Need Tips To Wire Back Of Pot!

[sonrisa vertical]

Hi Guys

I am having the most terrible time wiring to the back of my volume pot the grounds and all wires requier to go there. Bassically I am coming off with really whimpy conections that get loose to easyly.

When placing back the pickguard with all the connections made, the space is a bit cramp and any small push end up lossing the connections.

Any tips how to prep the back off the pot or which solder to use or where in the back of the pot makes the most solid connections?

I did sand the back of the pot but might not enough.

Thanks!

Robert Justiniano

[unusual71]

sand with a rough grit for best results (like 60) did you do that? make sure you get the pot good and hot when attaching solder or it wont bond properly.

[unclej]

here's a good tutorial you might want to read as well.

good luck

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=21077

[lovekraft]

Just to play devil's advocate, there is no compelling reason why you ever have to solder to a pot unless you want to. The convention started in guitar factories because it was faster than any other method on the line, but it's certainly not the only way ( or even the best way) to ground pot cases - it's just the way Fender, et al, did it, so we all do it that way, world without end! You could always use another ground point (it makes no difference, so long as all the grounds terminate at one point) , and hook up a crimp-on ring terminal over the pot shaft to the ground lug to ground the pot's case. Another solution is to simply have the pots contact the shielding where the shaft exits the cavity.

[crafty]

Yeah, I think LK and I differ on this...I don't trust crimp terminals or "touching" the foil, and I know for sure that more heat isn't going to solve your problems.

Use a white pencil eraser to clean and etch the back of the pot. Clean off the residue with rubbing alcohol, dry with a clean paper tissue (not a lotion bearing tissue!) then apply a small dab of electronics flux to the back of the pot. Use a quality iron, such as a Weller or Hakko, set to medium heat (about 450 F) and tin the back of the pot with quality rosin core solder. Then solder your components to the back of the pot.

I even use this method to solder to the lugs on the pots and jacks. Works every time--no cold joints or Hershey Kisses.

[sonrisa vertical]

Yeah, I think LK and I differ on this...I don't trust crimp terminals or "touching" the foil, and I know for sure that more heat isn't going to solve your problems.

Use a white pencil eraser to clean and etch the back of the pot. Clean off the residue with rubbing alcohol, dry with a clean paper tissue (not a lotion bearing tissue!) then apply a small dab of electronics flux to the back of the pot. Use a quality iron, such as a Weller or Hakko, set to medium heat (about 450 F) and tin the back of the pot with quality rosin core solder. Then solder your components to the back of the pot.

I even use this method to solder to the lugs on the pots and jacks. Works every time--no cold joints or Hershey Kisses.

Thanks to all. I will try and will let you all know how it goes. I will also save this page for future reference.

Robert

[lovekraft]

...I don't trust crimp terminals or "touching" the foil...

So just solder the terminals after you crimp them! Seriously, mechanical grounding to the metal chassis is acceptable inside a tube amp that actually generates hum, but unacceptable in a passive guitar system? I rather suspect that we'll continue to disagree, but a properly crimped terminal has all the electrical and mechanical integrity and longevity of a solder joint in an enclosed, non-corrosive environment. Use whichever suits your purpose and fits into your comfort zone.

[psw]

I do solder bare solid copper wire between the pots...or conventional covered wire. I use a file to scour a small edge of the pots, heat it up very hot and apply solder so it adhere's well, then I solder the wire to this prepared spot. All of this is done out of the guitar along with as much other wiring as can be done before it gets anywhere near a confined cavity space.

I also tend to use multicore shielded wire for signal connections with the sheild connected on one end only...usually the pots. This aids sheilding even in guitar's which don't have sheilded cavities and the sheilding is right around the wires from the pickups to the output. Typically the sheild is only connected to the central ground point, more often than not the pot! I don't know if this is typically recommended but it seems to work for me.

[crafty]

...I don't trust crimp terminals or "touching" the foil...

So just solder the terminals after you crimp them! Seriously, mechanical grounding to the metal chassis is acceptable inside a tube amp that actually generates hum, but unacceptable in a passive guitar system? I rather suspect that we'll continue to disagree, but a properly crimped terminal has all the electrical and mechanical integrity and longevity of a solder joint in an enclosed, non-corrosive environment. Use whichever suits your purpose and fits into your comfort zone.

I wish it wasn't acceptable in any amp. Seems like every time I open an amp up I have to tighten the stupid grounds. But, that's the nature of the design and engineering of amps, so we live with it. I've just never trusted crimp terminals of any kind unless they are soldered. I agree, in a guitar it's probably not as critical, but I just prefer soldered connections.