6
Front panel
Now when all the internal parts are soldered, the next
step would be to assemble parts sitting in the front
panel.
1. Snap in the button. Take care not to bend its leg.
Don’t push the button all the way to the PCB. See
figure 4.
2. Place all potentiometers in the PCB, do not solder
them yet. The big legs on the sides are used to
snap the pot in.
3. Put all jack sockets into the PCB.
4. Put LEDs in place. The cathode (shorter leg) goes
through the hole closer to the edge.
5. Now when all parts are in, carefully put the front
panel on them. Be patient aligning all parts so
they fit through holes. The button may be a little
problematic. If you see it not getting through, use
tweezers to align its bottom part. Don’t worry
about the LEDs for now.
6. Put washers on the pots and jacks. See figure 5.
Pot washers fit tightly into the panel, don’t be
afraid to push them in.
7. Tighten all the potentiometers and jack sockets in
place with their nuts. Take care not to scratch the
panel. Plastic tools are prefered, and steel drivers
should also serve well. If you only have pliers, put
them in a thick plastic bag. Protect the panel!
8. Solder in all the potentiometers and jacks. Only
solder the three smaller terminals of each poten-
tiometer.
9. Use a masking tape on the portion of the panel
with holes for LEDs, see figure 6. Push the LEDs
against the tape, even with the panel surface.
10. Solder the LEDs. Then snap their legs off.
11. Use tweezers to align the button. About 2 mm of
the button should be sticking out of the panel. Test
that the button can be easily clicked and returns
to its resting position.
12. Once the button is in a satisfying position, solder
one of its legs, double-check it can be clicked and
that it returns, and solder the remaining legs.
Figure 4: Side view with the front components in
Figure 5: Pots and jacks with their washers on
Figure 6: Taped LED holes
