Homebrew PCBs

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).

Jan Rowland


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