Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal ?

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Nicofromfrance
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Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal ?

Post by Nicofromfrance » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:48 pm

I made a nice find today when I had a look to the the case of the old sewing machine my mother was about to get rid of: I found this pedal which looks very similar to a wah/expression pedal. it is in very good condition, very rugged and die-cast metal. The size is pretty interesting, the top basically measures a bit less than 20cm long.

When I first saw this I said "wow this is a wah!" so now I am wondering if by removing the gut out of the pedal I could turn it into a guitar pedal.The mechanism inside it looks similar to a wah, except that the spring needs to be replaced by a cog. Also the top of the pedal comes back into place when you release your foot, due to the spring.

I now need to find how to open this pedal, there is no screw. Once that is done, I think something like a phaser or any other modulation unit with adjustable speed via the pedal could be cool. The plug on the front of the pedal, once removed, can already give the space required for two pots, as I tried to show with the knobs I put on it...

What do you guys think? Is it worth trying to make a pedal from this or is it time wasting due to the modifications likely needed to the chassis?

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by breezy » Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:57 pm

That looks really cool. I think it's totally worth it. It could even work as some kind of manual envelope filter if you kept the spring.

IIRC those old sewing machine pedals use a carbon pile resistor, and boy do they smell terrible. What does the bottom of it look like? The screws might be hidden under some stick-on rubber or something. Or you might just have to push in those tabs under the plug.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:41 am

Actually I managed to open it right after posting the OP just by firmly pulling the bottom plate with a screwdriver in one of the numerous holes drilled in this plate. Here is what the bottom looks like:
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I removed all the guts and there is quite a lot of space in there, enough to hold a PCB, two jacks, some pots and a switch. Perfect to host the Musikding Tremolo kit I am lusting after for a while now inside. I don't know if I'll manage to achieve it, but allowing the tremolo speed to be controled by foot with this pedal should be very cool. I tried to put two random pots in the place where the plug was, it is a perfect match. Once the nuts are tightened up it is very snug. the remaining jack plug in the middle should be easily be cut with a dremel and replaced with a 3mm LED.

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I am still a bit worried by all these useless holes drilled here and there on the enclosure, but I have found that a French product called Sintofer (a kind of resin used by auto body repairers) would do the trick, by applying a thin sheet of aluminium under the holes I want to cover and filling them with the Sintofer.

At least the two square holes under the pots are very well placed to let the rack and pinion pass through the enclosure. Banzai Music sells all the wah stuffs including the rack and pinion and wah pots, so I'll order with them.

I am now working on the spindle of the foot plate. I'll use a threaded rod covered by a tubular rod, mounted on a triangle-shaped caster frame and fastened together with two nylon locking nuts. The system needs to be worked a bit as it stands pretty high on the pedal, but it should do the trick. The picture just displays one of the two spindle stands, as I screwed up the other one when I removed the caster from it.
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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:54 am

I wouldn't block the holes, I think they look cool. I agree about putting some kind of sheeting behind them though, you're asking for problems if they're left open. I think a trem would be awesome in it. Maybe something cool that apes the brownface Fender harmonic trem with your foot controlling the intensity so it's at its most intense when it's backed all the way off? Just thinking out loud. I'm sure it'll be cool when it's finished.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by noisepunk » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:06 am

I would use some sort of clear resin on the holes, and then stick a pilot light inside the enclosure for when the unit is turned on.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:08 am

noisepunk wrote:I would use some sort of clear resin on the holes, and then stick a pilot light inside the enclosure for when the unit is turned on.
Great idea! Purple should give the best tone too.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:24 am

ziess wrote:I agree about putting some kind of sheeting behind them though, you're asking for problems if they're left open.
By problems do you mean the enclosure would catch too much interferences by having all these holes on it? Having a well shielded enclosure is something I care about as I don't want to turn my amp into a radio emitter. I think this is related to the Faraday Cage phenomenon.
noisepunk wrote:I would use some sort of clear resin on the holes, and then stick a pilot light inside the enclosure for when the unit is turned on.
That sounds like a great idea indeed... usually I'm not into all these "pimp my pedal enclosure" neon light stuffs (I like working on a great visual though) but I must admit having a light flashing at the speed of the tremolo LFO would be great. But once again I prefer having a solid looking enclosure rather than a disco enclosure ;D To think about!

