Home-made AVO Prods

[AlanBeckett]

I'm not sure whether this should be Test Gear, Home Brewed or Metal Bashing
I mentioned in my Thread about the 'Wooden' AVO Multiminor that I'd need some Prods. Actually that's normal - there's lots of AVOs about with no leads or prods. So, I decided to make some. Step one was to make some measurements. Next buy some materials - Brass and Heat Shrink. Then a prototype. The requirement was to drill a short length of the 3/16" Brass rod 2.5mm and then solder it onto a length of the 3/32" Brass rod. The usual method would be to drill a length of the 3/16" deeper than required for one bush, part off, drill, part off, etc. The snag is that 12mm deep with a 2.5mm drill is a very deep hole, even in Brass, so after breaking a couple of drills I decided it would be easier to cut the 3/16" to length first, clean up and then drill. That worked OK, it was just a bit more work. Bear in mind also that 3 horse applied to a 2.5mm drill doesn't leave much margin for error. That's where one of my little lathes would really have come in, but they're buried at the moment. So, having made one bush I soldered it on, cleaned up, put a point on it in the lathe, added some Heat Shrink and that was that.

To be continued .......

                   

[AlanBeckett]

Having made one the next step was production, well another 5 seemed enough. Also, I have a couple of longer ones, so I decided I might as well make a couple of them.
It was all pretty straightforward and now I have 4 new short ones and 2 new long ones. By the way, they do fit the Leads.
The Brass cost £6.70 with Postage, and I have some, but not a lot, left over.
The Heat Shrink was £3.99 Post free, and I actually used so little it's hardly worth counting. So I suppose they were £1 or so each so far.
Next some plug-in Crock Clips

Alan

               

[Yorkie]

Having made one the next step was production, well another 5 seemed enough. Also, I have a couple of longer ones, so I decided I might as well make a couple of them.
It was all pretty straightforward and now I have 4 new short ones and 2 new long ones. By the way, they do fit the Leads.
The Brass cost £6.70 with Postage, and I have some, but not a lot, left over.
The Heat Shrink was £3.99 Post free, and I actually used so little it's hardly worth counting. So I suppose they were £1 or so each so far.
Next some plug-in Crock Clips

Alan

Great post Alan - excellent end result!

That heat shrink is a bargain - a much smaller amount from the 'usual suspects' would have cost much more, and P&P on top too. The average cost of each prod is really quite low, apart from the fact that they're probably unobtainable now.

I don't know if you used Chronos to supply the brass - their prices are keen, and you'll know that they stock a wide range of materials and tools, but the P&P on small orders bumps up the total cost.

David

[Joe]

I got some heat-shrink from that place in various sizes and colours and am well satisfied with it.

I shrink it with my lighter.

Nice job, Alan, though I'd expect nothing less.

- Joe

[AlanBeckett]

I'm a bit iffy about Chronos. The 'Built in' Postage is good if you want one thing, but not so good if you want a lot.
I've used them, as appropriate.
Alan

[Skywave]

Well made, Alan. As I have said many times, the true mark of an craftsman is that he makes his own tools.

Al.