Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

Hi guys,

I am looking for some ideas on work holding for PCBs. I plan to do
drilling and probably some isolation milling with my CNC machine.
So far I have made good progress on most apsects of the machine's
design, but the one thing that continues to elude me is the work
holding.

I would think that there should be a waste or spoil board under the
PCB that is being machined - this is normal in other similar
applications. So, I figure I would use masonite or other similar
and cheap material.

Of the very few photos I have seen for workholding, the only two
methods I have seen so far are

1) Basic toe clamps which clamp the work down to the table. Simple
and effective, but would prefer something more elegant

2) Some sort of clamping system that comes in from the edges. This
is appealing as it can be made for short in height.

Both examples have limitations and such so I am looking for any and
all ideas. If you have any suggestions or know of any photos showing
PCB clamping, I sure would appreciate a link to the photos.

Chris