Fama
Well-known member
There has already been a lot of good advice in this thread, but I also started building pedals a lot around February, coincidentally, and have built around similar numbers as you.
The way I see it, I've had a couple of weeks off where I haven't done any pedal stuff, but I don't even consider them "breaks". A hobby doesn't mean you have to work on it every week. If it feels like you don't have the energy now, you don't have to do it now.
For me the supply issue is not so bad since I get all my enclosures drilled and printed at Tayda, so I order the enclosures and parts for a couple of pedals at a time. Sometimes supplemented by orders for parts they don't carry from other places. I also like the graphical design aspects, but that can also at times feel like a burden - right now I need to finish the next set of graphics so I can get the enclosures faster, so I need to double check 6 pdf files for any errors. It's a hassle, but I also love the graphics, so it has it's own rewards.
I've also avoided some pedals which have parts I couldn't find easily. For example I ordered the Low Tide as a kit because it had some difficult to source parts, although it turns out you can just substitute most of them easily. That's also something you definitely should look into more, like others mentioned.
I also don't dare post my latest build because I ran out of film caps and had to cram in two caps in one slot - multiple times. That plus some drill planning mistakes means it's horrible on the inside. But for me, what's on the outside (and how it sounds) are more important - others seem to find a lot of satisfaction in making the inside as neat and clean as possible. You might want to think about which part is the most rewarding for you.
I would also consider the juggling of multiple orders to be a balance between work and money. More work to optimize your orders for the lowest cost, or you can skip the work and spend "unnecessary" money on the extra shipping. This of course also depends on how much spare income you can spend on building pedals without worries, but also if it feels like this bogs you down, maybe you could build less pedals for a bit more money and a lot less frustration? Or just look into kits too, I would assume Musikding is not a great option in the US but Aion at least has some kits.
The way I see it, I've had a couple of weeks off where I haven't done any pedal stuff, but I don't even consider them "breaks". A hobby doesn't mean you have to work on it every week. If it feels like you don't have the energy now, you don't have to do it now.
For me the supply issue is not so bad since I get all my enclosures drilled and printed at Tayda, so I order the enclosures and parts for a couple of pedals at a time. Sometimes supplemented by orders for parts they don't carry from other places. I also like the graphical design aspects, but that can also at times feel like a burden - right now I need to finish the next set of graphics so I can get the enclosures faster, so I need to double check 6 pdf files for any errors. It's a hassle, but I also love the graphics, so it has it's own rewards.
I've also avoided some pedals which have parts I couldn't find easily. For example I ordered the Low Tide as a kit because it had some difficult to source parts, although it turns out you can just substitute most of them easily. That's also something you definitely should look into more, like others mentioned.
I also don't dare post my latest build because I ran out of film caps and had to cram in two caps in one slot - multiple times. That plus some drill planning mistakes means it's horrible on the inside. But for me, what's on the outside (and how it sounds) are more important - others seem to find a lot of satisfaction in making the inside as neat and clean as possible. You might want to think about which part is the most rewarding for you.
I would also consider the juggling of multiple orders to be a balance between work and money. More work to optimize your orders for the lowest cost, or you can skip the work and spend "unnecessary" money on the extra shipping. This of course also depends on how much spare income you can spend on building pedals without worries, but also if it feels like this bogs you down, maybe you could build less pedals for a bit more money and a lot less frustration? Or just look into kits too, I would assume Musikding is not a great option in the US but Aion at least has some kits.
