JanRwl@... wrote:
> In a message dated 12/9/2002 1:56:21 PM Central Standard Time,
> adam_seychell@... writes:
>
>
>
>>I was just wondering how many people here would like to make their own
>>plated through hole double sided boards. How far are hobbyists willing to
>>go ?
>
>
> Adam: I do one-off double-sided boards all the time, but without PTH, this
> is relatively easy. I have a professional PCB-house do jobs requiring ten or
> more PTH "same board", or, where a relatively complex "one-off" job requires
> relatively many PTH holes "under IC's", etc. Using tiny rivets to "make
> your own" PTH's is cumbersome from several aspects, of course, and I do that
> only when there are relatively few, on ONE board, and "just soldering
> jumpers" won't do.
>
> So, yes, were it relatively easy to set-up---even if it WOULD require a
> ten-amp DC supply???---I'd be very interested!
>
> I asked that "local PCB house" if they'd plate-through "blanks" I had already
> drilled, and as this was such a difficult thing for them to COMPREHEND (Why
> would anyone WANT drilled blanks plated-through, and no further
> processing???), they quoted me a price-per that made it more attractive to
> just let them do the "whole thing". But no "solder-mask" nor silk-screening,
> of course!
>
> I will be VERY interested to follow this question! GO for it!
>
> I have another question for this group, while I'm "here": I "rough-cut" FR-4
> on a bandsaw, using 14-TPI "woodworking" blades. If fresh, a cut of just 1"
> through that will "total" a blade for woodworking. I do this actually too
> infrequently to warrant looking at carbide- or "bimetal" blade-stock.
> HOWEVER, it is a royal pain in the gluteæ to hafta change blades! Does
> anyone have a suggestion for BETTER rough-cutting FR-4 ("glass") stock? I do
> not mean "shearing", as that requires expensive equipment and space. I
> "edge-sand" to bring the band-sawn blanks to final size, on a disc-sander.
> For "fancy shapes", I use solid-carbide "rotary files" or mill-bits in a
> vertical mill, with PC-stock fastened to HARDWOOD scrap with "double-stick
> tape". (for drilling, I use a home-brew CNC X-Y drill. If anyone must see a
> pic of that, I have that digitized, "on-computer", and can upload, if
> wanted).
Try a scroll saw if you can find a carbide cutter. The cutter is much
smaller (and cheaper) than a bandsaw blade and you can do more intricate
shapes. It's difficult to get a nice smooth edge like a guillotine.
I use a small 18" guillotine and it's the ultimate for doing pcb
off-cuts. It's very small, about the area of an A3 paper guillotine.