Silicon Fuzz Face Build Continues

Basically, the stripboard (aka vero board) is just rows of copper traces with holes in it.  The traces are isolated from each other.  By connecting components across the stripboard, you make connections between components. 

This is just the thing for a basic circuit such as this one.  Instead of trying to tie the components together with flying leads, the vero strips do the work.
In this case, the stripboard layout needs to have 7 rows of strips and 13 columns of holes.   You can see where I marked this out on the board.

I think I mentioned this earlier:  this is my first go-round with vero board, so you get to see my goofs (and success, assuming there is any).

The vero is 1/16" fiberglass (1.6mm), so I figure I can cut it with my trusty X-Acto razor saw.  The only tricky part of this is keeping a straight line during the cut.  Fortunately, for the lengthwise cuts, there is a bit of a dip or groove between the traces that the saw naturally follows.  So that part goes ok.

For the 'vertical' cut across the traces, I figure I should have some sort of guide, so I scribe a line with my trusty X-Acto knife and a straightedge.  This turns out to work well and I don't make a crooked cut. 

With the vero board cut to size, I need to make cuts in the traces per the layout.  The cuts will insulate one part of the trace from another.  (If you compare the vero layout to the schematic this will make sense).

The squares on the vero layout are the cuts.  I marked them with a Sharpie, then made the cuts.  Turns out that a pass or two through the trace will do it.  I thought I'd have to scrape the copper off, but just making a clean cut works perfectly. 

Just to make sure each side is isolated, I check for continuity (or lack thereof...) with my DMM.

Oh!  Vhut zees dat? 

I got a Fluke DMM!  DIG IT!

Yes, it's a Fluke 87 that I bought from someone on the Antique Radio Forums - new in the box (this model is actually 2 generations old).  My old Craftsman DMM went belly-up on resistance readings so I needed a new one.  I was able to get this one for less than a third the cost of  a new one.  I've wanted a Fluke for some time and now I have one.

After I make the cuts, I start to mount components.  The board is really small - and those components are tiny!