Show off your DIY Boards

[Agileguy_101]

I'm sorry if this has already been done, but I didn't find anything of the sort.

I want to see the pedalboards that you've built from scratch! Ikea shelves, slab of plywood, beautiful hardwoods, wrapped in tolex - it's all good. As long as you made it, I want to see it.

This was my very first pedalboard, circa late 2010/early 2011. I didn't realize that it was overkill when I was building it, I just wanted something big and awesome. It did however provide the basis for one of the key ideas that I would use in my next pedalboard build - routing the (power) cables under the board.



Man, I still miss that vintage Phase 45 sometimes.

This one I built mid-2015. It featured several improvements over my last board, namely being relatively compact considering everything that it had on it. My favorite aspect of this design is the fact that I was able to route all cabling - signal, power, and midi - under each pedal, through the board, and back to the midi controller. It even fit in a nice Pelican case that I bought to make a board around. Unfortunately, I only discovered after I made the board that having presets across my analog pedals just isn't for me. I much prefer turning on and off my pedals individually - except for my modulation/delay, for some reason having those tied to a midi switcher is fine for me.



Making the cables go under the pedals was the most difficult - but also the most fun - part. I had to buy a router to do it, but it was so worth it. Here's a picture showing how I did it - it's basically just routing channels for the cables to pass through to a hole that's centered under each pedal, and then the cables went through to the route at the bottom of the board (where the switcher was). I also routed out the board so that a wah pedal will fit flush on the board, alleviating any need for a wah pedal plate or something like that. Honestly that's my favorite thing that I was able to do, it just looks so nice.



I've been without my main board ever since I took this one apart late last year. I'm just glad I have my small board to tide me over until the new one is ready. I got rid of most of my pedals on that board save for the Mesa, wah, and the tuner. Unfortunately, this board won't be complete until Chase Bliss releases the Tonal Recall... ugh, can it be May 30th already?

Anyway, show me your homemade boards!

[repoman]

This is supposed to be black stain but it kinda looks like poop color
I need to add some crap to it like a power switch, connecting cable from row 1 to row 2 under it

[frodog]

Nice boards, guys!

I just finished up (for now) a board made of an old industrial metal tool drawer. So, not built from scratch, repurposed. Painted it in blue hammerite, plain velcro to fasten most of the pedals, and now finally I got to drilling some holes in it to route the power cables from the cioks, mounted on the underside with the included bracket with screws and nuts. For drilling the holes I used one of those cone drill bits, then filed the edges and painted them, so the wires wouldn't snag. It's rough, but it works. Needs one more handle on the side to carry well, ideally a case... but I found that just a standard framed cork board makes a perfect base, same dimensions, so that gives it extra protection if needed.

Here is the board after I drilled it:


and the section where the power supply is mounted under. you can see where the bracket is screwed into the psu through the big hole (that was in the drawer originally). janky, poorly planned drilling on the right:


then the whole inside/underbelly of the drawer, with power lines that I didn't have strips to fasten all that neat, many of them going through a hole in that metal separator, out to wherever:


So here's the board all wired up. The looper is off board. I got some bulky cables, so it's not as tight as if I had used, say, all evidence sis cables that there are two of. But overall, I'm quite happy with it. Gonna need a couple of those mushroom caps for switches so I can reach the back row better...

[coupleonapkins]

I just finished up (for now) a board made of an old industrial metal tool drawer. So, not built from scratch, repurposed...

That is an unduly underused term these days - great freakin' board! I'll always love that series of Ibanez pedals, so the more the merrier

[Faldoe]

Nice boards, guys!

I just finished up (for now) a board made of an old industrial metal tool drawer. So, not built from scratch, repurposed. Painted it in blue hammerite, plain velcro to fasten most of the pedals, and now finally I got to drilling some holes in it to route the power cables from the cioks, mounted on the underside with the included bracket with screws and nuts. For drilling the holes I used one of those cone drill bits, then filed the edges and painted them, so the wires wouldn't snag. It's rough, but it works. Needs one more handle on the side to carry well, ideally a case... but I found that just a standard framed cork board makes a perfect base, same dimensions, so that gives it extra protection if needed.

Here is the board after I drilled it:


and the section where the power supply is mounted under. you can see where the bracket is screwed into the psu through the big hole (that was in the drawer originally). janky, poorly planned drilling on the right:


then the whole inside/underbelly of the drawer, with power lines that I didn't have strips to fasten all that neat, many of them going through a hole in that metal separator, out to wherever:


So here's the board all wired up. The looper is off board. I got some bulky cables, so it's not as tight as if I had used, say, all evidence sis cables that there are two of. But overall, I'm quite happy with it. Gonna need a couple of those mushroom caps for switches so I can reach the back row better...

Pretty cool idea. Did you deburr the holes your drilled? Looking at them I wonder if they might be a little/slight sharp and that could be problematic possibly if the power wires rub against the metal, possibly cutting into the wires. Maybe buy some rubber grommets to put in the holes? Should the need arise.

[Eivind August]

Awesome board, frodog!

Reminding myself to take some pics of my old trusty miniboard and post them here.

[frodog]

Thanks dudes!

Pretty cool idea. Did you deburr the holes your drilled? Looking at them I wonder if they might be a little/slight sharp and that could be problematic possibly if the power wires rub against the metal, possibly cutting into the wires. Maybe buy some rubber grommets to put in the holes? Should the need arise.

Deburring, that's what it's called! Thanks (I had to look it up). But no, I've seen that tool around but didn't really know what it was for until now. What I did was just file the edges down with a round file and then paint over with hammerite, so they're not as sharp as they look. Although rubber grommets would be good to have, I agree.

[rustywire]

24"x12" (PT2 size) wire shelf & mounting brackets from The Container Store: About $25
I don't have any bare pics...so bear with me



I've since added 2 square foot cork tiles to keep pedals isolated from e/o & decoupled from the board itself:

[dminner]

I am currently building this...it is a prototype so it is steel and a bit on the heavy side. In the end I will make an all aluminum one.

It is pedal train-ish but has the back kicked out at a very shallow angle. It makes it sit lower and allows for a back plate that can be viewed from the front. The backplate will be etched aluminum and have some integrated electronics.

[Jero]

Are you hard wiring some effects into the board?

[dminner]

Are you hard wiring some effects into the board?

yeah! Two boosts, a compressor, and some utility type stuff. I hope to etch the back panel this weekend.

[Eivind August]

Ok, so mine's a lot less fancy than the others here. Just some basic wood shit with spraypaint and stickers.



So board.



Very design.



Much convenience.



Wow.

[rustywire]

Ok, so mine's a lot less fancy than the others here. Just some basic wood shit with spraypaint and stickers.

SAID WITH A STRAIGHT FACE IN SPITE OF A W E S O M E TRIFORCE, SPACE INVADER & 8BIT HEART DECORATIONS