NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #23/NN_1992_23.iso/spool/sci/electron/16797

Internet Message Format | 1992-10-09 | 1.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!ogicse!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hplsla!tomb
From: [e-mail] (Tom Bruhns)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Need small tool to cut pcb board
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 6 Oct 92 23:55:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: hplsla.5170228
References: <[e-mail]>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 29

[e-mail] (dale chayes) writes:

>    I recently had to make a "Frankenstien" (scab two pieces of
>prototype board together) without benefit of power tools. I scribed
>both sides of the board using a razor knife using a steel machinists
>scale (ruler) for a guide and then broke the board along the (deep)
>scribe lines. Flexing the board a few times helped it part cleanly.
>This technicque is definitely not recommened for production  use,
>but it worked in a pinch.

Actually, we've just started getting in production panels that are
done just about that way:  the pc shop scores around the edges of
the board instead of routing, the previous standard way the boards
were cut out of the panels.  It's probably not a bad idea if you
want to use a table saw to do the job, since the thin, hard board
material can catch in the saw.  That's a lot less likely to
happen if your blade comes up just under half the board thickness,
and you make a cut on each side, then break the board material at
the score.  It's probably worth experimenting doing the scoring
with the blade set vertical or at 45 degrees tilt, putting a
square-bottomed trough or a V-grove in, respectively.  Also, you
can score your 3"x3" squares all over the blank (even after etching,
if you allow for the score width...), without having to handle any
3" wide, let alone 3"x3" squares, on the saw.  You only break them
apart after all the scoring is done.

I agree that shearing is probably the best for small quantities if
you don't have better equipment, but if you don't have access to a
shear, there _are_ other ways.