guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

[Jeff McKim]

I'm building a very thin electric on an Epiphone Coronet (like the Wilshire - not the hollow body) body line. I'd like to use push/pull pots and CTS has the shortest push/pull design I've found. Happily, they just barely fit the control cavity (height wise)...if...

The pots feature small "ears" that curl upward at the ends on the top of the pots. I can't decide (or find info on) if these are to space the pot away from the control cavity body or meant to secure it by pushing in. I'm hoping its the latter because this would give me about a 1/16" clearance between the pot bottom and the control cavity cover. I've never used these pots before so I'm flying a bit blind. Since the cavity is shielded (StewMac paint, not copper), I want to make sure I'm not grounding something that shouldn't be grounded.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

You mean the little metal tab as shown just above the threads on the pot in this picture?

Should be no problem at all to break it off with some pliers. I always break them off.

 

[Jeff McKim]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

Brilliant! I've got a bunch of pots (mini/standard and multiple brands) lying about but none had this config...and then these arrived. If you're clipping them though and mounting the pots flush (or flush with a washer that is conductive) then this should be fine.

Thanks.

PS: Thought about the possibility of uploading a picture only about an hour after I posted. Glad you thought of it!

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

In some industrial applications I have seen a small pilot hole beside the one for the pot stem .
This tab prevents the pot from spinning on the hole.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

I used to drill a small hole for the tab to go into to keep the pot from turning but found that it was totally unnecessary. Now I just cut or break them off as GuitarStv suggested.

 

[Mincer]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

Yeah, I've always just snapped it right off. It comes off easily.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

If mounting in sheet metal
Keep the tab

They bite good enough into wood and plastic

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

Yep, anti-rotation for more industrial applications. Some small pedal builders used to drill for them too, it looked kind of goofy.

 

[beaubrummels]

guitar construction - CTS Push/pull pots - not a wiring question

I thought it was a standoff to keep the lugs from contacting any shield, but stopping spin makes more sense.