Should I keep going or "rebuild"?

V

Vipersassasin

Member
So, I was working on making a Gerkin Fuzz and got the PCB looking SEXY!!!

I started to connect the footswitch and then my wire broke... I reached for some more but by the time I removed the old wire the solder pad on the Output of the PCB was gone... both sides!

If I have enough solder on the new wire to keep it from moving, will it make a connection to the PCB or is this project toast?

Is there any tips/tricks for removing wires that break flush with the PCB where there is no lead remaining on either side of the board? I am just afraid all of the soldering I performed today was for nothing and now I have to start over.
 
I haven't tested for continuity yet... all that is left to attach is the dc jack and input/output jacks. Let me check for continuity real quick though.

Just tried testing the continuity between the Loudness pot and the "Out" of the footswitch... yep, its bad!

So, if a wire/lead breaks after you trim it flush to the board, is there an actual way of removing the soldered piece without damaging the PCB? I know my mistake was not using solid core wiring between the footswitch board and PCB but other than that are there any tips/tricks for removing a stub from a board?
 
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When its so flush to the board, I put a tiny bit of solder on top. I place a solder sucker on the other side. I press the blob into the hole with the iron and quickly press the solder sucker. Maybe you can use a wire to make a jumper if your pads are gone.

As someone who is new to this hobby, even if you have to start all over, don't take it as a negative. First time I tried building, I destroyed 3 boards because what happened to you happened to me lol. Now you know what not to do next time and how to work with problems
 
Hmmm... How are you stripping the wire? I ask because it's a little unusual to break the wire at the board unless you are very careless. What can happen is that if you are over-zealous with stripping wire it can actually partly cut the wire, not just the insulation. That makes breaking the wire at the board more likely. Get a decent wire-stripping tool and you won't have this problem. I don't use solid core wire in any pedals and you shouldn't need to. Solid core wire is good in some areas and I use it in amps in some locations but in pedals the tiny size you need to use can make snapping even more likely than with multi-strand.
 
HamishR said:
I don't use solid core wire in any pedals and you shouldn't need to. Solid core wire is good in some areas and I use it in amps in some locations but in pedals the tiny size you need to use can make snapping even more likely than with multi-strand.
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But the little strands hurt soooo much when you get them in a finger!
 
Haha! Well I have a cunning trick I use with multistrand wire to avoid that problem. I don't jab myself in the finger with them.

Actually from both playing guitar and soldering I have quite the callus on my left index finger! It gets used to hold parts while soldering, so has quite a thick burn scar/callus.
 
Big Monk said:
Don;t scrap the project.

Just tap the wire to the connection on the Volume pot.
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This is the exact advice I needed... I probably would've eventually thought of it, but that helped a lot! Pedal is working and sounds AMAZING!!! I just have to drill the LED and DC Jack a little bigger to fit the hardware I have chosen but other than that it is good to go!

Now to find someone local that would be willing to paint the enclosure! LOL
 
Big Monk said:
There is no one on this forum who never pulled a pad and had to tap the next connection to get a circuit working. You are in good company.
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I imagine it is the most common thing that really messes people up!

Thankfully it was an easy enough fix where I didn't have to scrap it. I am thinking the next pedal I will build is the obsidius preamp. I will have to post final pictures once this pedal is all painted and such.
 
Pads usually come out when you pull on parts or leads during heating. I used to clip a hemostat to the part and then turn it upside down and heat the pads from the bottom of the board. This was a bad idea and destroyed quite a few pads. To avoid this, clip out or break out the part you are trying to remove (PCB costs are $5-25, much more than most parts). For caps, I usually bend them back and forth until the leads break. Next heat the pad and solder and remove the remaining lead with fine tip tweezers. Then solder sucker out the left over solder. Zero pads destroyed with this method over many years.
 
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