Homebrew PCBs

A comment on the   question of "... what (if any) are the issues with 
using thin (0.010" - 0.030") PCB material in general?"  I did a run of 
an SMT bds about 2.5": x 2.5" in 0.010" thick material and regretted 
it.  It was just too flimsy and if you intend to do the core drill idea 
I'd be suspicious about possible tearing.   I'm now using 0.023" thick 
material and think it is quite satisfactory and I suspect that it would 
be fine in a 1/2" disk.  The 0.023" is about as stiff as K&S 0.015 SS 
shim.  This shim is 430 SS in a dead soft condition.  I mention the K&S 
shim as it is often available in US craft and hardware stores if you're 
trying to get a feel for the stiffness.
Regards,
Charles R. Patton


On 5/10/2014 10:50 PM, Roger Blair Roger.Blair@... 
[Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:
> You might try a 5/8"OD diamond thin wall core drill; it may be close
> enough to 12"ID and I think the FR4 would clear any copper buildup, and
> likely wear well.
> Just a thought...
> Roger
> On 5/10/2014 7:10 PM, Jean-Paul Louis louijp@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
> wrote:
>> Peter,
>>
>> You\ufffdre going to wear your punch very fast as FR4 is loaded with glass which is very abrasive.
>> Unless you can have a very high resistance punch which would cost hundreds of dollars.
>>
>> I used a punch press to cut boards in a previous job. The wear of the punches and dies were very costly.
>> so we replaced the whole process by a router. But that was for 0.062\ufffd FR4. You have also to make sure that
>> there is no copper in the cut area.
>>
>> Jean-Paul
>> AC9GH
>>
>>
>> On May 10, 2014, at 8:31 PM, Peter Johansson rockets4kids@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I have a project idea that would require hundreds (possibly thousands)
>>> of very small PCBs, each one being a circle approx. 1/2 inch in
>>> diameter. Does anyone know if it would be possible to punch them out
>>> of thin FR4 with a punch press? That is, use the material that is
>>> normally discarded when punching out a hole.
>>>
>>> Aside from that, what (if any) are the issues with using thin (0.010"
>>> - 0.030") PCB material in general?
>>>
>>> -p.
>>>
>>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>
>
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