trinityamps.com

Hey guys. So far my first amp build is going pretty good. Spending tons of hours, but that's just because I'm going overly slow and triple checking everything way too many times per solder connection! I've just got the three octals to wire up, the mains, and the remaining transformer wires that aren't already done. Keeping things nice and tidy.

The only partial difficulty has been working with the solid core wire. I use it extensively in my pedal builds, and I'm used to having the wire break here and there when I'm bending the wire onto a joint and having to redo the wire bend again because it broke off, but yesterday things got a bit frustrating having a wire breaking here and there at the connection point. I attached the flying leads to the eyelet board from underneath like I saw in a thread posted for the kit. I was really careful in setting the eyelet board into the chassis and gently bending the leads upward, but nevertheless in the process of hooking them all up 3 of them decided to break off from the eyelet board at the connection point, and since they were attached underneath and I wasn't going to lift the eyelet board out again, so I wound up attaching a couple of them to the top of the eyelet board. It's not a major big deal, just disappointing that my build won't look as impressive as some of the pics here in the forum.

Does anyone have any tips/tricks to bending and attaching the solid core to the components without it breaking that you have found a big help? I think I had to rebend and attach a couple of the wires on the input jacks two or three times because it was giving me such a hard time.

Well, fingers crossed, hoping that in a couple more days I might be able to post a pic of a hopefully WORKING amp !

Hmm, I've never run into this problem. What kind of pliers are you using? Do you have the small size needle nose ones?

Yes, I use small needle nose. Maybe when I'm wrapping it around input jack lugs maybe im twisting it too quickly ? Dunno. I love how solid wire makes everything look neater, it just sometimes will break off on me. The couple flying leads that broke off really should of, I was really gentle slipping the board into the chassis, and I moved the wires back and forth as minimally as possible attaching them to the components. Only thing I can think of is when I bent the right angle at the end before I soldered it, maybe I bent it too quickly or weakened it. I did make sure all resistors/caps were crimped into place and the flying leads crimped and in place and did a single solder step per eyelet. Perhaps I was too rough with the wire.

You should really be using round-nosed lead forming pliers when forming wires or component leads. Square edge pliers can nick the wire conductor(s), especially bad when using single strand wire since you only get one shot and your whole connection is gone.
How are you stripping the wire to begin with? What sort of tool? If you using too small an opening on the strippers for the wire gauge your using, you could be leaving a nice ring of shiny copper right at the insulation. If you then drag the insulation off with the strippers then you are most likely shaving the lead along the way. This leaves the conductor very brittle (and partially untinned). With solid core wire with PVC insulation, you should be able to use the next (larger opening) gauge on your strippers from the wire gauge. Just squeeze the cut where you want it and pull the insulation off with your fingers.

Joe G

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Thanks Joe....I'll go buy some round nosed pliers...great tip !

I just use my fingers to bend. I'm not anal about how straight all the angles are. Obviously.

If you broke the sharp edges of your needlenosed pliers with a file and some emery cloth it would go a long way as well. I see people bend insulated wire with needlenosed pliers to get those hard right angled so-called mil-spec bends. Big no-no
Be nice to your wires!

Joe G

_________________
Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...