In a message dated 9/9/2005 3:12:51 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
andrew@... writes:
I'd be interested to hear peoples experiences of using rivets for
through hole connections.<<
I use "surplus" eyelets from a local dealer. These are sadly a full 1.5 mm.
dia., not counting the head of the rivet, so require a pretty large hole as
PCB drilling goes. I swage 'em over with a home-turned awl-like point made
on the end of a convenient-to-hold-in-the-fingers socket-head cap-screw
(fairly hard material). But just about any smooth/hard prick-point awl-like thing
should do. I tap the head of that with a SMALL hammer until it "sounds
different" when it "hits bottom". Takes all of twenty minutes practise.
I learned, however, you'd best SOLDER-TIN the PCB pads before installing
these, as they DO "cover" the area that should be soldered to the underside of
the head of these tiny things!
Better were some tinier "samples" from International Eylets (USA; don't
recall State nor city) which were gold plated. They got used up very, very fast,
and "minimum quantity" for ONE size is like 1000 pieces, and the cost is
like a car-payment! Sad. It'd be nice to be able to buy 100-each of several
sizes. But NO!
a litle ingenuity should help create a homebrew setter.<<
If I had to DO this more than two or three times a year, I'd come up with
some kind of electropneumatic press with adjustable "punch-force", but I'd have
to be making at least 50 boards a year to inspire that. Fifty boards a year
inspires paying for professionally-etched, plated-through holes!
Jan Rowland
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