Staking Tool For Turrets

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Fabricate your own Turret Staking Tool

The web is a great place for information. I happened to find a little info on all valve guitar amps and was hooked immediately. I was ready to build my own but wanted to do it on a budget. I had plenty of experience soldering on circuit board material but never messed with too much point to point wiring stuff that was constructed of turrets and or eyelets. Obviously there is not a whole lot of difference in soldering technique, but installing turrets to the circuit board may prove so.

Vice - Hammer - Punch - Bolt

Three common tools and a bolt are used to install a turret. The basic idea behind installing a turret on a circuit board is to drill a hole in the circuit board material, set the turret in the hole and flare the backside of the turret. The flare essentially secures the turret to the board. In other words it pinches the circuit board from both sides. So how do you make the flare? That's where a bolt and punch come in handy. Drilling the end of a bolt will serve the purpose of holding the turret to allow you to flare the opposite end with a punch.

Making the Turret Staking Tool Set

The bolt is a automotive use 3/8" X 3" with a 1/8" hole drilled in the end of the bolt. The best and safest way to drill the end of a bolt is by mounting it in a vice and drilling with a drill press of sufficient size. Remember to wear your safety goggles! Use a little oil to keep the drill cool. A quarter to three eights inch of depth will be sufficient to hold most turrets. When you are finished drilling, grind the end of the bolt flat using a grinder.

The punch will need the tip ground at a 45 degree angle. To get the angle correct, carefully hold the punch to a grinder at a 45 degree angle and slowly rotate the punch while grinding until a uniform point is achieved.

Electrical Shock Hazard !

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