I was thinking of constructing a solderless tube-based breadboarding
set up for trying out circuits without having to machine a chassis,
mount strips, sockets , etc for somthing I might throw away. I was
thinking of mounting sockets on a chassis with standoffs, soldering
leads on the sockets, then bolting the other ends of the leads to those
euro-style barrior strips you can get at Radio Shack. Add some more
barrior strips for parts in-between providing a way to do point to
point using the screws on the strips. I would use pre-built power
supplies and leave room on the breadboard for interstage and output
trannies to be clamped down while testing.

Has anyone set up a breadboard for tubes? Any ideas?

When I was a kid in the 60's I remember reading some tube project
books, specifically one called "The Boys Book of Radio Electronics"
that used a pine shellac-coated board and fanhestock(sic) connectors
for hooking up and tearing down the projects quickly. Those white
euro-strips have good isolation, come in various sizes, and are cheap.

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any types of parts that might be
troublesome? Are there any commercially available tube-based
breadboards out there? Things like jacks, switches, pots, etc would
also be permanently mounted to the chassis and go to a euro-strip for
connection access. As metioned the B+ and filament power supply would
be in separate boxes with leads that I attach to another euro-strip on
the breadboard.

Would I be better off using wood or perhaps a piece of Corian instead
of a metal chassis as a base?

Seems like once you build this once it will save tons of time later
experimenting.

thanks
Rick

See below in your text...

"RickH" wrote in message
ups.com...
I was thinking of constructing a solderless tube-based breadboarding
set up for trying out circuits without having to machine a chassis,
mount strips, sockets , etc for somthing I might throw away.

Good idea, but NOT solderless - too kludgy. IMHO, it's quicker to use
tag strips and tack solder components in place (but don't wrap them!)

I was
thinking of mounting sockets on a chassis with standoffs, soldering
leads on the sockets, then bolting the other ends of the leads to
those
euro-style barrior strips you can get at Radio Shack. Add some more
barrior strips for parts in-between providing a way to do point to
point using the screws on the strips. I would use pre-built power
supplies and leave room on the breadboard for interstage and output
trannies to be clamped down while testing.

OK on the chassis real estate, but use solder tag strips as I said.

Has anyone set up a breadboard for tubes? Any ideas?

Yes, years ago I used both wooden boards with standoffs as needed and
cookie tins (called biscuit tins in the UK where I lived then), but
always soldered. Well, perhaps one or two "chocolate blocks" for AC
power, speakers, etc.

When I was a kid in the 60's I remember reading some tube project
books, specifically one called "The Boys Book of Radio Electronics"
that used a pine shellac-coated board and fanhestock(sic) connectors
for hooking up and tearing down the projects quickly. Those white
euro-strips have good isolation, come in various sizes, and are
cheap.

Sorry, don't recall them... I hardly ever bought anything, anyway,
all scrounged.

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any types of parts that might be
troublesome?

Watch the RF shielding. Also high voltage security (usual
disclaimers: don't play with AC or B+ unless you know exactly what you
are doing - can be lethal.) My cookie tin chassis were quite good at
RF. Made a FM tuner once, also a UK TV converter (ITV to BBC - IIRC,
178 MHz, or so, to 42 MHz..) You could solder in shields in anywhere
(cut them with scissors, no less!) and solder directly to the
"chassis" anywhere with very low thermal inertia (unlike an iron
vintage radio chassis! But the answer here is a lot of ground tags
all over it.) BTW. cookie tins bend a bit with heavy transformers -
keep them at the corners.

Are there any commercially available tube-based
breadboards out there?

No idea, sorry.

Things like jacks, switches, pots, etc would
also be permanently mounted to the chassis and go to a euro-strip
for
connection access. As metioned the B+ and filament power supply
would
be in separate boxes with leads that I attach to another euro-strip
on
the breadboard.

