Cutting blank PCB's to size

[dmm]

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 20:01:37 +1000, "Jason S" <jst3712@iprimus.com.au> wrote:

Thanks for your input everyone! I just thought perhaps there was some sort
of non-expensive tool or machine that is used to specifially cut PCB's in
the electronics industry. Obviously there are different methods of doing
this (going by all your replies), but most of which are too very expensive
for something I'm only going to be doing once in a blue moon. Haha, I just
felt stupid cutting them using a sharp utility knife and a steel ruler!!!

There's nothing stupid doing it that way. As you've heard, some people
cut their boards to size using that method. It gets the job done, and in a
short period of time without fancy/expensive methods. I've done it too,
but I prefer a different method when I've got the resources.

Sir Nigel Puke-Fuui's idea of a hand nibbling tool and a fine file sounds
quite reasonable. What do people think of this idea?

Ok, but you might get a sore hand, and the cut surface will have to be
tidied up anyway using a file. Any filing of the pcb will introduce fibreglass
fibres which get everywhere. Just do that part of the job outside where the
particles can be dispersed.

Thanks again.
Jason.

 

[Don McKenzie]

Jason S wrote:

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

And the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to do this is with a pair of
tin snips, but be warned that the board edge wont be real happy, or any
tracks near it. Give it a try on some old boards first to test for results.

Don...


--
Don McKenzie
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[quietguy]

Jason S wrote:

"quietguy" <quietguy@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com> wrote in
message
news:433E17C7.32D31930@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com...
I'd be inclined to try a very fine toothed blade in a jig saw - might
work -
if a lot need to be done then a band saw might be the way to go

Thanks for your input.
hmm, I wish i HAD those machines! =) No it would be only once in a blue
moon really. It's just a hobby.
Jason.

But a jigsaw can be had for under $20 these days - KMart or one of those
cheapy auto shops

David - who thinks a jigsaw is a handy thing to have anyway

 

[Craig Hart]

In "the business", either a guillotine is used, or the PCB drill file "cuts"
the boards up by specifying strokes with a cutter bit. Obviously, these cuts
must be done as the very last step in the manufacturing process

Craig

"Jason S" <jst3712@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:433d3a91$1_1@news.iprimus.com.au...

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

 

[MikeN]

I use woodworking tools.

I mark out the edges of the board with a ball-point pen or a scriber.
and then saw along the marked lines with a tenon saw, leaving a bit of
waste.

I then clamp the blank in a Workmate, and using a hand smoothing or
block plane remove the scrap down to the scribed line, checking the
squareness of the board with a try-square.

I's pretty hard on the plane, the blade needs frequent honing to keep
it sharp, and you'll find the saw won't be much good for anything else
either -- but it's cheap and I've got all day to do this. The
result is quite precise.

Not recommended for high production but it suits me fine for only a
few boards a week.

Cheers de MikeN

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:15:55 +1000, "Jason S" <jst3712@iprimus.com.au>
wrote:

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

"MikeN" <mnewman@clear.net.nz> wrote in message
news:h9g9k1l1dhva0g0g15b38pubopjgh7674p@4ax.com...

I use woodworking tools.

I mark out the edges of the board with a ball-point pen or a scriber.
and then saw along the marked lines with a tenon saw, leaving a bit of
waste.

I then clamp the blank in a Workmate, and using a hand smoothing or
block plane remove the scrap down to the scribed line, checking the
squareness of the board with a try-square.

I's pretty hard on the plane, the blade needs frequent honing to keep
it sharp, and you'll find the saw won't be much good for anything else
either -- but it's cheap and I've got all day to do this. The
result is quite precise.

Not recommended for high production but it suits me fine for only a
few boards a week.

Cheers de MikeN

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:15:55 +1000, "Jason S" <jst3712@iprimus.com.au
wrote:

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Terry Collins]

dmm wrote:

The wear would be insignificant for the small number of cuts that the op would be requiring,
particularly when guillotines are used to cut various metals with different guages, repeatedly,
between sharpenings.

Are you sure of that?
What are the optimum respective cutting angles for shear blades for
metal and fibreglass?

 

[Clifford Heath]

Alan Rutlidge wrote:

"MikeN" <mnewman@clear.net.nz> wrote in message
I's pretty hard on the plane... The result is quite precise.
Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

You can save the plane and use a bench-mounted belt sander or even a
disk sander to true-up the edges. Works a treat, but wear a facemask.

