Need Help Sourcing Pots for Rocket Clone Build

[DR103]

I am building a rocket clone and I need to find pots that have longer shafts/brushing so I can fit it through the chassis and the 1/8 wood faceplate. Any suggestions on where I can find such pots? I am not having any luck.

[LeftyStrat]

Might check with Steve at Apex Jr. He has a great selection of mil-spec pots at cheap prices, some have the long shafts you can cut to fit.

[DR103]

Thanks!!

[Mark]

What chassis are you using?

I haven't heard of this issue before.

[xtian]

Alternatively, RJ has some brass nuts (he sure does!) with threads that extend down into the hole in your faceplate to grab the pots, allowing you to use standard pots with thick faceplates.

[M Fowler]

Mojotone pots made by Alpha and CTS 3/8 thread length.

[RJ Guitars]

Yeah, this is a potential problem with wooden faceplates, especially if they happen to be cut very thick. The ALPHA 8mm pots don't have a long enough threaded shank to get a nut on them with a thick faceplate. Also, clamping down on a wooden faceplate isn't ideal but with ground tabs or soldering a wire to the back of the pots you can usually do O.K.. At some point in searching through the local electronics recycle place I found some extension nuts for pots.

If you drill out the wooden faceplate to clear the outer shank of the pot nut you can actually go metal to metal and really cinch the pot down - no need for soldering a wire to the back of the pot in this case. Only down side is that I couldn't find very many of them so I had to have them custom machined and they ended up costing about $3 each. Sad to put a $3 nut on a pot that only costs ~$1.50. Some of the other pots mentioned have a longer shank and may cause you less grief. I've grown to appreciate metal faceplates since and prefer to use them when that is an option.

rj