DIY Effects

[KingBollock]

A question for those that paint your own enclosures:

What primer do you use?

I only have acrylic polyurethane primers and I don't think they'll adhere well to aluminium. I am thinking that an automotive one would do the trick, but thought I'd best get some advice from you knowledgable lot, first.

[Bigwan]

Having followed my own advice I've tested my BJFE Blueberry (hacked a pedalparts Juicy Blue kit to match the BJFE schematic) before boxing and it sounds lush - a little dark so I'll do a few mods suggested to me by Josh Broughton (Azure Skies on TB) to brighten it up a tad before I box it up. Would sound bloody marvelous as is on a P-Bass with flats though.

My ROG Ginger kit has arrived from Musikding (EVENTUALLY!!! So much for German efficiency!) and the board is mostly stuffed. Just the LEDs and FETs to fit and I can get it wired up for test. Hopefully today.

[danbowskill]

Can you post a gut shot of your Ginger please Bigwan

[Bigwan]

[quote name='danbowskill' timestamp='1457455490' post='2998773']
Can you post a gut shot of your Ginger please Bigwan
[/quote]

A pic of the unwired board Dan (current state - didn't get anywhere near the ginger today), or the finished pedal?

[ColinB]

Here's my naked Ginger.....

[bobbass4k]

Here's my current DIY crop, ranging aesthetically from "passable minimalism" to "accidentally painted by an alarmingly intoxicated donkey" -



Gut shots are available upon request, except for those that are stuffed into their enclosures like a sausage casing full of weasels.

Edited March 8, 2016 by bobbass4k

[KingBollock]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1457476133' post='2999008']
Here's my current DIY crop, ranging aesthetically from "passable minimalism" to "accidentally painted by an alarmingly intoxicated donkey" -



Gut shots are available upon request, except for those that are stuffed into their enclosures like a sausage casing full of weasels.
[/quote]
What do you use for a primer?

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1457482888' post='2999056']
What do you use for a primer?
[/quote]

Nuthin', most of them are just humbrol enamel model paint on pre-powder coated enclosures (the rest are marker pen...). Durability is usually a secondary concern to remembering what the the pots do. I do want to improve the artistic side of things though, but I've yet to be convinced by any of the DIY options that are practically open to me.

[Bigwan]

BJFE Blueberry clone boxed up and working a treat! Made 2 mods to the final circuit to brighten it up a tad and it sounds pretty damn good to me! Didn't sound bad before mind you. On with the Ginger now. Then it's a 741 Blower Box clone on vero, the vero hpf/lpf I'd mentioned to dood, a Fairfield Barbershop on vero and an LPB1/Kreuzer onboard pre combo (for a bit of Broke Dick Peanut Gallery action!). Also have an SFT build I threw in my "needs attention" box a couple of years ago which I'm going to revisit.

Any of you tried using letter punches for your enclosures like Fairfield? Anyone tried it on the pre-finished hammond enclosures? Don't know if I can be faffed with painting metal boxes for my own use.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Bigwan

[Bigwan]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1457476133' post='2999008']
Here's my current DIY crop, ranging aesthetically from "passable minimalism" to "accidentally painted by an alarmingly intoxicated donkey" -



Gut shots are available upon request, except for those that are stuffed into their enclosures like a sausage casing full of weasels.
[/quote]

What are they all Bob?

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457507920' post='2999100']
What are they all Bob?
[/quote]

Oh yeah, probably should have mentioned that...

Going L-R from the top row down -

EQD Acapulco Gold with added "gain" control (just a pot in series with the input), EQD Speaker Cranker, LGAL Rattle Crow

Prunes and Custard (middle switch is just to fill a hole), Super Duper Rat, Shin Ei Companion (with pointless bass switch), PT2399 Delay (honestly can't remember which one), EQD Warden, Mid-Fi Clari(not) with clean switch

EQD Bit Commander, DBA Echo Dream (modified so that it actually works...), Animato (with blend, gate and input cap switch), Mad Prof Snow White

DBA Reverberation Machine, Tremulus lune with all the bells and whistles

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457507830' post='2999098']
Any of you tried using letter punches for your enclosures like Fairfield? Anyone tried it on the pre-finished hammond enclosures? Don't know if I can be faffed with painting metal boxes for my own use.
[/quote]

That was going to be my next port of call actually, I saw some on amazon, could be a relatively easy, good looking solution, but I'm not sure how well they'll work on powder coats?

[ColinB]

I sure miss Lettraset!

[KingBollock]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1457484086' post='2999061']


Nuthin', most of them are just humbrol enamel model paint on pre-powder coated enclosures (the rest are marker pen...). Durability is usually a secondary concern to remembering what the the pots do. I do want to improve the artistic side of things though, but I've yet to be convinced by any of the DIY options that are practically open to me.
[/quote]
Ah right. Thank you for replying. I shall just get a generic automotive primer and see what happens. All the primers I have are meant for plastics.

