Soldering Jig Usage

1. Introduction

The soldering jigs are part of the Framework’s assembly tools, alongside the Stencil Holder. They’re 3D-printed holders that keep a board’s through-hole parts (pots, switches, jacks and connectors) straight and at the right height while you hand-solder them.

You’ll use one after SMD assembly, once the surface-mount parts are reflowed and only the through-hole parts are left. Those are the parts that show on the finished pedal: a pot soldered slightly crooked won’t line up with its enclosure hole, and a connector leaning off its footprint is hard to miss. In the jig, each part sits in a pocket cut to its shape, so it can only go in straight.

2. Choosing Your Jig

Each jig fits one board and one side of it: top and bottom are the sides of the board the parts sit on, and a board with parts on both sides uses two jigs. On the jigs that mix pots and a toggle switch, the letters give the switch position in the two rows of three controls: BL bottom left, BC bottom centre and BR bottom right.

Board	Side	Holds	File
Small effect board	Top	JST PH connectors	soldering-jig-effect-small-top-connectors.step
Small effect board	Bottom	4 pots	soldering-jig-effect-small-bottom-4-pots.step
Small effect board	Bottom	6 pots	soldering-jig-effect-small-bottom-6-pots.step
Small effect board	Bottom	3 pots, SPST toggle switch (BL)	soldering-jig-effect-small-bottom-3-pots-bl-switch-spst.step
Small effect board	Bottom	3 pots, DPDT toggle switch (BR)	soldering-jig-effect-small-bottom-3-pots-br-switch-dpdt.step
Small effect board	Bottom	4 pots, SPST toggle switch (BC)	soldering-jig-effect-small-bottom-4-pots-bc-switch-spst.step
Small IO Board	Top	JST PH connector, 3368P trimmer, 1-way DIP switch	soldering-jig-io-board-small-top.step
Small IO Board	Bottom	Input and output jacks, JST PH connector	soldering-jig-io-board-small-bottom.step
FV-1 Programmer	Top	USB-A connector, JST PH connector	soldering-jig-spinasm-programmer-top.step

3. Required Tools and Materials

• A 3D printer that can print ABS, ASA or PC.
• ABS, ASA or PC filament. Heat runs down the leads and through the board into the jig while you solder, and PLA or PETG soften enough at those temperatures to deform.
• The jig’s .step file, from the stl/ folder of the repository.
• A small vise or clamp to hold the jig steady and leave both hands free.
• A soldering iron and solder.
• A plastic spudger to lift the board off the jig at the release tabs.
• Your PCB, with its SMD parts already reflowed, and the through-hole parts the jig holds.

4. 3D Printing

The jig is clamped in a vise and heated build after build, so the walls, layers and infill are set for strength rather than looks.

Setting	Value
Orientation	Flat on its full bottom face
Supports	None
Walls (perimeters)	4
Top and bottom layers	6
Infill	25% or more
Brim	Recommended for ABS, ASA and PC, which tend to lift at the corners
Seam position	Outside the component pockets
X/Y shrinkage compensation	Set for your filament

Note: The component pockets are cut to tight tolerances. ABS, ASA and PC shrink as they cool, so without X/Y compensation the pockets print undersized, and a seam inside a pocket leaves a ridge that narrows it further.

5. Using the Jig

If your board has two jigs, solder the top side first. The small parts are always on the top side and the big pots and switches on the bottom, so doing the top first keeps the tall parts out of your way.

1. Clamp the jig in the vise with its pockets facing up.
2. Seat each part in its pocket, legs pointing up. The pot pockets have a notch for the pot’s anti-rotation tab, so turn each pot until the tab drops into the notch and the pot sits fully down.
3. Lower the PCB over the legs, with the side the parts belong on facing the jig. Once every leg finds its hole, the board drops down all at once and sits flush on the jig. If it rocks or sits high, a leg is bent or a part isn’t fully seated: lift the board off and check.
4. Solder every pin. Ground pins take a little longer, as the copper plane pulls heat away from the joint.
5. Unclamp the jig, then slide the spudger under the board at one of the release tabs and lever it gently up. Every part should sit square and flush against the board.
6. Move to the bottom jig if your board has one, and repeat from step 1 with the bottom-side parts.

Note: The jig takes the heat of normal through-hole soldering, ground pins included. Heat that overcooks a joint will mark the jig too, but ABS, ASA and PC are forgiving and an occasional slip won’t ruin it.

Once every through-hole part is soldered, power the board up and check its test points.