Homebrew PCBs

I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace.  What is the best way
of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board?  Is the xacto knife
my only option?

Chris KQ6UP


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On 16/04/2010 18:47, Chris Maness wrote:
> I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace.  What is the best way
> of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board?  Is the xacto knife
> my only option?


Your PCB software should have flagged that as an error. I'd cut the 
track on both sides of the pad and join it with a piece of wire.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller
G1HSM

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 11:28 AM, Leon Heller <leon355@...>wrote:

> On 16/04/2010 18:47, Chris Maness wrote:
> > I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace.  What is the best
> way
> > of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board?  Is the xacto
> knife
> > my only option?
>
>
> Your PCB software should have flagged that as an error. I'd cut the
> track on both sides of the pad and join it with a piece of wire.
>
> Leon
> --
> Leon Heller
> G1HSM
>

Yes, I realize that now, but I did not know how to use the netlist/rule
checker when I made this design.

Thanks,
Chris


>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I usually use a dremel tool, either with a small burr or a thin cutoff 
wheel, to cut traces.  Xacto works but takes longer.

If you do use an Xacto, cut in two places and peel the copper between 
them away - don't rely on a single slice to stay electrically separate.

A very sharp wood chisel gives more control than a knife, because the
blade has less flex.
You can even make a U shaped gauge to gauge out a sliver, or simply
make two cuts like DJ suggests.

A small cutoff disc in a proxxon or dremel rotary tool also works, but
care must be taken or you take the wrong thing out very easily (same
with all power tools isn't it?).

ST

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 7:47 PM, Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
> I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace.  What is the best way
> of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board?  Is the xacto knife
> my only option?
>
> Chris KQ6UP
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

> A very sharp wood chisel gives more control than a knife, because the
> blade has less flex.
>

The chisel sounds good.  I will have to get a really small one as it is a
tight spot.

Thanks,
Chris Maness


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In such cases I have used a square awl. The square point is ground to
a very narrow chisel point only a millimeter wide.
Very useful to cut PCB traces. Laid flat the edges can also be used to
scrape away solder stop extremely effectively without the danger of
cutting the copper.

ST

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 9:45 PM, Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
>> A very sharp wood chisel gives more control than a knife, because the
>> blade has less flex.
>>
>
> The chisel sounds good.  I will have to get a really small one as it is a
> tight spot.
>
> Thanks,
> Chris Maness
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
>
> I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace.  What is the best way
> of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board?  Is the xacto knife
> my only option?
> 
> Chris KQ6UP
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>


I use a utility knife with a nice sharp blade. Usually I try to dig in a little with the point and then peel back a bit of trace to make sure it's open. Be careful to hold things so that if the knife slips you don't lose part of a finger.

I've tried a Dremel as well, but found that it's far too easy for the cutter to catch and walk around, gouging all sorts of stuff you didn't intend.

I use a dental pick under a nikon stereo microscope.  It makes like magic
and gives a lot more precision easily breaking tracks.

Same idea for removing tartar at the dentist I guess.

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 3:05 PM, James <jamesrsweet@...> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>,
> Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
> >
> > I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace. What is the best
> way
> > of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board? Is the xacto
> knife
> > my only option?
> >
> > Chris KQ6UP
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
> I use a utility knife with a nice sharp blade. Usually I try to dig in a
> little with the point and then peel back a bit of trace to make sure it's
> open. Be careful to hold things so that if the knife slips you don't lose
> part of a finger.
>
> I've tried a Dremel as well, but found that it's far too easy for the
> cutter to catch and walk around, gouging all sorts of stuff you didn't
> intend.
>
>  
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm a quality inspector at an electronics company, and I use a brand new
X-acto blade to remove traces when the assembly guys miss them.  We have
boards laid out for multiple products and you remove certain traces
depending on what product you are building.  For that we make three or four
passes with the knife so as not cut into the board on both sides, then
carefully peel the trace up from the middle between the cuts using the knife
on the edge, again so it doesn't damage the FR4.  Usually it is succesful
without it being obvious of what we did.  Dremels ALWAYS marr the board,
beacuse noone has a hand steady enough for the vibrating motor.

Mind you we do this for very few, but still production boards.

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 6:12 PM, Henry Liu <henryjliu@...> wrote:

> I use a dental pick under a nikon stereo microscope.  It makes like magic
> and gives a lot more precision easily breaking tracks.
>
> Same idea for removing tartar at the dentist I guess.
>
> On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 3:05 PM, James <jamesrsweet@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
> > >
> > > I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace. What is the best
> > way
> > > of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board? Is the xacto
> > knife
> > > my only option?
> > >
> > > Chris KQ6UP
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> > I use a utility knife with a nice sharp blade. Usually I try to dig in a
> > little with the point and then peel back a bit of trace to make sure it's
> > open. Be careful to hold things so that if the knife slips you don't lose
> > part of a finger.
> >
> > I've tried a Dremel as well, but found that it's far too easy for the
> > cutter to catch and walk around, gouging all sorts of stuff you didn't
> > intend.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


-- 

-Dave.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

An xacto blade works but you can also build a circuit blaster from a
large capacitor, dc supply and a couple of probe points and a foot
switch.

Put the probes on two parts of the trace and hit the foot switch and the
trace is gone. I built it for cutting inner layer traces on 6 layer
boards.  You need enough energy to do in the trace without causing a
carbon tract.  I limited my voltage to 5V so as not to damage and IC's
on the board, that's  a little harder to day with 1.8V parts.

Craig

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:
>
> I just noticed that one of my lands over laps a trace. What is the
best way
> of fixing this without having to re-do the whole board? Is the xacto
knife

> my only option?
>
> Chris KQ6UP
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

To let you guys see what I am working with.  I uploaded my masque with the
overlap to the files section in the group.  Go to Files -> Temp ->
Overlap.jpg.

Regards,
Chris KQ6UP


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Files uploaded without a description are subject deletion without notice. It makes my job harder as moderator.

It looks like you really don't want to thin that trace at all.

I'd use a sharp Xacto to trim some of the pad away.

Steve Greenfield

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Chris Maness <chris@...> wrote:

>
> To let you guys see what I am working with.  I uploaded my masque with the
> overlap to the files section in the group.  Go to Files -> Temp ->
> Overlap.jpg.
> 
> Regards,
> Chris KQ6UP
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

On Sat, Apr 17, 2010 at 7:22 AM, alienrelics <alienrelics@...> wrote:

> Files uploaded without a description are subject deletion without notice.
> It makes my job harder as moderator.
>
> It looks like you really don't want to thin that trace at all.
>
> I'd use a sharp Xacto to trim some of the pad away.
>
> Steve Greenfield
>

Thanks for the tip.  I was thinking about just cutting it too.

I made a temp folder so that folks can upload to this folder if a file is
only relevant to a thread, and once the thread dies it can be deleted.  I
have noticed that is the way busy groups manage uploads.  Just a suggestion,
but I will adhere to what ever way you want files to be dealt with.

Chris KQ6UP


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]