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

"Clifford Heath" <no.spam@please.net> wrote in message
news:4345d7cf$0$21734$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

Alan Rutlidge wrote:
"MikeN" <mnewman@clear.net.nz> wrote in message
I's pretty hard on the plane... The result is quite precise.
Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

You can save the plane and use a bench-mounted belt sander or even a
disk sander to true-up the edges. Works a treat, but wear a facemask.

For small runs I just clamp the PCB and run a mill file over the edges and
vacuum up the dust.
Still not overly keen on the score and snap method, but if the tracks aren't
too fine near the board edges it shouldn't become an issue.

Oh the joys of DIY

Cheers,
Alan

 

[dmm]

On Thu, 06 Oct 2005 21:45:06 +1000, Terry Collins <newsonespam-spam@woa.com.au> wrote:

dmm wrote:

The wear would be insignificant for the small number of cuts that the op would be requiring,
particularly when guillotines are used to cut various metals with different guages, repeatedly,
between sharpenings.

Are you sure of that?
What are the optimum respective cutting angles for shear blades for
metal and fibreglass?

Did you read the first 17 words of my sentence? Emphasis on "small number of cuts".

 

[Terry Collins]

dmm wrote:

Did you read the first 17 words of my sentence? Emphasis on "small number of cuts".

Yep, you made a fudge statement that I know from various cutting
devices isn't necessarily true. some blades do not like even being near
foreign material.

 

[Jason S]

"Alan Rutlidge" <don't_spam_me_rutlidge@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:4344dd2e$0$19783$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

"MikeN" <mnewman@clear.net.nz> wrote in message
news:h9g9k1l1dhva0g0g15b38pubopjgh7674p@4ax.com...
I use woodworking tools.

I mark out the edges of the board with a ball-point pen or a scriber.
and then saw along the marked lines with a tenon saw, leaving a bit of
waste.

I then clamp the blank in a Workmate, and using a hand smoothing or
block plane remove the scrap down to the scribed line, checking the
squareness of the board with a try-square.

I's pretty hard on the plane, the blade needs frequent honing to keep
it sharp, and you'll find the saw won't be much good for anything else
either -- but it's cheap and I've got all day to do this. The
result is quite precise.

Not recommended for high production but it suits me fine for only a
few boards a week.

Cheers de MikeN

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:15:55 +1000, "Jason S" <jst3712@iprimus.com.au
wrote:

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to
size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.



Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

Cheers,
Alan

Thanks guys.

 

[Mark Harriss]

Alan Rutlidge wrote:

Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

Cheers,
Alan

Hi Alan,

I found it depended on what speed you ran the drills at: TC drills run
well in a fast PCB drill but I find they snap easily and are expensive.
I found wire gauge HSS drill in a normal drill press last for quite a
long time but burn out and go blunt in a Dremel almost immediately.

Even at the fastest speed of a small tabletop press they seem to go on
forever and do drill fast: I retired some last month from bluntness. I'd
estimate they did close to 1000 holes minimum.

 

[dmm]

On Fri, 07 Oct 2005 20:12:36 +1000, Terry Collins <newsonespam-spam@woa.com.au> wrote:

dmm wrote:

Did you read the first 17 words of my sentence? Emphasis on "small number of cuts".

Yep, you made a fudge statement that I know from various cutting
devices isn't necessarily true. some blades do not like even being near
foreign material.

True enough for the foreign material. To answer your previous post first, it's been >25yrs
since I was working with a 10' sheet metal guillotine, and I don't recall the blade angle exactly, but
it must have been only a degree or two. Much greater than that and the grips that held the metal
down on the bed during the cut would allow the metal to rotate along the cut, and you'd have a
curved cut instead of a straight cut. I wouldn't have a clue what the angle would be for a guillotine
that specialises cutting copper/fibreglass laminates, as I've never seen one, but someone here
may be able to tell us. But then again, it's not really relevant to the original post, is it?

The op'er has the option of either taking someone's advice or rejecting it. He can take his
boards to a sheetmetal shop, or a pcb manufacturer (they do still exist in Australia), cut
it with a knife and a ruler, nibbler, etc, so long as he can get it done with the minimum of fuss.