Homebrew PCBs

It appears much easier, IMO, to just buy a big spool of thin wire, and  
thread it through all vias in a board (in one piece). then solder, then  
cut the crisscross pieces away. I think the CNC would be more work.

Maybe it is practical to make small studs of copper, just a bit longer  
than the hole. Place the board on spacers to allow the studs to protrude  
maybe 0.5mm or less, above a steel plate. then take a hammer and hammer on  
the board, so that the studs are riveted in place.

ST



On Thu, 26 May 2005 16:21:51 +0200, Alan King <alan@...> wrote:

>
>    It is a lot of hassle and work for light or medium work.
>   Thinking about it again, I see that it isn't the soldering that is the
> problem, but the locating and cutting and crimping the wires.  Soldering  
> both
> sides is easy enough after they're in place.
>   And that part could easily be automated.  A small tube just above the  
> board
> with a stepper feeding the wire through the tube.  Say 30 gauge wire  
> wrap wire
> with no insulation.  Have the holes just barely larger than the wire, so  
> they
> don't need much bent over to hold it in.  Locate the hole, feed just  
> enough wire
> to go through with about 1/16th inch extra, move the board over slightly  
> to the
> bending blocks to hold the wire in, cut the wire, move more to finish the
> bending, then repeat.  A stationary wire feed/bending system and moving  
> the
> board X and Y and this would be a breeze for a CNC setup.  Put in a  
> stationary
> vertical drill and you can do the holes too.  Thin wire and you can get  
> by with
> very little knife power, which is good since it must be thin and right  
> at the board.
>   For doing vias and drilling it might be worth making, and much simpler  
> for
> low volume than trying to do PTH..  Same aluminum angle I use for CNC  
> support
> would work great for bending/guide pieces, and the wire feed and knife  
> would be
> easy.
> Alan