Homebrew PCBs

If you are drilling by hand, even in a drill press, the carbide bits 
will break pretty often. At the cost, they are not worth it. I use 
just the High Speed steel bits, not the carbon steel. I also 
resharpen the bits. Use a fine stone on a bench grinder (about 100 
grit). Use a magnifier to look at the point angle and relief angle. 
Look at a new bit and try to dulicate the angles. It may at first 
seem imposible to sharpen bits that small but if you hold the bit 
down and tword you with the flute paralell to the floor, and just 
barely touch the bit to the wheel they come out good enough. I use 
mostly #62 bits for the thru hole and 1/16 for things like terminal 
strips.

RD


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Dylan Smith <dyls@...> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 22 Nov 2007, Dave wrote:
> 
> > Thanks for the info. I am running Windows but I guess I can 
convert a
> > spare pc to run Linux as I wanted to one day anyhow.
> 
> Ubuntu is pretty easy to set up, and if you go to Applications -> 
Add new
> software, you'll find all the gEDA tools if you search on all 
packages -
> all you do is select them and hit go, and as if by magic they all 
get
> installed (under Education for some reason, I suppose they are
> educational!) The Ubuntu install disc is also a livecd so you can 
give
> Ubuntu a try before committing to install.
> 
> I also know Fedora has the gEDA tools in its main repository as 
well.
> 
> >  Isn't there 2 or 3 sizes of
> > drills that are most often used so I could buy a bunch of those 
sizes?
> 
> I almost exclusively use 1mm and 0.8mm drills - 0.8mm for through 
hole
> components, 1mm for jumpers and IDC connectors etc. which have 
bigger
> pins. Larger sizes are all available in the hardware store in those 
drill
> bit kits that have the typical common sizes for wood working and 
metal
> working.
> 
> I find the HSS bits actually last quite a long time, I've never 
felt the
> need for fancy tungsten carbide bits.
>