Wiring to potentiometer

[Champ81]

For the potentiometers in a bias circuit there can be about three leads that go into one lug or post. I noticed under closer to the pot there are small holes that can fit a resistor or capacitor leads. I tried soldering to those. I'm not sure if it's too close to the track that it's not a good place to solder as it might damage the track?  Is this what anyone else does for more "space" to connect leads or wires?  I also noticed that pots where I did solder to those small holes the resistance was reading over in Megs when the pot was rated at 25K. The other pots don't do this.  Even after I removed the resistor leads for example.

[K O'Connor]

Hi Guys

On most pots the connection to the external world is via a solder lug or PCB compatible pin which is riveted to the phenolic substrate of the pot. This rivet is usually in the shape of an eyelet with a hole through the middle. It is NOT meant to be a solder point.

Just as with other components, overheating the terminals of a pot can damage it.

In the case of the bias pot wiring as described in the "BMK2 used for cathode-bias" thread, there is a cap and a resistor in parallel with two of the pot terminals, plus a connection to other components off each. It makes the most sense to attach the resistor to the pot terminals first, as it is unlikely that the resistor will ever need replacing. Leave the leads long-ish. Attach the wires and cap leads to the resistor leads, but hook these and squeeze them all prior to soldering, so that soldering will be one step.

[Champ81]

Those rivets were exactly where I was soldering to in order to leave some room for the solder lug/post. It seemed too convenient.
But they are exactly that. Rivets for attachment. So I damaged those pots I think probably due to the heat. Since they are 25K but now measure in 28Meg.

Well lesson learned.