dremel, but that just needs to arrive before the chassis, plenty of time) the transformers and the chassis, and I'll be all set to start.

On another note, I'm having trouble finding somewhere to make me a headshell (the wooden box around the amp) and I have sent emails to Zilla, Modulus and Roadkill, and will probably need to find some more ideas as to places. I'd do it, but I suck at woodwork, so would rather someone did it that knows what they're doing so that I end up with something that looks as nice as the amp inside it will hopefully sound!

Right, all the non lethal prep stuff is almost all done, and I am pretty pleased at having written a bunch of stuff about essentially cutting oput some cardboard squares, and soon it'll be time to play with electricity. Et tu Victor Frankenstein?