Drilling P.C. Boards (tips solicited)

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I am presently using small perforated breadboards that occasionally need the perforations enlarged for leads of larger devices such as diodes and resistors.

Do I really need carbide drills and an expensive Dremel or Skil tool (which in themselves are clumsy to handle)?

And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.

I cannot find circuits online for my rig so I am manufacturing them from scratch.

[MrWizard]

solder station $14.95....Mini Solder Station, ZD-99
5w~50w up to 800* F

http://www.mpja.com/11-18-14.asp?r=318221&s=33

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My car is on the peninsula rather than at home and I have to haul all this stuff including battery inverter, a ton of LED lights, power supplies, tools, instruments, plus clothing, the BiPAP and huge carton of supplies like masks and cushions - all in a tomato soup can '95 Dodge Spirit.

[SCVJeff]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Chris, would you be offended if I asked for examples? I believe a regular soldering station is above my own station, affordability-wise.

I personally have 2 Weller soldering stations, although there are several knockoffs around that seem just fine. For run of the mill circuit board work I use PTA7 tips. PTA is the tip configuration, and the 7 is the temp (700 degrees). I rarely go above that for board work, but do go down to 600 degrees.

Variable knob temp is better. RF Soldering is by far the best but those go for $300 used and often broken.

[Gdetrailer]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Chris, would you be offended if I asked for examples? I believe a regular soldering station is above my own station, affordability-wise.

My go to home soldering station is one from MCM Electronics which is fully adjustable temp with bar graph temp readout.. They have a variety of changeable tips so you can use the correct size/shape tip for your needs. It my not have quite as good temp control as say a Weller but it costs a heck of a lot less than a Weller. Overall a very good "Hobbyist" or even semi pro soldering station.

At the time when I bought it it was on sale for $59.. Regular price now is $77..

MCM SOLDER STATION

They also have the same station with digital readout for a bit more money..

[LScamper]

More tips!

Soldering station I have. Not a Weller but seems to work fine. Would not use in industrial setting.

http://smile.amazon.com/X-TRONIC-6040-Soldering-SOLDERING-MAGNIFYING/dp/B0052M8SZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416156860&sr=8-1&keywords=x-tronic+6000&pebp=1416156864766

They have models without the hot air.

Radioshack has some of the best solder I have ever used.

http://www.radioshack.com/high-tech-rosin-core-silver-bearing-solder-1-5-oz-/6400013.html

http://www.radioshack.com/rosin-core-solder-2-5-oz-/6400005.html

Radioshack desolding braid is also about the best I have used.

http://www.radioshack.com/desoldering-braid/6402090.html

And for seeing small things on a circuit board you can not go without this.

http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-Binocular-Magnifier-Lensplate/dp/B000YZCSBU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416155615&sr=8-2&keywords=optivisor+lensplate+%237

The #7 lens plate works for me but there are others to look at.

Then this light works perfect with the magnifier.

http://www.amazon.com/Led-Light-Attachment-For-Optivisor/dp/B0058ECQ46/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416155227&sr=8-3&keywords=optivisor

[MrWizard]

Maybe one of these would help



Crafters Hobby drill




Fiskars hand drill

[GordonThree]

Mex, check out honorable Chinese brand XYtronic for an affordable solder station. Mine's nearly ten years old and still using the original tips and still working great despite the occasional abuse. It's was one of the cheapest I could find that offered digital temperature control with replaceable somewhat generic tips and heater core.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Chris, would you be offended if I asked for examples? I believe a regular soldering station is above my own station, affordability-wise.

[Chris_Bryant]

I really like higher wattage temperature controlled irons. That's how you get a fast warmup.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I was hoping for cobalt drills not carbide as I break cobalt less than HSS, or carbide. Thanks all the other tips. PC board assembly is a new area for me.

Now if I can only find a 20 watt soldering iron with foot switch that heats up within a few seconds...

My first fan cooled 30 watt LED lamp was finished this morning. Using silver color silicone over the exposed connectors. Man! Is that critter bright! I also found a half-price 12-volt to 36-volt booster online. It's the stupid heat sinks that are so expensive. Using a fan allows me a 3-to-1 advantage, a 2/3rds reduction in the size of the heat sink.

Next month, a bulk purchase of Arctic Silver adhesive, along with the PC stuff.

[LScamper]

For small hand held hole enlarging the Dremel bit set that Gdetrailer points to is fine. The carbide bits used for mass PC board drilling are much sharper but are brittle and may break if not careful.

If you are coating the boards remember that will make it very hard to repair!

If using wire wrap don't try to make it neat. Short straight routing, called rats nest, is best to keep cross talk down.

[westend]

Only issue with a Dremel and drilling/reaming copper is the speed. Slower is better. For perf board, a hand vice is going to do a good job. I wish I had a small hobby brace as Mr. Wizard describes.

I pick up wire as I find it at discount sellers. I could pay the same price for new PVC jacketed small gauge wire as I do for the fancy Teflon jacket at surplus.

[MrWizard]

Pref board...enlarging holes..
When I did this I just used a hand Chuck to hold the tiny drill bit
A few turns with my fingers and it was done
More holes or duplicate project boards, I used a small hobby manual crank hand drill, common for builders before the dremel became so popular

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Sigh, yes of course my eyes were instantly sucked to the Starrett tools. Goes to show you what Champagne tastes on a Beer budget does to a person. But, I am hooked in the gills. Starrett it's going to be, and now to find top quality micro drills to match. Why expensive drills? Three ninety cent broken drills are a poorer value than 1 single, quality two dollar drill. Clumsy hands, not necessarily the drill's fault. Watching 1-1/2 hands at work is a riot (if they're not your hands).