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Sounds like a ton of workto wire pots. It always took more than 15 minutes in my experience.
Why not just use these these: http://www.wavemakers-synth.com/motm/chiclets.html. J
John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com
-----Original Message-----
From: motm@yahoogroups.com[mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of kheck73@...
Sent: Saturday, September 23, 200612:34 PM
To: ppeery@...;motm@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [motm] AnotherWOO-WOO! -Building Tip
Just finished a 440 late last night.Sweet.
Thought I'd pass along a simpletip possibly already discussed. I noted this in a nicemodule built by Don Ojeman. I obtained a heat gun witha low power setting ($9 at the local Harbor Freight), and 1/4" and1/8" heat shrinkable tubing. For the triple twisted stranded goingto outer pots, be sure the strand is twisted tight, then shrink 1/4"long collars of 1/4" diameter tubing near the ends. Leaveenough individual wire length at the ends with longerstripping (for the pot connections) to slip a 1/2" lengthof 1/8" tubing over each, and still have the bare wire endexposed for soldering. If you need more separate wire lengthto push the 1/8" tubing farther away from the joint whensoldering, I suppose youcould put the unshrunk segment of 1/4" tubing on thecable just before finishing the pot connections, then shrink itlast.
I also put shorter 1/8" long collarsof 1/4" tubing on the twisted pairs to the switch and jacks,leaving the twists tight all the way up to the connections. Use a lowheat setting, and wave the gun around starting far away, then movingcloser while rotating the wires. The gun gets really hot(even on low) and can melt things or burn your fingers if you get tooaggressive.
The use of 1/8" tubing is mentionedin the module directions. Just before soldering the pots, put a3/8"-1/2" length of 1/8" diameter tubing over the end ofeach wire. If you didn't already collar the pot end of the wiretwist, put a segment of 1/4" tubing on the bundle before you solderthe pots. When soldering the connections, be careful not to let yoursoldering iron get too close parallel to the tubing, or let heat risefrom underneath, as the tubing may start shrinking prematurely(I hate it when that happens ;). Before mounting the pots to the panel, be sureyou have good joints (you'll never see them again), push the tubing over thejoint and up against the pots, then shrink it. Don't get carried away withthe heat gun, it doesn't take much heat for very long. Stop when you see thecontours of the joint appear from beneath the tubing. Keep the heat awayfrom the PCB. I didn't put tubing over the switch connections because I wantedthe twisted pair to remain tightly twisted all the way up to the switch (noroom for tubing).
Just a little added extratouch worth an extra 15 minutes. You're going to build the thing onlyonce.
-Karl.