Or on same chassis. You might keep a stripped, multi-tube chassis
with all sorts of holes, tube bases, tuning caps, IFT's, etc, left on
it for working up new circuits. I have one that I plan to do this
with when I get around to stripping it. Has a P/S, too.

Would I be better off using wood or perhaps a piece of Corian
instead
of a metal chassis as a base?

I'd prefer metal.

Seems like once you build this once it will save tons of time later
experimenting.

Yes, agreed, if done right, but use soldering.

thanks
Rick

Hope this helps. Good luck!
Cheers,
Roger

If you are working with octal tubes, there are sockets commercially
available with screw terminals built in. Intended for use with plug-in
relays.

http://www.weisd.com/store2/NTER95-113.jpg

Will screw down to a piece of plywood, or clip onto a piece of DIN
mounting rail.

Bob Weiss N2IXK


RickH wrote:
I was thinking of constructing a solderless tube-based breadboarding
set up for trying out circuits without having to machine a chassis,
mount strips, sockets , etc for somthing I might throw away. I was
thinking of mounting sockets on a chassis with standoffs, soldering
leads on the sockets, then bolting the other ends of the leads to those
euro-style barrior strips you can get at Radio Shack. Add some more
barrior strips for parts in-between providing a way to do point to
point using the screws on the strips. I would use pre-built power
supplies and leave room on the breadboard for interstage and output
trannies to be clamped down while testing.

Has anyone set up a breadboard for tubes? Any ideas?

When I was a kid in the 60's I remember reading some tube project
books, specifically one called "The Boys Book of Radio Electronics"
that used a pine shellac-coated board and fanhestock(sic) connectors
for hooking up and tearing down the projects quickly. Those white
euro-strips have good isolation, come in various sizes, and are cheap.

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any types of parts that might be
troublesome? Are there any commercially available tube-based
breadboards out there? Things like jacks, switches, pots, etc would
also be permanently mounted to the chassis and go to a euro-strip for
connection access. As metioned the B+ and filament power supply would
be in separate boxes with leads that I attach to another euro-strip on
the breadboard.

Would I be better off using wood or perhaps a piece of Corian instead
of a metal chassis as a base?

Seems like once you build this once it will save tons of time later
experimenting.

thanks
Rick

Engineer wrote:

See below in your text...

"RickH" wrote in message
ups.com...
I was thinking of constructing a solderless tube-based breadboarding
set up for trying out circuits without having to machine a chassis,
mount strips, sockets , etc for somthing I might throw away.

Good idea, but NOT solderless - too kludgy. IMHO, it's quicker to use
tag strips and tack solder components in place (but don't wrap them!)

I agree.

Its very easy to make an Al chassis in the form of a U channel, and
place a few tube sockets into it.

Then have tag strips down each side of the row of sockets, pop rivited to
the chassis.
All the ground wire tags should be soldered together with a loop of wire,
or else don't use the chassis for 0V, and make a thick wire bus for 0V.
I have wooden blocks screwed to the chassis ends for supports, and this
allows me to work
with the tubes pointing down, and socket lugs upward with the tags strips.

Large caps are to the side.
this is the easiest way to try things out, and see what you have done.
An RCA input socket for the input is useful.

Keep output tags well away from B+ supplies, and have outputs
from anodes with caps to prevent high DC.

Patrick Turner.



I was
thinking of mounting sockets on a chassis with standoffs, soldering
leads on the sockets, then bolting the other ends of the leads to
those
euro-style barrior strips you can get at Radio Shack. Add some more
barrior strips for parts in-between providing a way to do point to
point using the screws on the strips. I would use pre-built power
supplies and leave room on the breadboard for interstage and output
trannies to be clamped down while testing.

OK on the chassis real estate, but use solder tag strips as I said.

Has anyone set up a breadboard for tubes? Any ideas?

Yes, years ago I used both wooden boards with standoffs as needed and
cookie tins (called biscuit tins in the UK where I lived then), but
always soldered. Well, perhaps one or two "chocolate blocks" for AC
power, speakers, etc.

