[sdiy] electrical problems with panel pots/electrical tape

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Thursday 25 September 2008 11:53, Dan Snazelle wrote:
> however, these three holes always end up pretty flush with the unpainted
> aluminum panel and if ANY little bit of wire or solder happens to touch the
> panel the nightmares start.
>
> the last three or 4 modules i have finished, i have had all kinds of weird
> problems UNTIL i covered the three front holes (after i soldered) with
> ELECTRICAL TAPE.
>
>
> so my question is this.
>
> since some pots have positive voltage, or negative, or often ground, i can
> understand how them ALL touching the panel is bad. HOWEVER when i look at
> your projects on here, i rarely if ever hear of anyone using electrical
> tape.
>
>
> so...what are the solutions? DOES A PAINTED PANEL HAVE LESS CONDUCTIVITY?
> is that part of my problem is that i am using unpainted aluminum?

Paint would not conduct,  but if there's wire and solder there you stand the 
chance of abrading through it,  since it's going to be a pretty thin layer...

> when i stick the wires through the holes and solder them, i always cut the
> wire off as much as possible. but  if i loosen the pots from the panel, the
> bad problems go away. and that is when i know that something must be
> touching and i reach for the electrical tape.
>
> of around 22 modules now, almost ALL of the aluminum panels needed tape.
> the plexiglass panels it was obviously never a problem.
>
>
> i dont want to switch to pots with solder terminals as futurlec pots are SO
> CHEAP and SO SMALL.
>
> any advice?

Yup.

> anyone else have the same problems?

Nope.   :-)

I'm not familiar with these particular pots,  but in general there's some 
thicker part of metal around the shaft that spaces things away from the panel 
a bit.  If that's the case,  and it's not effective,  then perhaps you're 
using too large of a hole.  If that's not the case,  then perhaps they're not 
envisioning these to use with a metal panel,  only the sort of plastic 
enclosures that darn near everything commercial is made out of these days.

Are we talking threaded bushings around the shaft,  and held to the panel with 
nuts?  If so,  I'd use a washer on the inside.  More than one if it's not 
thick enough.

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