[sdiy] embarrassing noob needs to mount some pots

[Elby Designs - Laurie Biddulph]

I am happy to try and answer any questions you may have.

With regards the pots.
the tab is an anti-rotation device. It fits in to a mating hole or recess on the
panel and stops the pot from trying to spin in the hole should you try and ram
the control past its end stops. If youu have a sufficiently large knob that will
cover the hole, then I would include this. It is, however, a lot of extra work
and if you intend to treat your controls with some respect then you can forget
them. On pots that have the tab phsyiclly aprt of the pot body, simply get a pair
of heavy-duty pliers and snap it off (this is usually just a matter of wiggling
it back and forth a few times) - it is unlikely that you will do any damage to
the pot unless you are ridiculously clumsy. Some pots have a tab on a separate
washer (much like many switches have) and you can discard the washer or sometimes
just flip it over so the tab points towards the pot body.

If you are using plastic/rubber/wooden or other similar non-conductive knobs then
there is no real need to ground the pots. Once the panel has a ground connection,
you can usually rely on the metal bush of the pot making the electrical
connection to do this for you. If you WANT to ground the pots then you need what
are commonly called eyelets or lugs. These are like a washer with a tag sticking
out one side. Fit the washer over the bush before mounting the pot to the panel.
You can then attach a ground wire to the tab.

Hole size is dictated by the pot. You should have a datasheet for the pot or the
catalogue where you got them from should at least mention the panel hole size
needed. if you can't find that then just grab one of the pot washers and measure
the inside gap at the widest point or just get a box of drill bits and find the
bit that just fits in the washer.

Best regards
Laurie Biddulph
www.elby-designs.com

On Tue Mar 10  9:15 , Horton  sent:

>There are so many basic knowledge things out there that are just taken
>for granted by the computer-brain electronics wizards, so for a new
>hobbyist there are no real guides or 101-style information.
>
>I'm in the middle of a project and suddenly I need to mount a punch of
>pots and switches into a typical plastic project enclosure. I have no
>idea where to begin! What's up with the nuts, and that little tab
>sticking out of the pot body? Should I ground each pot to the metal in
>the case in addition to the ground bus on the PCB? How? What size
>drill bit do I use to make the holes, and how do I secure the pot body
>against the frame of the enclosure anyway? I need all this basic info.
>
>Ideas? Tutorials? Instructables?
>
>AH
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