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I used to have to match Illustrator output to mate with CNC parts, usually with high enough accuracy to look good from just a few inches away. Scaling in Illustrator is very accurate, you just need to be careful with your calculations and data entry. If you’re Opening up a pdf into Illustrator...

That said, I’m pretty sure I have a nice working one downstairs. If you want, I can take some measurements for you. It’s one of my favorite, say handful, of clean drives. What voltage do you run it at?

This is not a good answer, but the Q1 and Q2 specs are what I would get when I test a transistor in my cute little British (sorry, I am blanking on company name…) tester, they’re not directly readable as to what a typical biasing of a device would me. I think, those specs are given as an idea of...

I hate fan noise too, but there are some really quiet (in the 25 db range) fans available. In projects I built where noise was an issue (power supplies for photographers was one niche) combining multiple small fans and really thinking about air flow, I was able to get some packages that you'd...

Wonderful! Any build report that includes VU meters and mentions Douglas Self gets automatic love from me.

He retired the year after I built mine. I haven’t talked to the new owners, but my sense, at least from the site, is that the quality is pretty much the same. I’ve been surprised that prices seem pretty similar to before also.

I had a great time building an Allen Encore Kit. Not the least expensive way to build a kit amp, but everything about it is jaw droppingly good, and you end up with a boutique level amp.. They are all pretty closely related to Fender designs, but each model has a bit of a twist to it, some kits...

I’d try the rework. It’s good practice, worth learning. If you understand schematic reading, double check just to play safe. Even lifted pads can still be connected, and once either a wire or pot leg is soldered with solder that’s run through to the other side will be very secure.

Many years ago, I lent a good friend a Fluke while he was trying to set up his diesel for biofuel. His car got broken into and it was stolen; he had no sense of what meters cost, and was already upset, so I told him it was no big deal. A bit crushed at the time (didn't have much spare "hobby...

Aluminum is very easy to etch, but none of the professional etchers we used to use wanted to do it, because it is TOO easy to etch, and undercutting (where the etch starts to eat into under the resist) is too much of a problem. If we wanted something that looked like aluminum, I would get...

For those of us that realy don't like software by subscription, Affinity is (currently) one of the few competing packages that offers an Adobe alternative. I'm still using A.I., but have been using Designer for a few years now also. If I were starting from scratch (been with A.I. since the...

If there’s room on the other side, just leave the leads long on the back side and add the “filler cap” back there. I do this a fair amount with caps.

I think I can safely say that most of us here are “above average.” (At least in terms of hobby expenditures.)

Before you toss the VSSOP chips, my guess is that someone here who is used to getting boards made might be interested in them. This compressor is on my next order list. Nice, clean build!

I came to this hobby from DIY stereo, where one of the first mods you learn to do is increasing (and bypassing) the power supply caps. So, I used to always bump the size up. There is a trade off though, in that some circuits start to sound ”too stiff” with the larger caps. Now, I rarely bump...

I pretty much use solid wire all the time for pedals. 24 is just fine. On vero boards that I wired with 22 g, I didn’t have to worry about mounting the board! 😉 I’m with @SillyOctpuss on the wiring order—board first, then trim and solder off board.

That looks great! I’m thinking that to avoid that pour separation when you drill, you could try drilling with the bit in reverse, so it’s pushing shavings into the cut, rather than pulling them out of it, which is the force that’s separating the pour from the housing. You’d do a small hole this...

Once again, it’s either an “incoming” or a build report of yours that introduces me to a pedal. This one’s going on my next shopping list! Just read a few reviews of the Ego 76, and this looks like a lovely non optical to have on hand. Beautiful design!

By definition, the UV in UV printing means that there is a curing process that makes the finish durable, so the UV printed surfaces don‘t need any additional protection. But @HamishR brings up an important concern, adhesion. Aluminum is tricky to get paint to adhere to. After washing it down...

For controls, I love the Tremulous, but for circuit sound the Pendulum beats that for me. So, the Pendulous will be my next. Here’s my Tremulous, on veroboard, from a ways back.