Homebrew PCBs

The website for their US operations is www.lpkfusa.com. Click the Store link and look for the ProConduct and the EasyContac products. Quite expensive to get set up. IMHO, unless you regularly have to make prototype boards, and need fast turnaround, you're much better off by using hollow rivets for the vias and component through-holes, or by going to prototyping services such as ExpressPCB or one of the many off-shore producers.

For instance, for the ProConduct paste & vacuum system, you'll start off with a $2000 bill, and go from there. The paste and film consumables are pretty costly as well.

Cheers,

Dave M

I would think that solder paste once heated would bead away from the 
insulated whole just like it does on the top of the board.

You would need something that would really stick to the fiberglass 
and not let go, like conducting epoxy

At 04:34 AM 2/8/2014, you wrote:
>
>
>Isn't the paste just solder paste? Couldn't you do the same thing 
>with the right solder paste and a simple vacuum cleaner? I think the 
>idea is great but we need to hack it :-) so to speak.
>
>D.
>
>
>On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 8:32 PM, 
><<mailto:dgminala@...>dgminala@...> wrote:
>
>
>The website for their US operations is 
><http://www.lpkfusa.com>www.lpkfusa.com.  Click the Store link and 
>look for the ProConduct and the EasyContac products.  Quite 
>expensive to get set up.  IMHO, unless you regularly have to make 
>prototype boards, and need fast turnaround, you're much better off 
>by using hollow rivets for the vias and component through-holes, or 
>by going to prototyping services such as ExpressPCB or one of the 
>many off-shore producers.
>
>
>
>For instance, for the ProConduct paste & vacuum system, you'll start 
>off with a $2000 bill, and go from there.  The paste and film 
>consumables are pretty costly as well.
>
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>Dave M

-- 
Cecil - k5nwa
<  http://thepartsplace.k5nwa.com/ > <  http://www.softrockradio.org/ >

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Cecil Bayona <cbayona@...> wrote:
>
> I would think that solder paste once heated would bead away from the
> insulated whole just like it does on the top of the board.

I do not know that this is true. Have you tried? Maybe it being a hole
makes the difference?

> You would need something that would really stick to the fiberglass
> and not let go, like conducting epoxy

I guess following your logic it might also be a different alloy. I
wonder what this does to the stability of the solder in the soldered
assembly.

D.

On Sat, 8 Feb 2014 13:05:18 +0100, you wrote:

>On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Cecil Bayona <cbayona@...> wrote:
>>
>> I would think that solder paste once heated would bead away from the
>> insulated whole just like it does on the top of the board.
>
>I do not know that this is true. Have you tried? Maybe it being a hole
>makes the difference?

Hasn't seemed to work when I've tried it.  I normally use either
soldered eyelets or thin wire and solder.  Solder "wets" metals to
adhere, there's nothing in there to adhere to.  
>
>> You would need something that would really stick to the fiberglass
>> and not let go, like conducting epoxy
>
>I guess following your logic it might also be a different alloy. I
>wonder what this does to the stability of the solder in the soldered
>assembly.
>

I think that it's a conductive epoxy, so there's a limit to how good a
conductor it is.  People have used windshield heating element repair
compound, no idea of how well it works.

I've seen graphite used, but that's before copper plating.


Harvey

>D.

Solder has a huge surface tension, which tends to pull it onto a 
blob, have you seen how if you put too much paste it all pulls back 
into the pad or if you put a line of solder paste across some pins it 
all pulls back so there is only solder on the pins, the same thing 
will happen with solder in a hole with no metal in it. It has nothing 
to adhere to so surface tension pulls on it and away from the hole to 
the trace where the solder is adhering.

One does not want the holes plugged up that is why a vacuum cleaner 
is used to only leave a thin layer stuck on the walls, so it must be 
either an exotic alloy paste or a conductor with some kind of glue 
like binder to make it stick to the walls. I'm thinking that a silver 
compound like the one used to repair traces might work.

At 06:33 AM 2/8/2014, you wrote:
>
>
>On Sat, 8 Feb 2014 13:05:18 +0100, you wrote:
>
> >On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Cecil Bayona <cbayona@...> wrote:
> >>
> >> I would think that solder paste once heated would bead away from the
> >> insulated whole just like it does on the top of the board.
> >
> >I do not know that this is true. Have you tried? Maybe it being a hole
> >makes the difference?
>
>Hasn't seemed to work when I've tried it. I normally use either
>soldered eyelets or thin wire and solder. Solder "wets" metals to
>adhere, there's nothing in there to adhere to.
> >
> >> You would need something that would really stick to the fiberglass
> >> and not let go, like conducting epoxy
> >
> >I guess following your logic it might also be a different alloy. I
> >wonder what this does to the stability of the solder in the soldered
> >assembly.
> >
>
>I think that it's a conductive epoxy, so there's a limit to how good a
>conductor it is. People have used windshield heating element repair
>compound, no idea of how well it works.
>
>I've seen graphite used, but that's before copper plating.
>
>Harvey
>
> >D.
>

-- 
Cecil - k5nwa
<  http://thepartsplace.k5nwa.com/ > <  http://www.softrockradio.org/ >

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

I wonder if adding some powdered metal that does not melt at 
soldering temperatures to the solder paste would help it to coat the 
walls of the via. It may be a question of finding the right alloy and 
the right particle size. You may need different sized particles for 
different size vias.

On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 1:56 AM, Paul Alciatore <palciatore@...> wrote:
>
> I wonder if adding some powdered metal that does not melt at
> soldering temperatures to the solder paste would help it to coat the
> walls of the via. It may be a question of finding the right alloy and
> the right particle size. You may need different sized particles for
> different size vias.

Interesting. What's your reasoning why that would help?

Cheers,
D.

Silver and Cooper powder or flask with solder mask a the adhesive/aglutinant

Both sides should be laminated with something "peelable" prior to drilling 

Lots of testing to find the right proportions,but I guess more than 90% metals

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "cheater00 ." <cheater00@...> wrote:

>
> On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 1:56 AM, Paul Alciatore <palciatore@...> wrote:
> >
> > I wonder if adding some powdered metal that does not melt at
> > soldering temperatures to the solder paste would help it to coat the
> > walls of the via. It may be a question of finding the right alloy and
> > the right particle size. You may need different sized particles for
> > different size vias.
> 
> Interesting. What's your reasoning why that would help?
> 
> Cheers,
> D.
>

On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 3:44 PM, <psykhon@...> wrote:
>
> Silver and Cooper powder or flask with solder mask a the adhesive/aglutinant
> Both sides should be laminated with something "peelable" prior to drilling
> Lots of testing to find the right proportions,but I guess more than 90% metals

Pardon me?

Sorry, I meant to reply to Paul mainly and also to the general discussion 

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "cheater00 ." <cheater00@...> wrote:

>
> On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 3:44 PM, <psykhon@...> wrote:
> >
> > Silver and Cooper powder or flask with solder mask a the adhesive/aglutinant
> > Both sides should be laminated with something "peelable" prior to drilling
> > Lots of testing to find the right proportions,but I guess more than 90% metals
> 
> Pardon me?
>

soldermask as glue will work because its made to endure wave and reflow solder, its stands +-280 celcius without any damage
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, <indigo_red@...> wrote:

>
> I like that idea: a higher temp powder mixed in might keep surface tension from wicking the solder out of the via to the surface conductors during heating. hmmm...
>