Homebrew PCBs

heh heh, through hole plating can be done but I've never tried it.  I 
basically try to avoid through hole connections on the component 
layer.  I use the routing costs to favor the bottom layer and then 
fix up any inaccessable solder locations with vias.  Sometimes I'll 
first route the board only on the bottom layer which will only get so 
far and then restart the routing but allow the top layer too.  then 
fix with vias.  Just dont forget to solder the via wires first like 
I've done.

Overall, its usually not too bad.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "fyffe555" <ap_leapyear@h...> 
wrote:
> Hi all, great group. I'm a relative newbie using Eagle to make two 
> sided boards. Have build a cnc machine that will does double duty 
to 
> drill the holes for me and use TT with 10mil tracks with magazine 
> paper and even regular hi grade copier paper on a HP IIIP with fair 
> success. Tried milling isolation but that's no good for more 
complex 
> or densly packed boards. 
>  
> Here's my problem I'm doing a lot (for me) of prototype boards with 
> db25 connections right angle and 0.100 dual row connectors. What's 
> the best way to deal with the problem of through holes for these? 
> That is I often find that I end up with a bottom and top track 
> meeting at a pin on one of these connectors and I can't solder the 
> top connection on all the pins?   
> 
> I'm finding that I have to account for that as much as I can 
routing 
> but not always able to, drill over size and wire through before 
> fitting the connector or using a lot of via's. I'm presently trying 
> to produce  3.5*2." LPT opto isolator with two db25's, 4 9 pin 
RN's, 
> four 16 pin opto's, one 4 pin opt and a bunch of led's and my 
amatuer 
> status is showing and it looks pretty ugly right now......  
> 
> 
> Any obvious options that I've missed? the press in through hole 
> grommit things and tooling seem to be more than I want to pay. 
> 
> thanks..