Homebrew PCBs

I'm an old-timer, so I probably do things a lot differently than is
common practice nowadays.

Whenever I need to patch up a trace on one of my homebrew PCB's, I get a 
length of
stranded wire and pull out the individual strands and use one strand to 
make the patch.
I can usually find a piece of stranded wire that is comprised of 
individual wires that
have the correct diameter (gauge) for the patch I'm attempting to make.

A lot of strands in stranded wire bundles are plated, and exhibit 
excellent solderability.
I usually "hack" off a length of stranded wire about 12 inches long, and 
use the
individual  strands as described above. It's not too difficult to remove 
the outer insulating
jacket from stranded wire cables, exposing the individual strands.

This technique is cheaper and less frustrating than trying to strip the 
insulation from
wire wrap wire, which is annealed to make it easily wrap around a wire 
wrap pin, and is thus
easily scratched, dented and nicked.

Roland F. Harriston
*******************


Peter Harrison wrote:
>
> Roland F. Harriston wrote:
> > Peter Harrison:
> >
> > No Brainer.
> >
> > Do a Google for wire wrap tools.
> > Dozens of hits for wrappers, strippers, etc.
> > OK Tools makes some inexpensive items.
> >
> > Roland F. Harriston
> > ************ *******
> >
>
> Perhaps not.
>
> There are indeed a large number of cutters and strippers. The variety
> available for Xcelite alone is absurdly large. without seeing them and
> trying them, it is all but impossible to tell whether they are any use
> for the task.
>
> The stripper in a typical hand-wrap tool for example, I find all but
> useless as I can get an adequate grip on the wire and to leave a short
> strip of 1mm or so needs two operations - a long strip followed by
> trimming back.
>
> This is why I asked for the voice of experience.
>
> I like Stefan's idea. I may be able to make something like it by taking
> some relatively cheap cutters, abuse them on a small piece of piano wire
> to make the notch, then grind back a cutting edge.
>
> Of course, I could just make good boards in the first place.
>
> Pete
>
>