[sdiy] Potentiometer Heights

[cyborgzero at comcast.net]

I use a handheld battery operated reciprocating saw.

You tend to get more accurate cuts with it, and put a metal saw blade
on it.

Most of the time, if I am careful, it takes about 10 seconds and no
edge cleanup..

My panavise works for the job.

To get them accurate, i measure, then  put the vise right at the
height I want to cut them at.

Tried using bolt cutters, but the edge is hashed too much and needs
cleaning. Ugh..

Always wondered about using a pipe cutter for it, since they tend to
make a very nice cut.


Rob

----- Original Message -----
From: "harry" <harrybissell at prodigy.net>
To: "Peter Grenader" <petergrenader at mksound.com>
Cc: "Batz Goodfortune" <batzman at all-electric.com>; "Cynthia Webster"
<cynthia.webster at gte.net>; "Diy" <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Potentiometer Heights


> Arrgh really ???
>
> I always hold the unwanted shaft in the vice... then hacksaw. Then
there is no
> stress transmitted to the body.   Just put a pillow on the floor, or
hold the body
> 'just' as it lets go.
>
> Your method would be necessary if the shaft was slightly too long.
In that case I
> look for knobs that could cover up the shaft length error.
>
> H^) harry
>
> Peter Grenader wrote:
>
> > Cyn
> >
> > This is a good Batz is suggesting here, but probably out of the
question for
> > you now in that (I bet) you are at the tail endof a project rather
than the
> > beginning and just want to faceplate mount your knobs without
having them 3
> > inches off the surface.
> >
> > I've gone through this mess you're going through.  I have a third
hand/table
> > vise with rubber stops. Dont wedge it in there too hard or you
will surely
> > cause damage to the wiper/coil.   I just snug the pot in there
held by the
> > vise at its base on one end and the tip of the shaft at the other.
You just
> > start slow and continue with minimal pressure on the saw -let the
saw find
> > it's groove and it goes fairly easily.  It doesn't take that long
at all.
> > without a vise though it could get ugly.
> >
> > It bugs me that this is about the only type of pot shafts you can
find in
> > walk-in stores.  Now, try finding 6mm ones...this gets even more
> > mightmare-on-elm-streetish.
> >
> > hope this helps,
> >
> > P
> >
> > on 7/5/02 10:28 PM, Batz Goodfortune at batzman at all-electric.com
wrote:
> >
> > > Y-ellow Cynthia 'n' all.
> > >
> > > At 11:33 AM 7/5/02 -0700, Cynthia Webster wrote:
> > >> Sounds like the title of a new soap opera
> > >>
> > >> Stay tuned for next week's episode of
> > >>
> > >> "Potentiometer Heights"
> > >
> > > In which Cynthia shows her prowess as a 1337 haxor.
> > >
> > >> Anyway, here I am with a hacksaw going-at-it with a big bag of
> > >> different length pot shafts and wondering if someone has a
> > >> suggestion for an easier way to deal with this dilemma?
> > >
> > > Often, I have circumvented the whole problem by designing
everything to
> > > bolt to a sub-panel. The depth of which depends on the length of
the shaft.
> > > No cutting at all but some fabricating involved. Though the main
reason for
> > > this isn't really the pot-shaft cutting deal. The reason is that
the pot
> > > can then bolt to a flange behind the panel. It does not tighten
on the
> > > panel and if you've used a heat coated paper panel, this can be
important
> > > as the tension of doing up the nut will twist and/or rip the ply
of the
> > > panel markings. Not very pretty.
> > >
> > > This also allows you to use much smaller knobs. And knobs that
don't have
> > > skirts who's only real purpose is to hide the pot-nuts. And
finally, by
> > > using a sub panel, you can drill a tiny little hole through
which the
> > > securing flange that some pots have can protrude. Thus locking
them in
> > > place and preventing the pot from rotating. Even if the pot-nuts
become lose.
> > >
> > > It's not always necessary to make an aluminium sub-panel either.
You could
> > > for example, make your PCB with holes in it for the pots to
mount directly
> > > to. Some over-sized lands on the solder side will even allow you
to
> > > virtually-surface mount, a standard ol' toy-shop-pot to the
board. (Thankya
> > > Roman) So in the end you can build your entire circus on one PCB
and just
> > > mount the PCB a "Pot-shaft's distance"tm under the main front
panel.
> > >
> > > No wiring. No cutting and the pot's right smack bang in the
middle of the
> > > circus it's adjusting.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps.
> > >
> > > Be absolutely Icebox.
> > >
> > > _ __        _       ____Happiness is a warm penguin____
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> > >
>
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