Homebrew_PCBs

>
> 1). Cutting boards
> Does anyone know of a suitable mini saw table/inverted router type setup
> to accurately cut PCBs to size?
> I know Dremel do a few add-ons for their hand held drills, but are they
> any good?
> Is there any other kind of hobby/craft mini-saw table that could do a
> nice job of cutting PCBs?

> 2). Drilling
> I can't really see any other way than a Dremel by hand...

> 3). Silkscreen Top Component Layer
> Anyone know of any inkjet ink/paper/system that can be ironed on to the
> top surface of a board to give component locations/orientations etc. Any
> a nice
> cheap home solution? Does have to last forever just so the boards can be
> assembled with less faults I though about doing double sided boards and
> using the top copper side purely as a layout layer without any
> connection tracks at all.

> 4). Solder Masks
> Like the silkscreen at no 3) any kind of inkjet ink/paper setup that
> will iron on solder masks?

> In a message dated 4/23/2005 2:48:58 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
> email.me@k... writes:
>
> And changing the subject away from Toner Transfer!!! ;-) ]
>
> 1). Cutting boards
> Does anyone know of a suitable mini saw table/inverted router type

> accurately cut PCBs to size?<<
> There are small "table saws" with 5 or 5½" blades available. Not

> but would do for PCB work, but ONLY if you use a carbide-tipped

> more teeth the better.
>
> I know Dremel do a few add-ons for their hand held drills, but are

> good?<<
> Simple, accurate answer: NO.
>
> Is there any other kind of hobby/craft mini-saw table that could do

> job of cutting PCBs?<<
> And cutting of FR-4 with a NON-carbide blade (i.e., plain HSS) won't

> than one little board before it's "gone" and needs resharpening. I

> used a disk-sander to "clean up" a board with nuppered edges or

> dims.
>
> 2). Drilling
> I can't really see any other way than a Dremel by hand...<<
> Then you obviously haven't SEEN much! You will NEVER drill PCB

> proper solid-carbide PCB drills with a Dremel. Even with their

> stand" thing, there's little chance!

>
> You MUST use a proper and accurate drill-press. If you can find one

> little versions at HF (better: Enco, though not much!) with no

> chance?) that may do if you can hold the board steady on the table.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Sheet metal shears/scissors. Either handheld or the bench variety, all
> works well.
> Tile saws are said to work too, are cheap (30eur) and run in water bath
> (dust).
> A small table saw with a carbide blade makes very nice cuts, but IMO is
> too loud and messy.
> Strong paper cutters.

>
> While I've used shearing in the past, I'd rather
> not do so if I had a choice. Shearing stresses
> are rather broadly distributed compared to sawing,
> routing, etc.. Making cuts close to active traces
> and vias via shearing is best avoided IMHO.

> I know Dremel do a few add-ons for their hand held drills, but

> good?<<
> Simple, accurate answer: NO.
>

> 2). Drilling
> I can't really see any other way than a Dremel by hand...<<
> Then you obviously haven't SEEN much! You will NEVER drill PCB

> proper solid-carbide PCB drills with a Dremel. Even with

> stand" thing, there's little chance!
>
> You MUST use a proper and accurate drill-press. If you can find

> little versions at HF (better: Enco, though not much!) with no

> chance?) that may do if you can hold the board steady on the

----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Haverland" <entwickler@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Making PCBs - The other tasks


