Homebrew PCBs

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:49:08 +0100, derekhawkins <eldata@...> wrote:

> That's the least IMO. It was cleaning the bit when necessary and
> clearing the dust sufficiently away from the next nearby pad to be
> drilled that got on my nerves. So much so that I devised an air
> solenoid setup to clean the bit and blow away the dust while holes were
> being drilled.
> The same foot switch that operated the drill would operate the solenoid
> and a shop Vac. The dust would be blown into a "cowl" attached to the
> Vac. There was the sound of the drill, compressed air and the sound of
> the Vac for each hole drilled...One unholy racket. But it was an
> efficient setup otherwise.


I pointed the nozzle of the vac towards the drill, and made a u-shaped  
baffle that i can slip on from the front, that goes all the way around the  
drill. This gets all the swerf build-up on the drill, and most of the dust  
on the board (enough so that it doesn't obstruct the next pads and get  
into the air). A small amount of dust still seems to stick to the board,  
could probably be reduced further with a better suction hood or the vac  
cranked up higher.
The front of the suction hood is easily removeable so i can change drills.

It's loud and i hate the noise, but i hope to get a quieter vac some day.  
Still much better than killing yourself with glassfiber dust.

ST