how to make your own PCBs

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by jeremyb »

rocklander wrote:
sty wrote:2) We used a dremel to drill the 0.8mm holes, but we had a really nifty drill press that would hold the dremel. It would be well worth seeing if you could chase one of these down as I'm sure they weren't that expensive and were super useful
that's what I thought... last time I looked the price was over $120. hard to justify.
Buy a cheap ozito or similar from bunnings, should be able to get something for ~$40, I bought my dremel years ago at Cashies, has been brilliant, apart from the speed I seem to go thru cutting disks when shortening pot shafts....
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

jeremyb wrote:
Buy a cheap ozito or similar from bunnings, should be able to get something for ~$40, I bought my dremel years ago at Cashies, has been brilliant, apart from the speed I seem to go thru cutting disks when shortening pot shafts....
next time you're in there, can you jot down the product number of the ozitso (or other) drill press that will hold the ozitso dremel style tool that I already own?
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by jeremyb »

Oh LOL reading fail, carry on.....
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Bg »

jeremyb wrote:
rocklander wrote:
sty wrote:2) We used a dremel to drill the 0.8mm holes, but we had a really nifty drill press that would hold the dremel. It would be well worth seeing if you could chase one of these down as I'm sure they weren't that expensive and were super useful
that's what I thought... last time I looked the price was over $120. hard to justify.
Buy a cheap ozito or similar from bunnings, should be able to get something for ~$40, I bought my dremel years ago at Cashies, has been brilliant, apart from the speed I seem to go thru cutting disks when shortening pot shafts....
You know I've had the same hacksaw blade for about 8 years and ive shortened dozens of pot shafts...
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Ears »

Jaycar stock a mini chuck to fit your regular one, http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp ... rm=KEYWORD


also a dremel pretender: http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp ... rm=KEYWORD

any comments on either by those who know would be appreciated, I'm considering getting the rotary tool rather than spend over two hand shandy on a dremel that I'll only use twice a year.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

Ears wrote:Jaycar stock a mini chuck to fit your regular one, http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp ... rm=KEYWORD


also a dremel pretender: http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp ... rm=KEYWORD

any comments on either by those who know would be appreciated, I'm considering getting the rotary tool rather than spend over two hand shandy on a dremel that I'll only use twice a year.
I got the ozitso (or whatever generic brand bunnings had) jb suggested above.. been using it for a good 3 or so years now without a hitch.. was about $40 IIRC?

I also have that jaycar chuck...the chuck is okay enough, but because the base is designed to go into a cordless screwdriver (hex style) instead of a round shaft like a proper drill bit, it kinda wiggles in my drill press.. a lil wiggle is okay, but at 0.8mm it's too much. my drill press is also a cheapie, so certainly no german precision or anything, so on a decent one it may be better.. the ideal would be a dremel style press for my cheapie dremel-a-like.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Ears »

next time you're in Auckland or wherever else someone might stock these see if your one will fit it. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farmi ... 224318.htm
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

yeah, I just struggle to pay more than twice the price of the dremel-a-like just for something that holds it.. heh.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Ears »

rocklander wrote:yeah, I just struggle to pay more than twice the price of the dremel-a-like just for something that holds it.. heh.
Spoken like a true cheapskate, since I understand completely I salute you.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by sty »

rocklander wrote:yeah, I just struggle to pay more than twice the price of the dremel-a-like just for something that holds it.. heh.
That's an interesting connundrum really. If it was suitable for the job and reasonably sturdy I'd have no problems spending $85 on something like that (when I had a regular income coming in) since I'd get the money back several times over in saved time, broken drill bits, ruined circuit boards. After all that's only about 30GBP when I think back to when I would have been doing this stuff.

However I can see exactly where you're coming from and it feels totally wrong to spend double the amount of the tool on a widget for it!

I can't believe they can make those drills for $40 that's amazing! I must look out for something similar next time I have a decent project coming up.

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

since I started breaking my drill bits on purpose (to reduce the shaft length - ib;jb) I haven't broken a drill bit by accident in aaaages. nor have I ruined any boards.. my etching (moreso, my toner transfer) is more hit and miss than my drilling.. it's just a PITA to do it all by hand.. don't think I'd save much financially.. just less work on my forearms, eyes and fingers. tbh, I don't think I could fit it on my electronics workbench anyway... I'd have to move all the other crap that I don't use.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Ears »

Thought I'd mention that I was in Bunnings yesterday, the ozaki tool is now $59, so maybe the Jaycar tool is better value as it includes a snake extension for the chuck.
I found my regular drill press handles 0.8mm just fine so have no need for either..
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

Ears wrote:Thought I'd mention that I was in Bunnings yesterday, the ozaki tool is now $59, so maybe the Jaycar tool is better value as it includes a snake extension for the chuck.
I found my regular drill press handles 0.8mm just fine so have no need for either..
nice investigative work there thanks... agreed.. why pay $10 more to get one minus the snake?
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Cdog »

Righto... I'm starting my first pcb project for a power supply of all things. 8) I tried using Eagle and it did my head in. :?
Express PCB is very easy to use for what I'm trying to do, but it exports these files called .dxf which is a little wierd coz nothing opens them, and the image files I exported have no traces?? Meh I'll keep tweakering. Anybody got some advice on getting the printable art out of this program easily?

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by jeremyb »

.dxf is autocad format, you could try something like this: http://www.bravaviewer.com/free-autocad-file-viewer.htm
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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