Cutting blank PCB's to size

[Jason S]

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

 

[Ken Taylor]

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

We used to use a workshop -sized guillotine. ie. one used for cutting sheets
of tin plate etc.

Ken

 

[dmm]

Anyone know of a cheap but easy way to cut blank fibreglass PCB's to size?
Previously I have been using a very sharp cutting knife and steel ruler
(very timely task!). Is there such tool out there that isn't massive and
doesn't cost the Earth that can do this? Has anyone tried using a
guillotine used to cut paper/cardboard? (i wonder if that would work?).
Any ideas?
P.S It needs to be a nice clean, straight cut.

Regards,
Jason.

Go to a local sheetmetal shop where they'll probably cut it for nothing on one of their guillotines.

 

[quietguy]

I'd be inclined to try a very fine toothed blade in a jig saw - might work -
if a lot need to be done then a band saw might be the way to go

David

 

[Mark Harriss]

They won't, if they've done it before. Fiberglass dulls the cutting
edges on a sheet metal shear in a hurry.

That's what I thought, I have a small guillotine with tool steel blades
and I wasn't ever planning on cutting glass PCB's with it.

The OP might be better off with a table mounted power saw.

 

[dmm]

They won't, if they've done it before. Fiberglass dulls the cutting
edges on a sheet metal shear in a hurry.

The wear would be insignificant for the small number of cuts that the op would be requiring,
particularly when guillotines are used to cut various metals with different guages, repeatedly,
between sharpenings.

 

[Rob]

message

I'd be inclined to try a very fine toothed blade in a jig saw - might work -
if a lot need to be done then a band saw might be the way to go

David

A band saw works well except it hammers the crap out of the blade. A dremel
with a cut off disc also works but heaps of nasty f/glass dust. I woder how
well an old style paper guillotine would work - the ones with the heavy
wooden base & 3/8" thick blade.
There are small guillo's for trimming pcbs but they cost a couple of grand.
rob

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

If you say so. Around here no one will let you use their metal
sheers to cut fiberglass. I worked for a company that did asset
recovery, where they had a really nice foot operated metal shear that
they used to remove the gold plated fingers from PC boards. A couple
days after they were sharpened you couldn't cut thin aluminum, let alone
steel. They would wear the blades so bad they had to be replaced.

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

I agree. Years ago the place where I worked used to use a sheet metal
guillotine to cut fibreglass boards. Mind you that all we ever cut with it
for just the same reasons Michael has outlined.

For small runs I clamp a steel straight edge onto the board and use a box
cutter blade to score a deep line on both sides of the board, then snap them
apart. This method works okay provided you don't have very thin tracks near
the edge of the board as insufficient scoring prior to snapping can create
microfractures in the copper tracks.

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Jason S]

message

A band saw works well except it hammers the crap out of the blade. A
dremel
with a cut off disc also works but heaps of nasty f/glass dust. I woder
how
well an old style paper guillotine would work - the ones with the heavy
wooden base & 3/8" thick blade.
There are small guillo's for trimming pcbs but they cost a couple of
grand.
rob

Thanks for your input.
Yeah, I was thinking about a heavy duty guillotine too. Thing is, I don't
really want to spend $100-300 for one and then find out it doesn't work!
Damn things... so expensive!

 

[Jason S]

message

I'd be inclined to try a very fine toothed blade in a jig saw - might
work -
if a lot need to be done then a band saw might be the way to go

Thanks for your input.
hmm, I wish i HAD those machines! =) No it would be only once in a blue
moon really. It's just a hobby.
Jason.

 

[Jason S]

Try a hand-held nibbling tool, with the job finished off with a fine file.
Works for me....

Hi, thanks for your input.
Don't you find that the tool chips or cracks the fibreglass doing that? Is
it difficult to do?
Jason.

 

[Jason S]

We used to use a workshop -sized guillotine. ie. one used for cutting
sheets
of tin plate etc.

Ken

Hi, thanks for your input. Yeah we used to do that at school when I went...
it was so quick and efficient!
Jason.

 

[Jason S]

Thanks for your input everyone! I just thought perhaps there was some sort
of non-expensive tool or machine that is used to specifially cut PCB's in
the electronics industry. Obviously there are different methods of doing
this (going by all your replies), but most of which are too very expensive
for something I'm only going to be doing once in a blue moon. Haha, I just
felt stupid cutting them using a sharp utility knife and a steel ruler!!!

