Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: stephenjbassett on June 15, 2025, 10:45:16 am

Title: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: stephenjbassett on June 15, 2025, 10:45:16 am

I've searched the forum and the web high and low for a solution to quickly changing components on a turret board before committing to direct soldering to the turret.  I first thought about soldering alligator clips standing upright onto the turrets for components I'll optimize, but clips are relatively expensive and a bit unwieldy to pinch at typical turret spacing. 

It occurred to me (EE, after all) that soldering paperclips standing up to the top of the turret and in line with the opposing turret would allow me to slide component leads down and up on the turret as I swap values, including paralleling components for custom values.  When I've dialed in my components, I can simply desolder the clip and solder the component to the turret.

I realize a paperclip might act as a bit of an antenna for noise, but it's an unshielded, open chassis protoboard anyway.  I gotta believe this use case of temporary component swapping without soldering and unsoldering components has been solved by such an imaginative audience.

Any ideas or direction to solutions?

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: Willabe on June 15, 2025, 11:16:27 am

Just 'tack' solder the part in. Just a very small amount of solder, a small dot. 

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: HotBluePlates on June 15, 2025, 02:07:54 pm

Quote from: stephenjbassett on June 15, 2025, 10:45:16 am

...  I first thought about soldering alligator clips ...

... soldering paperclips standing up to the top of the turret and in line with the opposing turret would allow me to slide component leads down and up on the turret as I swap values ...

Any ideas or direction to solutions?

Paperclip works if that appeals to you.

Keystone make clamp terminals & flea clips that hold parts in a non-soldered and/or non-permanent manner.  Those might cost more than paperclips (or need to be ordered in a quantity that's unpalatable).

Tack-soldering as Willabe mentions also works.

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: Platefire on June 15, 2025, 02:55:19 pm

Be sure to get a paperclip rated at 600VDC :l2:

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: shooter on June 15, 2025, 03:25:58 pm

many of us went the Breadboard route after many a solder/ unsolder builds
(not mine)

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: Brownie on July 09, 2025, 11:40:13 am

I always use a magnet to make sure any of my conductors aren't steel. But I know there are some which have steel stalks. I would take a snipping off the stalk of a large old CC resistor for a temporary rail in there

Title: Re: paperclips soldered to turrets for quick change component prototyping?
Post by: uki on July 09, 2025, 05:27:45 pm

What about gator clips soldered back to back , like:
 (https://www.trendware.com.tw/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SCLIP-04SCLIP-08_1-600x600.jpg)