Homebrew PCBs

Dave:  

Just happened to read your inquiry re "PTH pins", and I haven't read further, 
yet, to see if one or many more "in here" have already responded, but here's 
MY 2¢ worth:  I bought a quantity of tiny gold-plated "swageable eyelets", aka 
"rivets", which are a lot of bother, but if you just MUST have a PTH or two, 
but can't go to the expense of having a board plated through after drilling 
(for only a few PTHoles), then the bright solderable eyelets are the way to go.  
I turned my own "swage tool" which spreads the "insert-end" so it is tight, 
and then one must solder BOTH sides of the rivet before installing components.  
If the I.D. gets filled with solder, I heat it again and tap one edge of the 
board on the bench, the inertia "shooting" the molten solder out fine.  

For a "PTH" for an IC-pin or two, and you don't want to solder BOTH sides of 
the pin (fear of overheating the IC, so close, for example), try installing a 
tiny piece of #28 (or #30) silver-plated wire-wrap wire, solder it carefully 
on top before inserting the IC.  OR, IC-socket, which would preclude ANY 
soldering on top after installation!  the flat IC (or socket) pins will allow 
inserting both the IC "leg" AND the small-dia. wire in same hole.  

Sad PTH is such a difficult "professional fab-house" job, isn't it!  

Jan Rowland


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