[MathU41]

I haven’t had quite that problem, but then again I usually have to wait a good while anyway because of work hours.
I also assume it might be different between decal brands and techniques. Mine are inkjet, and I give them two or three coats of clear and dry them before I even cut them out to apply.
They also seem to  have reacted different on gloss versus satin, so…
Not a huge deal, just annoying to strip down and start from scratch.

I also don’t bake the clear. I give it longer to dry and might pop it into the dehydrator if it’s taking a while, but it tends to dry better than paint, Florida weather being what it is.

Baking the decals does shrink them a little (usually about 2mm total with my brand and technique) so I’m afraid what would happen if I tried baking the clearcoat with them under it.

[MathU41]

Thanks for a great PCB, Barry!

And thanks, Steve. I did find on this one that either my timing is off on my technique of baking my decals or they don’t like it on gloss.
On the good side, they adhered better to the gloss paint than they do flat or satin. On the negative–either because they hadn’t dried completely or they adhered too well initially–the slight shrinkage had a definite focal point in the middle (I could trace a line across the drilled holes) and it caused uneven shrinkage and bad wrinkles.
So noted that for later and stripped it down. This is the second go, without baking post-decal.

I dare say they’re getting better as I go.

[MathU41]

Point-to-point is above my level. I do like looking at the pieces that become essentially art, though.
And yes, I have also made a point of tossing some extra 3PDT or various mod boards in my cart whenever I order. One the few pedals I’ve made from diagrams, they’re still by far the easiest way to wire up a switch. Love these things.

[MathU41]

Thanks, Barry. I can always do the inline resistor later.
I’ll be giving this some TLC and finally getting it together.

[MathU41]

Okay, quick brief resurrection!
Life hit me like a truck for a time before I started my current batch. Finally found this again in one of my boxes while sorting tools.

So, summary of needed changes:
1) Change R11 to 100k.
2) Swap gain pot to an A250k, OR an A300k/A500k with 1M resistor from legs 1&3.
3) Add an 8k2 resistor between gain pot leg 1 and board.

Am I correct in those? Did I miss anything?

[MathU41]

Yeah, overloading this thing might be a genuine concern.
To be fair it was mostly bought for the space concerns, so I could have it in the work area, and it’s usually an almost respectable headphone passthrough . It actually manages a lot better than expected for guitar… I didn’t expect much.
It already struggles a little on bass, and I assume it’s just not designed for those frequencies.
I’ll be going back to the old 15-watt Fender once I’m done with repairs on that, and I’ve also been poking into the local pawn shops checking for actual bass amps.

Anyway, adjustments have helped, I know this can work, and no components got called out, so I’m going to call the circuit good, box it, and tweak from there. I can always adjust trimpots or swap transistors in situ.

[MathU41]

Well, for the sake of reference and future research…

I’ve definitely found some nice effect out of it, it’s just further down the dial than off-the-shelf pedals.
Of course, Boss and the like have to idiot-proof their pedals. I’d rather something lets me be an idiot and get some funky sound out of it. 😀

[MathU41]

Okay, seem to be on the right track.
Down to 3.5v and have almost half the drive knob usable. Don’t know how much lower I can go, but I do still have a good bit of distance in the trimpots.
The adjustment is almost more of a blend than an amount. It’s more like ‘how much string sound is making it through the velcro.’ I’m sure some of it is because I don’t have my own proper bass amp; I’m running it through a guitar practice amp, usually with headphones.
And I’ll have to attach a few of my SMD J201s to their boards and try those out to compare.

[MathU41]

You offer options in the build doc, I’m going to use them.
My Rat’s like a NASA control board.

[MathU41]

Well, of course. It’s a phaser. It gets a phaser. I was just so glad to find the little icon.
I find that once the overall look of something is close, the little details are the most important. And since there aren’t many little details here, to apply it where I could.
Incorporating a phaser and having a light completely unassociated with it would feel wrong.

[MathU41]

Thank you, guys. It doesn’t hold a candle to some of the artwork and routing I see here, but it is nice and clearly visible.

With my normal Rustoleum or Krylon, I let it dry overnight then bake at 200f for an hour. Probably overkill. I do this for the primer, then the base paint.
I’ve been using Hayes inkjet-printable clear waterslide decals. You can get better initial results than I do with better prep. It likes a smooth base. I might try something else once I run out. I’m worried about peeling on some of the unbaked ones.
But the package states that if it’s on ceramic (and presumably anything heat-safe) you can bake it for 15 minutes at 230f to set it. I found this causes it to shrink a little, or my toaster oven just runs a little hotter than stated. I moved it back down to about 200-215 and got this.
If you use a clearcoat that’s truly clear, or pick the right colors, it does a good job of hiding.

[MathU41]

Thank you, thank you.
Flattering, from you guys.

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