Homebrew PCBs

Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one 
is the adjustable speed 
<http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html> 
and here is the standard 
<http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html> 
model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem 
pricey to me.

Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other 
methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?

Steve


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

On 15/06/2010 21:20, Steve wrote:
> Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one
> is the adjustable speed
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html>
> and here is the standard
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html>
> model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem
> pricey to me.
>
> Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other
> methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?

They aren't fast enough. You need at least 16,000 rpm for a PCB drill.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller
G1HSM

I use this one to drill boards (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_26702_-1)
super cheap but I can say it really works. Just oil the heck out of the sliders with some WD-40 and make sure everything is snug and tight :)) 

To make my life easier a bit I bought one of these foot switches from Harbor Freight 
(http://www.harborfreight.com/momentary-power-foot-switch-96619.html).  It really helps to have the drill stopped when you "target" the hole - you get very nicely aligned stuff going on. I use the tonner method and etch away the drill hole too, helps to guide the drill bit where it should go.

I also use drill bits from Harbor (5$ or so for 20 ..) so with around 40-45$  I got a quite decent drill solution. It just happens that I have a Harbor Freight close by. 

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Steve <steve65@...> wrote:

>
> Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one 
> is the adjustable speed 
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html> 
> and here is the standard 
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html> 
> model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem 
> pricey to me.
> 
> Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other 
> methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Both of those are NICE - I'd sure like to have one.  With 8K RPM they sure would work nice... I expect anyway.  I "make do" with a cheap drill press with 3100 rpm max and it does a good job of drilling with anything from .017", .021", .031" and larger carbide bits. I have drilled with my dremel tool that has high rpm and the holes "might" be a tad cleaner, but 3100 rpm works ok.

Maybe I could convince myself to spend a couple hundred bucks?????  Have to think about that.

Thanks for the link.

Ken H>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Steve <steve65@...> wrote:

>
> Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one 
> is the adjustable speed 
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html> 
> and here is the standard 
> <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html> 
> model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem 
> pricey to me.
> 
> Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other 
> methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I don't agree with the requirement of a 16,000 RPM spindle.  I am using a large woodworking drill press set at about 2000 RPM and have no problem at all drilling holes in circuit boards. It would be better to have the higher RPM, but there is no reason at all you cannot use a lower speed spindle.

Chris





--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Leon Heller <leon355@...> wrote:

>
> On 15/06/2010 21:20, Steve wrote:
> > Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one
> > is the adjustable speed
> > <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html>
> > and here is the standard
> > <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html>
> > model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem
> > pricey to me.
> >
> > Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other
> > methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?
> 
> They aren't fast enough. You need at least 16,000 rpm for a PCB drill.
> 
> Leon
> -- 
> Leon Heller
> G1HSM
>

Chris pravi:
> I don't agree with the requirement of a 16,000 RPM spindle.  I am using a large woodworking drill press set at about 2000 RPM and have no problem at all drilling holes in circuit boards. It would be better to have the higher RPM, but there is no reason at all you cannot use a lower speed spindle.
>
> Chris
>
>   
.. but you need to slow down feed.

Be aware that WD-40 does not provide long-term lubrication. It is designed primarily to displace water (hence the WD part of the name) and to evaporate. If you are having to relube and relube and relube, try a light machine oil (sewing machine oil) or graphite.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "morarcalin" <morarcalin@...> wrote:

>
> I use this one to drill boards (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_26702_-1)
> super cheap but I can say it really works. Just oil the heck out of the sliders with some WD-40 and make sure everything is snug and tight :)) 
> 
> To make my life easier a bit I bought one of these foot switches from Harbor Freight 
> (http://www.harborfreight.com/momentary-power-foot-switch-96619.html).  It really helps to have the drill stopped when you "target" the hole - you get very nicely aligned stuff going on. I use the tonner method and etch away the drill hole too, helps to guide the drill bit where it should go.
> 
> I also use drill bits from Harbor (5$ or so for 20 ..) so with around 40-45$  I got a quite decent drill solution. It just happens that I have a Harbor Freight close by. 
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Steve <steve65@> wrote:
> >
> > Micromark has their "jewelers-quality" drill presses on sale. This one 
> > is the adjustable speed 
> > <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-BENCHTOP-VARIABLE-SPEED-MINI-HOBBY-DRILL-PRESS,8283.html> 
> > and here is the standard 
> > <http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-3-SPEED-MINI-DRILL-PRESS,7797.html> 
> > model. Even at a substantially reduced sale price, they still seem 
> > pricey to me.
> > 
> > Any thoughts as to how the Micromark products might compare to other 
> > methods that have been discussed for drilling PCB's?
> > 
> > Steve
> > 
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

In article <hvd8si+lgc8@...>,
   Andrew <a_wake@...> wrote:
> Be aware that WD-40 does not provide long-term lubrication. It is
> designed primarily to displace water (hence the WD part of the name) and
> to evaporate. If you are having to relube and relube and relube, try a
> light machine oil (sewing machine oil) or graphite.

If you can "beg, borrow or steal" some, a drop of slideway oil as used on
lathes and so on, would probably be better still.

-- 
Stuart Winsor