What options are open to you that you are unsure about? And what options do you feel are impractical for you that you would like to try?

When I started building my own pedals I was going to try printing transfers and decals, I even bought the relevant paper, but never got around to trying it. But I got an airbrush (actually three airbrushes) and compressor for christmas, so I am a bit more motivated now. It isn't an expensive setup but it is surprisingly good quality. And the thing I like about airbrushing is that you can get away with a lot with little to no artistic ability, as long as you're patient.
I shall still probably use decals for intricate lettering.

[KingBollock]

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1457517412' post='2999196']
I sure miss Lettraset!
[/quote]
My wife is a crafter (almost said crafty...) and she has tons of rub on letter sheets. You can get all sorts of different sizes and fonts. I think some of them may even be able to be foiled, meaning you can make them shiny metallic (with the right tool. One of the ones we've got is an Antex soldering iron with a metal plate attached to it). Or you can do It with transfers made with a laser printer or photocopier (the toners melt under heat, which is how the foil sticks to it).

I think embossing powders could look really good when used on pedals, too.

So next time you pass a craft shop, pop in and have a butcher's.

[Bigwan]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1457517161' post='2999191']
That was going to be my next port of call actually, I saw some on amazon, could be a relatively easy, good looking solution, but I'm not sure how well they'll work on powder coats?
[/quote]

Personally I can't imagine it would, but it would be brilliant if it did! Drop filling some white paint into stamped letters on a precoloured enclosure would be all I'd ever need!

[Kiwi]

I've been mulling over combining two Joyo American Sound pedals into a single 'twin channel' pedal that can A/B dirty and clean settings. The pedal is based on the Tech 21 Blonde but with a mod for more low frequencies.

How complicated would finding the enclosure be? It'll need to accommodate 5 controls for each channel (3 eq, 1 voice and 1 drive) and a 6th for overall level of both channels. I know there are enclosures out there which are large, but can anyone advise what the smallest footprint could be for this layout based on other designs? Front and inside shown below:

[attachment=214232:DSC_0059-01.jpeg] [attachment=214231:DSC_0058.JPG]

Many thanks!

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1457517412' post='2999196']
I sure miss Lettraset!
[/quote]
They're still around but their range has been massacred to about 6 fonts.
[url="http://www.letraset.com/products/90-Letraset-Transfers/"]http://www.letraset....aset-Transfers/[/url]

When I was working in a design consultancy, we used to print text on to adhesive sheets of plastic using the photocopier.

[KingBollock]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1457519816' post='2999223']
I've been mulling over combining two Joyo American Sound pedals into a single 'twin channel' pedal that can A/B dirty and clean settings. The pedal is based on the Tech 21 Blonde but with a mod for more low frequencies.

How complicated would finding the enclosure be? It'll need to accommodate 5 controls for each channel (3 eq, 1 voice and 1 drive) and a 6th for overall level of both channels. I know there are enclosures out there which are large, but can anyone advise what the smallest footprint could be for this layout based on other designs? Front and inside shown below:

[attachment=214232:DSC_0059-01.jpeg] [attachment=214231:DSC_0058.JPG]

Many thanks!


They're still around but their range has been massacred to about 6 fonts.
[url="http://www.letraset.com/products/90-Letraset-Transfers/"]http://www.letraset....aset-Transfers/[/url]

When I was working in a design consultancy, we used to print text on to adhesive sheets of plastic using the photocopier.
[/quote]

I think the Hammond 1590XX would do it. It's 145mm x 121mm.

[url="http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=185_187&products_id=1413"]http://www.bitsbox.c...roducts_id=1413[/url]

I have one with a Big Muff and a Musket in it. Though I built both on the same piece of vero.

[attachment=214233:MusketMuffBox.jpeg]

That's how it looks with its very temporary labelling.

There will be two more pots (with smaller knobs) and two more switches added before it's finished.

Edited March 9, 2016 by KingBollock

[ColinB]

Thanks, KB and Kiwi. Good to know - I've looked in various crafty places and never seen them.

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1457519816' post='2999223']
I've been mulling over combining two Joyo American Sound pedals into a single 'twin channel' pedal that can A/B dirty and clean settings. The pedal is based on the Tech 21 Blonde but with a mod for more low frequencies.

How complicated would finding the enclosure be? It'll need to accommodate 5 controls for each channel (3 eq, 1 voice and 1 drive) and a 6th for overall level of both channels. I know there are enclosures out there which are large, but can anyone advise what the smallest footprint could be for this layout based on other designs? Front and inside shown below:

[attachment=214232:DSC_0059-01.jpeg] [attachment=214231:DSC_0058.JPG]

Many thanks!
[/quote]

Are you looking to have a single footswitch, a blend control and the 5 controls for each channel? Would you be happy with the controls layed out as they currently are with regards to spacing, etc? 2 of the JOYO pedals side-by-side too big?

