Homebrew PCBs

In the jewelry and bead trade, sterling silver tube beads (also called
heishi and liquid silver) are common. These are short sections of
silver tube with common dimensions of about 1-mm OD by 2- to 4-mm long
and they are cheap - like a penny apiece. Would they work for PCB
eyelets?

From the current Rio Grande Gems and Findings catalog:

Sterling Tube Beads

0.047"OD  0.029"ID  3/32" long, 2000 pieces/oz; $9.04 per 1/2oz pkg
0.047"OD  0.029"ID  5/32" long, 1200 pieces/oz; $10.01 per 1/2oz pkg
0.027"OD  0.019"ID  3/32" long, 6890 pieces/oz; $9.90 per 1/2oz pkg

Rio Grande is at www.riogrande.com  but you need to have their paper
catalog to see their products. See also the liquid silver at
http://www.thebeadsdepot.com/index.asp?M=D&ID=61  The "liquid gold" is
made from gold fill tubes.

Most any medium-size or larger city should have a beading supply store
that stocks or could quickly get liquid silver.

Hope this helps

Larry

No answer, and this looks promising. Have you tried this? If so, let 
us know.

In a message dated 10/19/2004 1:09:30 AM Central Standard Time,  
thespeakerguy@... writes:

No  answer, and this looks promising. Have you tried this? If so, let 
us  know.



Silver may be a fine conductor (6% better than copper), but it tarnishes in  
air readily, and though the silver-oxide CONDUCTS (the "magic" of silver that  
makes it popular for contact-points), it is VERY SOFT, and anything as thin 
as  the ferrules you are all chattering about won't do ANY good here, unless 
perhaps  "hex-crimped" gas-tight with a $400 tool.  


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