[Tips & Tricks] point to point tips for beginners

Frequently asked question on the subject of designing, creating, producing printed boards, veroboards or perfboads and on point-to-point construction techniques.
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bumblebee
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Post by bumblebee »

hey, i built a ptp fuzz last night,first time with ptp,it works fine but it just looks like ass!

i see in old amps ptp looks all nice and neat and im thinking, "how the hell do i get it like that?" im using the board with 16 lugs? broken in half as 8 (4 on each side) seems enough.

any tips from you ee veterans?

at this stage i have been drawing it up on paper on a ptp template i made so i get an idea of what to do but i feel im missing the fundamentals of this style.

thanks for any advice you may have!
:D

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R.G.
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Post by R.G. »

Best advice?

Do not delude yourself into thinking that just because it's point to point that it sounds better. There is no inherent advantage in PTP wiring in terms of function or sound, and there are a number of disadvantages and pitfalls to be avoided.

If you just like the way it looks, super. But don't expect anything extra special performance out of it because it looks the way it looks.

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bumblebee
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Post by bumblebee »

yea, i know that, i just like the way it looks.

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Post by soulsonic »

I'm not sure what to say other than, "practice makes perfect." My first few PTP builds looked sloppy and gross, but then after I had a job building stuff PTP for 8 hours a day, I got really good at it. It's just one of those things you have to work at until you get it down. I also recommend a good pair of small needle-nose or chain-nose pliers to work with. Once you get the method down, you can execute just about any maneuver you might encounter in a PTP build with just the pliers and it makes things much easier. The pliers let you shape and route the leads neatly and it can easily handle the small parts. A pair of good shearcutters help alot for clipping the leads off neatly as well. I love the Xcelite 170M. The pliers I use are the Excelta 2844D chain-nose and 2847 needle-nose. They are reasonably priced and perform much better than cheap tools you find at home-improvement stores.

Practice is where you get the skill and good tools is what helps you use the skill to it's fullest.
"Analog electronics in music is dead. Analog effects pedal design is a dead art." - Fran

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bumblebee
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Post by bumblebee »

thanks for the advice, i have some needle nose pliers i use and they do make it easier to bend the leads, i been using nail clippers for trimming leads etc as they seem to get in close where other things cant,down side is they start to go blunt-ish pretty quick.


spose ill just keep practicing until i finally come up with a way for each circuit i do that looks nice and neat.

:)

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super velcroboy
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Post by super velcroboy »

i used IC sockets sometimes.

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Post by analogguru »

There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

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bumblebee
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Post by bumblebee »

thanks for teh tips!

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hottwatts
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Post by hottwatts »

bumblebee wrote:hey, i built a ptp fuzz last night,first time with ptp,it works fine but it just looks like ass!
..
at this stage i have been drawing it up on paper on a ptp template i made so i get an idea of what to do but i feel im missing the fundamentals of this style.
You have answered your own question! :P

1. Make a copy of the PTP layout in 1:1 scale on paper, card, whatever.

2. Poke your resisitors, caps, etc through the paper and solder it all up.

3. Tear out the paper.

4. Done.

Neat as. Easy as. Plus you can make sure the right bit is going where they go and that you have all the bits you need and none you don't.

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Stuggi
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Post by Stuggi »

I really want to try this out, gonna get myself a piece of oak and some small nails and try a DIY turret board approach. :D Maybe if I used copper nails it would work out pretty neat.

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Post by R.G. »

Stuggi wrote:I really want to try this out, gonna get myself a piece of oak and some small nails and try a DIY turret board approach. :D Maybe if I used copper nails it would work out pretty neat.
You've reinvented the breadboard.

Back when electrons were new, people kept loaves of bread in the kitchen on wooden boards with handles. They used a bread knife to carve off just enough.

Evil electronics experimenters would do electronic circuits by driving nails into breadboards and running wire between them.

See http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/proto ... styles.htm

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Stuggi
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Post by Stuggi »

Yeah, I know, would be kinda fun to have a fuzz or booster as a piece of wood with nails in it. Would be a tad difficult to keep hum out of it though.

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