Obvious and simplest choice would be the Hammond 1590DD which is 7.38" x 4.7" x 1.3". It's roughly equivalent to 2 Hammond 1590BB enclosures side-by-side. 1590BB is close to the JOYO enclosure at 4.67" x 3.68" x 1.18". You might get away with smaller but you're changing the orientation of your PCB which would lead to further complications.

Nice little project actually! Worth considering given the price of the JOYO pedals... Add a Splitter/Blender circuit and you're away!

Edited March 9, 2016 by Bigwan

[6v6]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1456580215' post='2990445']
What primer do you use?
[/quote]

I've painted a couple of boxes with this from Halfords and it works OK:

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-body-repair/primer/halfords-bodyshop-primer-grey-500ml

Not the best time of year for spraying things, but next time I do some I'll probably try a proper etch primer (although the one above says on the tin an etch primer isn't required, so I'm not sure if it has etching properties, I had it on-hand from another job):

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-body-repair/fillers-preparation/u-pol-acid-8-etch-primer

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457523089' post='2999281']
Are you looking to have a single footswitch, a blend control and the 5 controls for each channel? Would you be happy with the controls layed out as they currently are with regards to spacing, etc? 2 of the JOYO pedals side-by-side too big?[/quote]

Initially I planned for five controls for each channel plus shared input jack, output level and output jack. The channels would be switched via A/B footswitch and Bypassed with a second footswitch. I was hoping to repurpose pretty much all the existing knobs and switches - having said that, I still need to check whether the footswitches are the right spec for a bypass.

I also don't mind changing the controls if it results in a better layout but I can see that the existing pots are soldered directly into the PCB which is a whole load of unwelcome extra faff I'm not really equipped to deal with. I did think about a clustered layout where the 3 band eq has smaller diameter knobs compared to the drive and voice controls but didn't take it too much further because I needed to check pot dimensions and fixings.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1457522580' post='2999272']
I think the Hammond 1590XX would do it. It's 145mm x 121mm.
[/quote]
[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457523089' post='2999281']
Obvious and simplest choice would be the Hammond 1590DD which is 7.38" x 4.7" x 1.3". It's roughly equivalent to 2 Hammond 1590BB enclosures side-by-side. 1590BB is close to the JOYO enclosure at 4.67" x 3.68" x 1.18". You might get away with smaller but you're changing the orientation of your PCB which would lead to further complications.

Nice little project actually! Worth considering given the price of the JOYO pedals... Add a Splitter/Blender circuit and you're away!
[/quote]
Thanks chaps! I did look at the Hammonds but lacked the insight that comes with experience.

The Joyo amp sim pedals are about £20 each where I am. I had the American Sound delivered last week and, as I was mapping out my signal chain, the idea of combining two came about. I hadn't thought about the blend control though. Do the blends pan at a consistent rate or are they like pickup pans and operate like a three-way switch in rotary format?

I also wondered what might be required for a gain boost toggle mini-switch but wouldn't have a clue about which resistor(s) needed replacing though. While the pedals are talked about on DIY pedal websites, noone's taken one apart and reverse engineered it yet to identify what the purpose of each PCB component is.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1457528857' post='2999361']
I've painted a couple of boxes with this from Halfords and it works OK:
[/quote]

Any thoughts on Hammerite?
http://www.hammerite.co.uk/products/direct_to_rust_metal_paint_aerosol_smooth_finish.jsp

I used to specify it for fence railings and other outdoor metal fixtures.

[Bigwan]

Shots of my Ginger build as requested Dan

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1457530023' post='2999381']
Initially I planned for five controls for each channel plus shared input jack, output level and output jack. The channels would be switched via A/B footswitch and Bypassed with a second footswitch. I was hoping to repurpose pretty much all the existing knobs and switches - having said that, I still need to check whether the footswitches are the right spec for a bypass.

I also don't mind changing the controls if it results in a better layout but I can see that the existing pots are soldered directly into the PCB which is a whole load of unwelcome extra faff I'm not really equipped to deal with. I did think about a clustered layout where the 3 band eq has smaller diameter knobs compared to the drive and voice controls but didn't take it too much further because I needed to check pot dimensions and fixings.
[/quote]

Having just read that again I think I initially misunderstood what you were looking for. I'd assumed you wanted to run both JOYOs in parallel and blend between them. Given that, why would you want to go to the expense of putting these in a new enclosure? You could achieve what you're wanting to do with an A/B looper pedal: http://buildyourownclone.com/products/tblooper