Homebrew PCBs

I recently bought a cheap 'ryobi' bench-top drill press - it costs about
$110AU which is about $70US. Its made in china, nothing special. It comes
with a "laser" (think doctor evil) which is supposed to help hit the right
spot but I dont see the point. (no pun intended)

I typically use 0.8mm bits for most component holes, and FR4 ~1.5mm thick.
I've only drilled one board (~30 holes) but no broken bits. I try to ensure
that the minimum amount of the drill bit is protruding from the chuck, to
reduce breakages.

James.

On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 4:26 AM, jerrytr2.com <jerry@...> wrote:

>   Hello,
>
> My name is Jerry Kaidor. I've been messing with electronics for
> many many years. Also put in a 20-year stint as a firmware developer.
>
> The other day, I was doing a project with a PIC16F867A
> microcontroller. Built up the circuit on one of those proto boards
> that have a grid of three-hole lands. The resulting forest of little
> green wires did not inspire confidence. Neither did the smoke that
> came out when I powered it up :).
>
> So I decided that a PCB would be more appropriate. Found this
> group, read with interest about Toner Transfer. I had tried this
> about 10 years ago, it didn't work at that time. Like many things,
> the devil is in the details.
>
> This time, armed with better info, I downloaded the expressPCB
> software ( can't beat the price! ). I designed a one-sided board for
> my project and printed it onto a sheet of Epson photo paper that I
> had laying around. Found a gungy old piece of copper clad in the
> garage, spent about a half hour cleaning it off with 000 steel wool,
> paper towels, lacquer thinner, more paper towels, cosmetics buffs,
> etc etc. Transferred the printout with my wife's clothes iron.
> Wow! It came out perfect!
>
> The only problem ( and I realized this unfortunately when it was
> already mostly etched ) was that it was mirror imaged. I had used a
> function in my printer setup that causes the printer to print mirror-
> imaged - but apparently it wasn't needed. Grrr! OK, I'd just
> solder all the parts on the top :). Or just do it again...
>
> To play with the process, I started drilling holes. Hit a snag.
> My smallest "ordinary" drill bit was a #60. It was just too big. I
> also had some little tiny PCB drills that I got at the ham swap some
> years ago. Too small! (.8mm, I think )Also, chucked in my giant
> tabletop drill press, the tiny bit only lasted three holes before
> breaking.
>
> So - how does one drill these holes? I'll pick up an assortment
> of PCB drill bits today, but I don't think my giant drill press is
> going to work. Alternatives I see:
>
> * Jameco lists a little drill and press for about $60.
> * There is a Dremel drill press accessory for about $50.
> * I have a Sherline milling machine. Sherline lists a "sensitive
> drilling attachment" that chucks into the mill. Basically,
> the mill only drives and holds the attachment - you move it up
> and down via a knurled ring. This really looks like a hot setup, but
> it's not cheap - $110.
>
> - Jerry Kaidor
>
>  
>


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