A question for the pedal builders

Greetings,
Having had a go at building a couple of OD boxes and started off a phaser, I have couple of questions for those who build pedals.
Firstly - which drill bits would you advise for drilling out the enclosures? I have used some Axminster HSS, but the finish isnt great. I was thinking of getting some stubby bits.

Secondly - how do you (easily) organise your resistors??? Having bought a couple of selection packs from ebay, i find it a royal pain shifting through them all each time looking for specific values.

Cheers in advance,
Adam
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Comments

  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    Pilot drill and then step drill is good. These are less likely to wander in that soft zinc alloy, have multiple sizes in one bit. They deburr in one hit too.
     Still might need a separate bit or two for inbetween the steps. A pillar drill's ideal but light clamping & steady hand will get it done.
    I use little stash bags for resistors caps etc, ones with a panel you can write on.
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    cheers - i do have a pillar drill, so ok on that front. Ive never used a step drill before - can you suggest a good source?

    regarding the resistors - i sortof meant how you might easily order the values. For instance, do you put all the values beginning with '1' together in increasing size? Do you limit it to ohms, kilohms, megohms? Are any of the multi-drawer organisers useful? I know, daft question.

    Adam
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    I just buy cheap ones with cobalt plating, fleabay'll have them and they'll chomp the alloy no probs.
    I don't have tons of resistors & such so putting a size per bag works for me, keep 'em in takeaway placcy boxes. They stack too as a bonus. My mate has a load of small plastic boxes but he's got tons to store. Similar to the drawers really in effect (pun alert!)
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27574
    I've done a few ways. Centre punch, then step drill (no pilot needed) with some Fastcut or similar to begin with. After a couple of years I switched to centre punch, 3mm pilot, then HSS drills with Fastcut. If you're drilling all the way from 3mm up to 13mm or so then you really need to match the RPM to the drill size to get the best results.

    For resistors I sorted them by value into two multidrawer things when I bought selection packs, then I just bought the values I needed for projects.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    The reason for pilot is the relatively delicate tip lasts much longer, though with the soft shitey enclosure metal it'll last longer it's true. I lube for steel but not for pedal boxes though does no harm.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27574
    Fair point - a pilot is probably a good idea even with the step drill. I found Fastcut helped stop the step drill gunging up, particularly on larger holes.

    Also a proper drill vice. And goggles or safety specs, and of you're doing lots (or sanding the enclosures) some barrier cream isn't a bad idea.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    Specs etc good call, pretty chippy stuff that likes to fly
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  • MarkeebeeMarkeebee Frets: 62
    I used to use an A4 ring binder and then stapled the little bags that the resistors came in to separate pages....page 1 with all the values that begin with 1, page 2 with all the twos etc etc.   Worked really well until I got hundreds of each value, so now I use one of those multi-drawer storage thingies.

    Drilling - I find that a proper clout with a centre punch is pretty much as good as a pilot hole.
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  • m_cm_c Frets: 1211

    Always use a bit lube when drilling aluminium, as it stops it sticking to the drill. It's even more important for softer alloys which can be more like trying to machine butter than metal. Once aluminium has stuck to a drill, it'll just lead to galling, which at the minimum will give you a horrendous finish, but can result in the drill bit welding/jamming in the hole and snapping.

    Getting a good finish on thin soft material can a be problem. For small holes i.e. less than a few mm diameter, use a larger drill to create a chamfer (it's often easier doing it by hand), and for larger holes, invest in a deburring tool. Search ebay for Noga deburring tool, to see the type I mean, then remove Noga for some similar but cheaper options.

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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    Thanks for the advice folks - I already have all the safety gear from doing a fair bit of woodwork, but it's always a good reminder.
    I'll have a look for the deburring tool, and use a bit of lube when cutting - would any general oil do or does it need to be a specific cutting fluid?

    Cheers.
    Adam
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    edited March 2017 tFB Trader
    Any old oil will work, I have cutting oil but also just use motor oil in a can, but I'm pretty sure the cases are zinc alloy not aluminium, they're quite hard and chippy not soft & squidgy and wanting to smear like ally. That grey slightly blotchy look is typical zinc too. Doing lots at a time maybe, but for me it's a little excessive reall for the odd one or two and oil means cleanup for paint, it won't hurt to use it though.
    This stuff is soft, a blade will deburr it, but deburring tools are handy and can be cheap. Don't need anything fancy for these cases.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Sporky said:

    Also a proper drill vice. And goggles or safety specs, and of you're doing lots (or sanding the enclosures) some barrier cream isn't a bad idea.
    This.

    Or at worst, cut a hole the size of the pedal box into a piece of 3/4" MDF and clamp that firmly to the drill base so the box cannot spin as the drill breaks through.

    Do not under any circumstances be tempted to hold the pedal box in place by hand while drilling it. You need your fingers for the rest of building it and playing guitar.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • lasermonkeylasermonkey Frets: 1940
    I use a pillar drill, centre punch, 3mm pilot hole and then a 1mm increment step cutter, unless imperial sizes are needed, such as some toggle switches and jack sockets.

     I find that a bit of lube on the bits is a good idea, as those diecast enclosures can be a bit on the sticky side.

     Although I don't use a drill vice when drilling into the top of the enclosure, I always do when drilling into the sides. This is mainly due to the sloped sides, and I place an old lolly stick underneath the enclosure to ensure that it's supported properly on the shorter edge. It also ensures that the surface to be drilled is perpendicular to the drill.

    Regarding sorting resistors, I have three Farnell packaging boxes in which I keep the resistors. Every value is placed into those useful Ziploc "baggies', and sorted in order. I just have too many values to put into component drawers. When you're stuffing circuit boards, you don't really want to be hunting all over the place for the right component. Sorting them properly will save you a lot of time in the long run.

    I have a similar storage system for most other components, though ICs are stored in those little anti static boxes, and JFETs and MOSFETS are stored in anti static bags.

     I do have a load of old RS component drawers which I rescued from my old workplace (they were going to chuck them into a skip) and I keep things such as potentiometers, knobs, jack sockets, basically everything that isn't suitable for the Ziploc bags.
    My wife asked me to stop singing Wonderwall.
    I said maybe.....
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