Sir Nigel Puke-Fuui's idea of a hand nibbling tool and a fine file sounds
quite reasonable. What do people think of this idea?

Thanks again.
Jason.

 

[Poxy]

I agree. Years ago the place where I worked used to use a sheet metal
guillotine to cut fibreglass boards. Mind you that all we ever cut
with it for just the same reasons Michael has outlined.

For small runs I clamp a steel straight edge onto the board and use a
box cutter blade to score a deep line on both sides of the board,
then snap them apart. This method works okay provided you don't have
very thin tracks near the edge of the board as insufficient scoring
prior to snapping can create microfractures in the copper tracks.

I've been doing that for the last few boards I've done, although I tend to
get impatient and go for the snap a bit early and end up with stressed
fibres along the edge of the board - it cleans up fairly easily on a full
sheet of sandpaper on the bench, but I think I'll try a Falcon drill nibbler
on my next board and see how it goes.

 

[budgie]

Thanks for your input everyone! I just thought perhaps there was some sort
of non-expensive tool or machine that is used to specifially cut PCB's in
the electronics industry. Obviously there are different methods of doing
this (going by all your replies), but most of which are too very expensive
for something I'm only going to be doing once in a blue moon. Haha, I just
felt stupid cutting them using a sharp utility knife and a steel ruler!!!

Sir Nigel Puke-Fuui's idea of a hand nibbling tool and a fine file sounds
quite reasonable. What do people think of this idea?

Depending on the shape, a nibbler can be a viable option. For simple
straight-line cuts - which some use the knife/ruler/edge-of-table for - I use a
very rare but inexpensive tool. It's called a ....







hacksaw.

Then I Nigel-Puke-it with a file to get clean edges.

 

[dmm]

Thanks for your input everyone! I just thought perhaps there was some sort
of non-expensive tool or machine that is used to specifially cut PCB's in
the electronics industry. Obviously there are different methods of doing
this (going by all your replies), but most of which are too very expensive
for something I'm only going to be doing once in a blue moon. Haha, I just
felt stupid cutting them using a sharp utility knife and a steel ruler!!!

There's nothing stupid doing it that way. As you've heard, some people
cut their boards to size using that method. It gets the job done, and in a
short period of time without fancy/expensive methods. I've done it too,
but I prefer a different method when I've got the resources.

Sir Nigel Puke-Fuui's idea of a hand nibbling tool and a fine file sounds
quite reasonable. What do people think of this idea?

Ok, but you might get a sore hand, and the cut surface will have to be
tidied up anyway using a file. Any filing of the pcb will introduce fibreglass
fibres which get everywhere. Just do that part of the job outside where the
particles can be dispersed.

 

[quietguy]

message

Thanks for your input.
hmm, I wish i HAD those machines! =) No it would be only once in a blue
moon really. It's just a hobby.
Jason.

But a jigsaw can be had for under $20 these days - KMart or one of those
cheapy auto shops

David - who thinks a jigsaw is a handy thing to have anyway

 

[Craig Hart]

In "the business", either a guillotine is used, or the PCB drill file "cuts"
the boards up by specifying strokes with a cutter bit. Obviously, these cuts
must be done as the very last step in the manufacturing process

Craig

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

I use woodworking tools.

I mark out the edges of the board with a ball-point pen or a scriber.
and then saw along the marked lines with a tenon saw, leaving a bit of
waste.

I then clamp the blank in a Workmate, and using a hand smoothing or
block plane remove the scrap down to the scribed line, checking the
squareness of the board with a try-square.

I's pretty hard on the plane, the blade needs frequent honing to keep
it sharp, and you'll find the saw won't be much good for anything else
either -- but it's cheap and I've got all day to do this. The
result is quite precise.

Not recommended for high production but it suits me fine for only a
few boards a week.

Cheers de MikeN

Yep, pretty hard on the tools. Fibreglass boards are pretty hard on
standard HSS drill bits too. Tungsten Carbide tipped generally tends to
last longer.

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Terry Collins]

The wear would be insignificant for the small number of cuts that the op would be requiring,
particularly when guillotines are used to cut various metals with different guages, repeatedly,
between sharpenings.

Are you sure of that?
What are the optimum respective cutting angles for shear blades for
metal and fibreglass?