Scott Dorsey wrote:
In ,
Ian wrote:
I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut accurately to
size (double Eurocard). This is well beyond my poor hack sawing skills
so I am hoping there is someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has a
band saw or something similar that I can use.

Try a sheet metal shop or an HVAC shop that does custom ductwork. You
want to use a sheet metal brake to cut the boards, not a saw.

FR4 will wreck saw blades in very short order.
--scott


That I do most sincerely believe. I had some smaller PCBs made ( about 4
inches square) and had to cut them out too. I consumed one Junior
hacksaw blade every two cut sides.

Cheers

Ian

Arny Krueger wrote:
"Ian wrote in message


I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut
accurately to size (double Eurocard). This is well beyond
my poor hack sawing skills so I am hoping there is
someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has a band saw
or something similar that I can use.

What other tools are available?

In general nobody cuts particularly good lines with either a hacksaw or a
bandsaw. In either case finish-grade work follows the saw cut with filing
and sanding.

The preferred traditional production tool for this purpose would probably be
a large shear with foot treadle or hydraulic operation.

Another commonly-used tool for this purpose is a high speed rotary bit,
mounted in some kind of a jig (e.g. router table) or on a milling machine.



Yes, it seems my assumption that sawing was the 'normal' method was
quite wrong. Shearing appears to be the standard method. So does anyone
near me in the UK (NR25) have one I could use?

Cheers

ian

On Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:52:31 +0100, "Ian Iveson"
wrote:

Americans make good hand tools.

There are two ways to read that....;-)

d

Ian Bell wrote:

That I do most sincerely believe. I had some smaller PCBs made ( about 4
inches square) and had to cut them out too. I consumed one Junior
hacksaw blade every two cut sides.

When they drill they boards, they use very small carbide drills, and they
replace them after a fairly small number of holes. (This is, in fact,
why a lot of board houses have an extra charge per hole). There is a fairly
large aftermarket for the used drills, since they are still perfectly fine
for drilling brass or even steel when they are too worn for fr4.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message

Ian Bell wrote:

That I do most sincerely believe. I had some smaller
PCBs made ( about 4 inches square) and had to cut them
out too. I consumed one Junior hacksaw blade every two
cut sides.

When they drill they boards, they use very small carbide
drills, and they replace them after a fairly small number
of holes. (This is, in fact,
why a lot of board houses have an extra charge per hole).
There is a fairly large aftermarket for the used drills,
since they are still perfectly fine for drilling brass or
even steel when they are too worn for fr4. --scott

There are people who resharpen the carbide PC board drills. The downside of
the resharpened drills is that they are not long enough to drill as many
boards at a time as the new ones.

Hi again Ian

that's a bit of a trek I am afraid. You could resort, as I am have in the
past, to using a padsaw and then finish off with a file and emery paper.

Kind regards

Mike
"Ian Bell" wrote in message
...
HI

I am NR25

Cheers

ian

fredbloggstwo wrote:
Ian can you give me a post code - I am hp20

I have a PCB guillotine

Mike


"Ian wrote in message
...
I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut accurately to
size
(double Eurocard). This is well beyond my poor hack sawing skills so I
am
hoping there is someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has a band saw
or
something similar that I can use.

Help?

Cheers

Ian

Ian Bell wrote:
I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut accurately to
size (double Eurocard). This is well beyond my poor hack sawing skills
so I am hoping there is someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has a
band saw or something similar that I can use.

Help?

Cheers

Ian

Score the board deeply on both sides with a sharp scriber, snap the
board along the scribe line and neaten up with a file. Clamp a steel
rule to the board as a guide when scoring and practice on a piece of
scrap board first.

The method is quick neat and accurate and requires no special skills,

keithr wrote:
Ian Bell wrote:
I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut accurately to
size (double Eurocard). This is well beyond my poor hack sawing skills
so I am hoping there is someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has
a band saw or something similar that I can use.

Help?

Cheers

Ian

Score the board deeply on both sides with a sharp scriber, snap the
board along the scribe line and neaten up with a file. Clamp a steel
rule to the board as a guide when scoring and practice on a piece of
scrap board first.

The method is quick neat and accurate and requires no special skills,


Thanks Keith. Several people have suggested this method so I am going to
experiment on a piece of scrap and see how it goes.


Cheers

Ian

On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:39:20 +0100, Ian Bell
wrote:

keithr wrote:
Ian Bell wrote:
I have just received a prototype PCB that I need to cut accurately to
size (double Eurocard). This is well beyond my poor hack sawing skills
so I am hoping there is someone not to far from me (Holt, UK) who has
a band saw or something similar that I can use.

Help?

Cheers

Ian

Score the board deeply on both sides with a sharp scriber, snap the
board along the scribe line and neaten up with a file. Clamp a steel
rule to the board as a guide when scoring and practice on a piece of
scrap board first.

The method is quick neat and accurate and requires no special skills,


Thanks Keith. Several people have suggested this method so I am going to
experiment on a piece of scrap and see how it goes.

And when you snap it, lay the board on a table edge, aligned with the
scoring. Apply more pressure to one end than the other and it will
kind of tear along the line rather than snap. It will all be under
much more control that way.

d

Don Pearce wrote:

Americans make good hand tools.

There are two ways to read that....;-)

Reminded me of the quite funny pair of MotoGP commentators,
talking about nurturing new talent. "I think I'd make a good
coach". "Yeah mate...you could take your teeth out and
install seats."

If I had a one-off board, I'd use a razor saw because it's
zero risk. Otherwise I'd score, clamp to the edge of the
table, and snap, assuming there's no copper. Buying a saw
for one board isn't worth it, but they are so good for
plastic, wood and soft metal that anyone prototyping
fabrications would soon wonder how they ever managed without
one.

Ian