When I was a kid in the 60's I remember reading some tube project
books, specifically one called "The Boys Book of Radio Electronics"
that used a pine shellac-coated board and fanhestock(sic) connectors
for hooking up and tearing down the projects quickly. Those white
euro-strips have good isolation, come in various sizes, and are
cheap.

Sorry, don't recall them... I hardly ever bought anything, anyway,
all scrounged.

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any types of parts that might be
troublesome?

Watch the RF shielding. Also high voltage security (usual
disclaimers: don't play with AC or B+ unless you know exactly what you
are doing - can be lethal.) My cookie tin chassis were quite good at
RF. Made a FM tuner once, also a UK TV converter (ITV to BBC - IIRC,
178 MHz, or so, to 42 MHz..) You could solder in shields in anywhere
(cut them with scissors, no less!) and solder directly to the
"chassis" anywhere with very low thermal inertia (unlike an iron
vintage radio chassis! But the answer here is a lot of ground tags
all over it.) BTW. cookie tins bend a bit with heavy transformers -
keep them at the corners.

Are there any commercially available tube-based
breadboards out there?

No idea, sorry.

Things like jacks, switches, pots, etc would
also be permanently mounted to the chassis and go to a euro-strip
for
connection access. As metioned the B+ and filament power supply
would
be in separate boxes with leads that I attach to another euro-strip
on
the breadboard.

Or on same chassis. You might keep a stripped, multi-tube chassis
with all sorts of holes, tube bases, tuning caps, IFT's, etc, left on
it for working up new circuits. I have one that I plan to do this
with when I get around to stripping it. Has a P/S, too.

Would I be better off using wood or perhaps a piece of Corian
instead
of a metal chassis as a base?

I'd prefer metal.

Seems like once you build this once it will save tons of time later
experimenting.

Yes, agreed, if done right, but use soldering.

thanks
Rick

Hope this helps. Good luck!
Cheers,
Roger

Bob:

Yup, that's what I use, screwed onto a piece of plywood. I also use barrier
strips with screw terminals. Great way to breadboard, but sometimes you
can't beat all the hum bugs until it's put in a chassis

dre


Bob Weiss wrote in message
news:i66qe.11382$nk4.7063@trndny01...
If you are working with octal tubes, there are sockets commercially
available with screw terminals built in. Intended for use with plug-in
relays.

http://www.weisd.com/store2/NTER95-113.jpg

Will screw down to a piece of plywood, or clip onto a piece of DIN
mounting rail.

Bob Weiss N2IXK


RickH wrote:
I was thinking of constructing a solderless tube-based breadboarding
set up for trying out circuits without having to machine a chassis,
mount strips, sockets , etc for somthing I might throw away. I was
thinking of mounting sockets on a chassis with standoffs, soldering
leads on the sockets, then bolting the other ends of the leads to those
euro-style barrior strips you can get at Radio Shack. Add some more
barrior strips for parts in-between providing a way to do point to
point using the screws on the strips. I would use pre-built power
supplies and leave room on the breadboard for interstage and output
trannies to be clamped down while testing.

Has anyone set up a breadboard for tubes? Any ideas?

When I was a kid in the 60's I remember reading some tube project
books, specifically one called "The Boys Book of Radio Electronics"
that used a pine shellac-coated board and fanhestock(sic) connectors
for hooking up and tearing down the projects quickly. Those white
euro-strips have good isolation, come in various sizes, and are cheap.

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any types of parts that might be
troublesome? Are there any commercially available tube-based
breadboards out there? Things like jacks, switches, pots, etc would
also be permanently mounted to the chassis and go to a euro-strip for
connection access. As metioned the B+ and filament power supply would
be in separate boxes with leads that I attach to another euro-strip on
the breadboard.

Would I be better off using wood or perhaps a piece of Corian instead
of a metal chassis as a base?

Seems like once you build this once it will save tons of time later
experimenting.

thanks
Rick