[sdiy] Cutting PCB Material

[Tony Clark]

> I need to cut a piece of pre-etched PCB in half so I
> can use the other half for something else later.  The
> package says "polyester glass".  I think I read
> (here) that this stuff is really abrasive and can wear
> out tools for cutting??

   Yes, it can wear tools, but if done correctly, you can do it with no 
short term damage.  Firstly, you have to follow the rules of cutting thin 
material.  Typically if you are using a bandsaw or some other bladed 
object, you can literally rip the teeth off by trying to push the 
material through too fast.  The idea is to go real slow, so the teeth 
only take off a small amount of material.  Because the board material is 
tough, you have to treat it just like metal, so use a finer tooth blade, 
run the blade at a high speed, and move the material slowly.
   Since you are planning to use a hand saw, just keep the blade pressure 
really light and let the weight of the blade control the cutting rate.  
Use a fine toothed blade if you have one.  Also, cut at an angle to 
maximize the contact surface.

   Hope that helps!

   tony

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