Soldering Pots?

GIBSON Les Paul · Post by **GIBSON Les Paul** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:00 pm

videocat23 wrote:I used a dremel tool and grinded down the back of the pots in the place i soldered the wire to. I used a 25W iron with a point tip. It worked fine and is still on there. What size solder are you using? You might want to use an aligator clip, chip clip, er something to hold the wire on the back of the pot whilst you solder it on there. The more solder you use, the more it will stay on, but it will also take a lot longer time to harden.

I just brought the buss wire straight from the terminals to a ground lug on one of the choke nuts. Thanks for the tips guys.

Megachunk · Post by **Megachunk** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:29 pm

Hi all, new here, and just bought a 67 board for my JCM800 1959. Figgered I'd stop buggin George with emails and do it proper here on the forum. Anyway, I just got his pre-wired pots and they're a bit short on width for my JCM800. I'm having to rewire the ground buss, as I've clipped and desoldered already. Now I'm confused. There's a small mica cap on one of the pots and a metal film on another. The mallory-looking metal film is the presence but what is the pot woth the small mica cap? cant find it on schems. Thanks!

BTW, I'm a total rookie at amp building/tweaking so remember, stupid questions ARE as stupid questions DO!

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:43 pm

The one with the mica is the Bright channel volume (probably labelled "Volume I" on the 800.) Second pot from the right if you're facing the amp's control panel.

Megachunk · Post by **Megachunk** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:01 pm

That's where it's sittin now! Thanks man.

Bow · Post by **Bow** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:01 am

videocat23 wrote: The more solder you use, the more it will stay on, but it will also take a lot longer time to harden.

Not to be a prick... but this isn't correct...

"The Bigger the Blob, the better the job" in not true. it can cause the solder to cool unevenly and form a cold (weak) solder joint where you can't see it.

You need enough solder to secure the buss wire, or anything you are soldering, to the back of the pot, but it is better if you can still see the outline of the wire through the solder after it cools.

This is true for any soldering, even when you tin the twisted wire, you want to be able to see the individual wires in the solder.

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:05 pm

Bow wrote:"The Bigger the Blob, the better the job"

Is that a quote from Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom"............

Bow · Post by **Bow** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:46 pm

Flames1950 wrote:
Bow wrote:"The Bigger the Blob, the better the job"
Is that a quote from Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom"............

hahahha, no...

it is an on going joke where I work....

we have had a couple Engineers that displayed their soldering skills on prototype builds...

The circuits looked like they were soldered with a hot rock and brute force...

tooloud · Post by **tooloud** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:31 pm

I use a 60 watt weller for the big jobs like the pots works very good..

toner · Post by **toner** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:12 pm

GIBSON Les Paul wrote:I just brought the buss wire straight from the terminals to a ground lug on one of the choke nuts. Thanks for the tips guys.

choke nuts? Ouch!

rtcook · Post by **rtcook** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:19 am

Has anyone tried soldering to the PEC pots? Can it be done? Seems as though I read somewhere that one of the pots was not solderable.

Thanks,

Roger

rockstah · Post by **rockstah** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:23 am

they dont have to be soldered as seen by many including myself.
just the ground points of each pot that does need grounding works just fine.

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:13 pm

rtcook wrote:Has anyone tried soldering to the PEC pots? Can it be done? Seems as though I read somewhere that one of the pots was not solderable.

Thanks,

Roger

Yes, actually -- "leleduke" soldered to the backs of them in his JTM45 build.

He got to buy a second set too -- they were ruined.

Eoin · Post by **Eoin** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:27 pm

Funny... ever since this thread soldering to pots has been a total pain with my 25 watt.

I'm not sure how I was managing.

Out of curiosity, what's the purpose of grounding the (normal) pot chassis' anyway? It's definitely easier to just wire the circuit grounds to a ground lug somewhere, so is there a problem with leaving the pots themselves ungrounded?

mightymike · Post by **mightymike** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:14 pm

rtcook wrote:Has anyone tried soldering to the PEC pots? Can it be done? Seems as though I read somewhere that one of the pots was not solderable.

Thanks,

Roger

I solder the backs off the PEC pots, but the guy that showed me how, made me promise not to tell how.

But if you want I'll sell you a presoldered PEC pot assembly (with 18guage buss) with the .1 Mustard for $20 more than parts, plus shipping.

Or you can buy the parts, send them to me, and just pay me 20 for doing it. Plus shipping.

rtcook · Post by **rtcook** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:18 pm

So, it is possible. But, what could be the big secret? Grinding the back, special flux, correct temp. & solder, etc. I could not imagine why someone would swear you to secrecy over something like that.

Roger