Homebrew PCBs

> > What I've been doing is drilling a hole exactly the right size for a
> > piece of #22 wire. I poke that through, clip it off as close as I can
> > to the board and then crimp it. The copper flattens right up to the
> > PCB and it makes a very tidy via. I originally came up with the idea
> > in order to use thermal pad SSOP IC's but I've been using it for
> > other boards too.
> 
> 
> Can you explain "crimp it"? With what tool? Do you have a picture?


If you snip wire you'll notice the end will flare out slightly.  If you take
some pliers and squash the end of the wire, you can spread it out enough so
it won't fall thru the PCB hole.

If you're very enthusiastic you can make little copper rivets like this.
What you do is drill a short hole (a few mm) the same diameter as the wire
in a block of metal.  Drop a small piece of wire in there so a little bit,
say a mm, is poking up.  Now hit it with a hammer, it'll flatten out.  Poke
the rivet thru the PCB, solder, turn it over and hit the other side, then
solder again.

Jewellers have special 'doming' tools for do this.  They call riveting 'cold
connections', meaning joining without soldering.

Tony