[sdiy] Old Breadboards - was Re: open letter to Aaron Lanterman

[Scott Gravenhorst]

xyzzy at sysabend.org wrote:
>On Fri, May 07, 2010 at 03:26:25PM -0700, Scott Gravenhorst wrote:
>> >Lets face it, the only thing you like are fahnestock clips.
>> 
>> Oh I actually had those YEARS ago and used them regularly. I 
>did REAL BREADBOARD stuff, on actual > scrap wood. My dad 
>explained that "breadboard" was actually a real breadboard that 
>was "out of > service" from the kitchen and pressed into use for 
>a receiver or transmitter or amplifier etc. > This was what DIY 
>electronics was like during the Great Depression (which my father 
>lived through). > 
>
>I have a few things I built on HPDE cutting boards using fahnestock clips.
>Sadly, I did it recently too...  growing up I did most work on blocks of
>wood with brass nails.  Draw up the schematic, hammer nails at any
>intersection or turn on the schematic, and solder everything to the nails.
>
>Density wasn't great. :-)

No it wasn't.  I remember having a favorite piece of "breadboard" wood, maybe 5" x 7" x
3/4" and one project would go on it at a time.  A tube oscillator (RF in those days), 2
transistor amplifier, etc...  But it was still GREAT FUN and provided hours and hours
of peace and quiet for mom and dad - until I discovered how to transmit a carrier on TV
channel 9...  (HEY! What are you doing down there??? we're trying to watch TV!  I
mananged a signal strong enough to black out the picture entirely from 50 feet away -
and I didn't know what the hell I was really doing)

For construction, I used wood screws with 2 washers to clamp wires together (my dad had
hundreds of screws and washers).  I wasn't allowed to use solder when I was really
young.  Soldering to nails, heh, I bet you used a 200 watt or more soldering iron for
that.  Once I was allowed to use solder, I remember that it wasn't easy to solder to
iron or steel.  Soldering to dry cells was never fun, but doable if one had some patience.

-- ScottG
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-- Scott Gravenhorst
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