How do you solder pots?

[andare]

I also solder the middle leg of the pots, dry fit them in the enclosure and solder the remaining legs. I learned this from the Musikding docs IIRC.

I use a small chisel tip for everything. It's thin enough for tight spots but I can lay it flat against the lead and pad and get more surface contact. The larger area also helps soldering to pots and jacks.
The only drawback is I can't always solder rows of resistor legs in one go, I have to stop every few leads and cut off the ones I've done.

I think I might have bent away components a couple of times in tight builds like the Minnow - I botched that build btw - because the pots were hard to reach.

 

[peccary]

I solder the pots as one of the very last things before installing the PCB in the enclosure, but I do it on the outside of the enclosure to give my shaky hand a little more space. I run masking tape across the holes to protect the finish and put the nuts on finger tight.

Toggles don't get soldered until the very end. It took me way too long to learn to do that and I spent way too much time wrestling with them in the past. Saving them for last is really helpful, especially if you need them at a particular height.

 

[Barry]

I solder everything I can outside the enclosure, usually mounted to the top

 

[giovanni]

I solder the pots as one of the very last things before installing the PCB in the enclosure, but I do it on the outside of the enclosure to give my shaky hand a little more space. I run masking tape across the holes to protect the finish and put the nuts on finger tight.

Toggles don't get soldered until the very end. It took me way too long to learn to do that and I spent way too much time wrestling with them in the past. Saving them for last is really helpful, especially if you need them at a particular height.

Shaky hands all the way to the max over here! Since I was a teenager.

 

[BuddytheReow]

Take you time with the drilling process (I’ve got a hand drill) and you’ll be just fine soldering the pots directly to the board before installing. The drill template is key. The pots can be bent a little for some extra wiggle room. It also helps if you don’t push the pots all the down before installing. The key here is to keep ‘em level with the board. When it’s all boxed up you won’t know the difference. The nuts and washers put it all into place.

 

[giovanni]

As I read this thread, I realize that it would be pretty easy to make a jig to install pots. Even as simple as a piece of plexiglass with holes aligned to the common drilling template would work miracles here… (note to self: buy a couple plexiglass sheets)

 

[Coda]

As I read this thread, I realize that it would be pretty easy to make a jig to install pots. Even as simple as a piece of plexiglass with holes aligned to the common drilling template would work miracles here… (note to self: buy a couple plexiglass sheets)

The enclosure IS the template…just use the outside.

Take you time with the drilling process (I’ve got a hand drill) and you’ll be just fine soldering the pots directly to the board before installing. The drill template is key. The pots can be bent a little for some extra wiggle room. It also helps if you don’t push the pots all the down before installing. The key here is to keep ‘em level with the board. When it’s all boxed up you won’t know the difference. The nuts and washers put it all into place.

 

[giovanni]

Right but if it’s not symmetrical you are SOL.

 

[Coda]

Right but if it’s not symmetrical you are SOL.

You would be either way, then, wouldn’t you?

 

[giovanni]

You would be either way, then, wouldn’t you?

What do you mean?

 

[Coda]

What do you mean?

If the drilling isn’t symmetrical, it doesn’t matter how perfect the pots are mounted, since they will be off anyway.

 

[giovanni]

No I meant if the template is not symmetrical. Like two pots on one side and one on the other or something like that.