> I even drilled (and will drill in future) my single prototype pcb's
> completely freehand with a dremel-like drilltool (hss drills).
> i don't let it drill fast fast, in fact as slow as the tool can cut the
pcb
> easily, and give it a fair slow one time pressure, with epoxy+harder
> sometimes in two steps if the drill seems in danger to get stuck. the
drill
> must creep easily into the pcb, then you're right.
> Needed one pcb to learn it, now im drilling eurocard format faster with my
> two hands as anyone can do using a drill press, except a machine.
> You need good eyes and a little bit of hand skill, but it is sincerely
> possible, even 40 pin ic socket holes that fits the socket in a good
manner.
> you have to etch the drill hole, no other way possible. let the drill find
> the hole by itself. You will know what i mean if you try.
> train on a few training etched pcbs with different skill levels ( 2 pin
> components, 8 pin ic, 16 pin ic >, first 0,8 mm, then 0,8 and 1,0mm all
kind
> of
> components mixed). Try to finish a whole pcb as fast as possible in one go
> to train your concentration.
>
> instead of screen printing i use the toner transfer method instead of silk
> screening after etching with good results.
> it' much easier as the transfer for echting.
>
> Kind regards
>
> Martin
>
> PS: i will try it on double sided pcb's with ground layer in near future
and
> will tell you if this is possible, but i think it shouldn't be much
harder,
> only slower because you have to get the right angle to get both holes and
> have to be a little more careful.
> Some people will shout at me "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE", but i tell the truth and
> will ask them if they have really tried it with the intent to learn it, to
> act really concentrated and use their eyes and fingers as an intelligent
cnc
> drill?
> BTW i even drilled one pcb even without a proper drill, just with a
"solder
> pin"(right words? this golden connector pins...ya know?)...
> i was in a hurry, so don't try this at home. I learned to try the so
called
> impossible as i saw my "teacher", a skilled engineer, at a centre lathe
> (don't know the words sometimes...sorry if bad english, used googletool
this
> time...), doing complex drillings and cutting threads in them freehand,
> leaving me speechless at the lunch spare time...he was just "a little bit
in
> a hurry" and needed the parts in production a few minutes later...a
> production process with critical time plan. (22 pcs + 1 spare, but they
all
> fitted to the specs...). The only time i saw his face turning this red by
> the adrenaline push....he was really bathed in sweat...
>
> maybe a little bit hadcore diy :-)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ben H. Lanmon" <bhleavi@...>
> To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 3:41 AM
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Making PCBs - The other tasks
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> > > I know Dremel do a few add-ons for their hand held drills, but
> > are they any
> > > good?<<
> > > Simple, accurate answer: NO.
> > >
> >
> > > 2). Drilling
> > > I can't really see any other way than a Dremel by hand...<<
> > > Then you obviously haven't SEEN much! You will NEVER drill PCB
> > holes with
> > > proper solid-carbide PCB drills with a Dremel. Even with
> > their "drill press
> > > stand" thing, there's little chance!
> > >
> > > You MUST use a proper and accurate drill-press. If you can find
> > one of the
> > > little versions at HF (better: Enco, though not much!) with no
> > runout (15%
> > > chance?) that may do if you can hold the board steady on the
> > table.
> >
> > Drilling
> >
> > Well I agree that the Dremel is not the best but they do work and
> > work pretty good. I drilled over 6000 holes just the other day with
> > a Dermel Tool and Dermel Drill Press using Carbide bits from .7mm to
> > 2mm did not break a bit. When I do break a bit it is due to not
> > holding the board down good.
> >
> > What HF drill press are you talking about? Not too sure a HF drill
> > press would be any better than a Dremel Tool.
> >
> > Cutting PCB's
> >
> > 1. A table saw with a diamond blade works good, but you need very
> > good dust collection to go with it, and put a filter on your motor
> > air intake.
> >
> > 2. Bench Type Sheet Metal Shears work good. I have a Kepro PCB
> > Shear that works nice.
> >
> > Have not gotten into the Screen Printing just yet but I am
> > interested in screen printing labeling, and then maybe mask. don't
> > really know of any other method, some say that Toner Transfer works
> > good for the Labeling.
> >
> > I currently use positive photo for layout, once you are set up to do
> > it, it is easy and give good repeatable results. Use MG Chemical's
> > 600 series boards.
> >
> >
> > Ben
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Bookmarks and files:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

>
>
>> I even drilled (and will drill in future) my single prototype pcb's
>> completely freehand with a dremel-like drilltool (hss drills).

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 8:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Making PCBs - The other tasks


>
> On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 18:58:55 +0200, Martin Haverland
> <professional@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >> I even drilled (and will drill in future) my single prototype pcb's
> >> completely freehand with a dremel-like drilltool (hss drills).
>
> While i agree with most of your post, HSS drills do not produce holes of
> the same quality as carbide drills.
> They get dull after a few and more like melt their way in than cut it.
> (proof: your solderpin story)
>
> This is however not a problem with many homebrew boards, and i think for a
> beginner freehand drilling is perfectly acceptable, i have used it for
> quite a while myself and as you say it is in fact faster than with a press
> and carbide drills.
>
> Note that sharpening the drill from time to time is a good idea, and it is
> totally non-critical if you get it nice, in fact once i broke a drill
> (yes, with HSS i only ever broke a single drill in a pcb, ever, and i did
> that for years), well, once i broke one i just continued and the broken
> edge drilled surprisingly well. it was more or less a straight break so i
> think maybe holding it straight against a grinding wheel would work just
> as well as normal sharpening.
>
> Doublesided is possible, you can even correct very slightly for offset.
> But note that the exit side has a even worse burr if there is copper than
> the side where the drill enters.
>
>
> ST
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Bookmarks and files:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

> While i agree with most of your post, HSS drills do not produce holes of
> the same quality as carbide drills.
> They get dull after a few and more like melt their way in than cut it.
> (proof: your solderpin story)

>
> Is this assuming any particular board material?

>
> 1). Cutting boards
> Does anyone know of a suitable mini saw table/inverted router type

> I know Dremel do a few add-ons for their hand held drills, but are

> Is there any other kind of hobby/craft mini-saw table that could do

>
> 2). Drilling
> I can't really see any other way than a Dremel by hand...

>
> 3). Silkscreen Top Component Layer
> Anyone know of any inkjet ink/paper/system that can be ironed on to

>
> 4). Solder Masks
> Like the silkscreen at no 3) any kind of inkjet ink/paper setup that