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:30 am

Nicofromfrance wrote:By problems do you mean the enclosure would catch too much interferences by having all these holes on it? Having a well shielded enclosure is something I care about as I don't want to turn my amp into a radio emitter. I think this is related to the Faraday Cage phenomenon.
No the fact that there's a metal chassis around it on all sides will eliminate any interference, providing the case is grounded. If you do get interference you could always line it with something but I really don't think that'll be an issue. I was talking more about dirt and dust. Using a purple light will also cut down on interference and let more tone through.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:38 am

ziess wrote:No the fact that there's a metal chassis around it on all sides will eliminate any interference, providing the case is grounded. If you do get interference you could always line it with something but I really don't think that'll be an issue. I was talking more about dirt and dust. Using a purple light will also cut down on interference and let more tone through.
Oh great I am glad to read that, I didn't really know if the enclosure needs to be partially or totally covered with metal. You're right about dirt and dust too. Is the purple light and tone stuff a tone freak joke? ;)
I just found a part of a hinge laying around that would possibly make a better stand for the spindle, standing lower than the previous one. I'll post pics if this is successful.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:41 am

Not a joke! One of my favourite amps has a purple light;

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Ok, it's a joke...! Purple is cool though.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:59 am

ziess wrote:Ok, it's a joke...! Purple is cool though.
:)

As I see you have a wah and as I am wondering about the on/off switch of this kind of pedal (the only time I used a wah I didn't noticed how this worked), could you tell me if I am right when guessing that to activate the wah, you have to lean the foot paddle all the way until you activate the switch, then make wah wah, and when you want to switch it off you just stomp the switch again? Isn't it tricky not to accidentally switch off the wah when you are rocking the foot paddle back and forth?

I decided to put the switch in a hole located at the rear of the enclosure as the hole was well located and I am not sure to have enough space to mount a switch on the front of the pedal, due to the space that the rack and pinion, wah pot and other control pots take.
So, am I right when I think it wouldn't be an issue to have to switch the pedal on by rocking the foot paddle toward the rear of the pedal instead of toward the front of the pedal (because my switch would be mounted at the rear of my pedal)?
Last edited by Nicofromfrance on Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:02 am

Nicofromfrance wrote:
ziess wrote:Ok, it's a joke...! Purple is cool though.


As I see you have a wah and as I am wondering about the on/off switch of this kind of pedal (the only time I used a wah I didn't noticed how this worked), could you tell me if I am right when guessing that to activate the wah, you have to lean the foot paddle all the way until you activate the switch, then make wah wah, and when you want to switch it off you just stomp the switch again? Isn't it tricky not to accidently switch off the wah when you are rocking the foot paddle back and forth?

I decided to put the switch in a hole located at the rear of the enclosure as the hole was well located and I am not sure to have enough space to mount a switch on the front of the pedal, due to the space that the rack and pinion, wah pot and other control pots take.
Also, am I right when I think it wouldn't be an issue to have to switch the pedal on by rocking the foot paddle toward the rear of the pedal instead of toward the front of the pedal (because my switch would be mounted at the rear of my pedal)?
You need to carefully adjust the height of the switch so it's in just the right place so it switches at an appropriate point. Some wahs also have rubber pads that mean the switch can be touched but you have to push harder to squash the rubber in order to actuate the switch. Make sense? I can't see any issue have it at the rear as long as you're happy how it works. What circuit are you putting in there?

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:07 am

That does make sense, thanks a lot!

The circuit I'd put in there would probably be this tremulus lune clone kit from Musikding: http://www.musikding.de/Kits/Musikding- ... :1831.html. The speed pot would be replaced by the foot paddle pot, two other pots would be placed on the front part, and the two extra pots would be placed on the side of the pedal.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by ziess » Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:22 am

So the plan would be to have the trem slow down until it cuts out? Sounds like a good plan.

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Re: Turning this sewing machine pedal into a wah/exp. pedal

Post by Nicofromfrance » Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:34 am

ziess wrote:So the plan would be to have the trem slow down until it cuts out? Sounds like a good plan.
Yes, totally, as well as getting fast change in the trem speed to give movement impressions (a bit like the Boss RT20 rotary ensemble can do with the slow/fast switch). But I'm not sure the wah pot would go "low enough" to allow the trem to completely cut out, though.
One other thing I am worrying a bit is the wah pot I'll be using: the speed pot of the Trem kit needs to be a 100k reverse log, according to this diagram: http://diy.musikding.de/images/stories/ ... lowire.pdf. I am not sure I can find a reverse log wah pot abailable... maybe that a normal 100k log wah pot wired upside down would be the same?

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