Homebrew PCBs

Anyone take this for a spin yet?

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:56:05 +0200, derekhawkins <eldata@...> wrote:

> Anyone take this for a spin yet?


I have the IB/E (mains), and a micromot 50.

Proxxon makes excellent tools, the collets are much better than anything i  
have seen from dremel, i won't even go into the noname grinders. Runout is  
important for PCB drilling, and the precise hardened steel collets are a  
big plus.

I bought the IB/E first, and it is great for PCB drilling. It is not as  
good as one would expect with side-loads, because the two ball bearings  
are relatively close together. But it's still fully sufficient for  
grinding. The LB/E (long throat) may be the ultimate choice for high  
side-load applications, i have not yet hat the chance to see one close up  
or even buy one but it may have the bearings at the far ends of the long  
throat, which would be great (like for cnc milling).

Anyway, at some points i bought a micromot 50 because i got tired of  
removing the IB/E from the drilling frame. It has plenty of power for PCB  
drilling (although large mounting screw holes are really all it can take  
at 12V).
Now i can use the IB/E for all those other tasks, which is nice.


I'm confident the FBS is a good tool as well, although it looks more like  
the cheaper tools i believe it will still be of superior quality. I don't  
know if this uses a canned motor and a separate shaft (Like the IB/E) or a  
single shaft throughout the unit (which i would prefer). If you get it and  
find out, that would be nice to know.

ST

>I'm confident the FBS is a good tool as well, although it looks
>more like the cheaper tools i believe it will still be of superior 
>quality.

Thanks for the info. I'm looking for something to replace my aging 
Dremel and don't particularly want another one.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:00:09 +0200, derekhawkins <eldata@...> wrote:

>
> Thanks for the info. I'm looking for something to replace my aging
> Dremel and don't particularly want another one.


If you get it also get the collets and nut. The ones from their other  
machines will fit and you can get them as accessories.
Collets have much lower runout, and with PCB drills all have the same  
shank size anyway so a jacobs chuck is no advantage.
Please let me know if the proxxon jacobs chuck has any grooves or  
something to keep the jaws aligned, the cheap ones don't and i was already  
wondering if that one has them.

Proxxon is decent quality, just don't expect more than the tool was  
designed for. I bought a (secondhand) circular saw, and burnt the motor  
because it wasn't powerful enough and i kept upping the voltage. The small  
12V thing just wasn't meant to cut what i was trying to cut. This model  
since has been redesigned and there's two mains power versions available  
now i believe. The 12V micromot tools are really just for very small  
stuff, but there are the mains power versions for more power.


ST

Does by chance anyone know what's going on with proxxon clones?
I've seen identical tools (apparently absolutely identical), in differnet  
colors, one in white called "xenon" and one in black of which i can't  
remember the brand.
They make several of the proxxon machines, not only one, and it looks like  
they are coming out of the same molds.

Is proxxon selling them, are they (very good) copies, or what?

ST

>If you get it also get the collets and nut.

I certainly will, the set is only $11.00.

>Please let me know if the proxxon jacobs chuck has any grooves or  
>something to keep the jaws aligned

Okay, I also plan to do some runout measurements using it vs collets.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>