Producing Narrow PCB Strips - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2016, 02:20:56 pm
content: I want to produce some 15mm wide strips using PCB material, these will be used as walls for screening cans around RF circuitry. The strips MUST have square edges or they won't sit properly on the PCB and/or there will not be a good RF seal around the lid so the usual trick of scoring a line then breaking the PCB won't work here. So far I've been rough cutting them then finishing off on a belt sander but this takes lots of time.Does anyone have better ideas for producing these? A bandsaw is a possibility (although I would need to buy one) and a 120mm circular saw produces lots of damage to the copper foil on one side. I also tried a Dremel but this was difficult to control when cutting straight lines over reasonably long distances.

author: Andreas
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2016, 02:38:59 pm
content: Hello,I would get them manufactured by a PCB producer.They can mill the edges.Perhaps you can get also a full metal wall (brass or "Neusilber")etched or laser cutted (SMD-stencil) by them.Attached: picture of self etched parts out of brass 0.3 mm.https://www.conrad.de/de/messing-blech-fotobeschichtet-negativ-messing-l-x-b-x-h-215-x-145-x-03-mm-bungard-271003145-inhalt-1-st-529060.htmlwith best regardsAndreas

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2016, 04:55:22 pm
content: A tile saw seems to work pretty well (jump to 1:28)

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2016, 05:08:19 pm
content: How about simply going to a non ferrous metal supplier and getting brass or copper strip ( brass more preferred, as it will be both stiffer and cheaper), and asking them to guillotine to size as many strips as you want. Then you simply cut to length, and solder in.If you buy a roll of brass shimstock you can use a paper guillotine to cut the strips if it is thin enough. Good straight cut, and any size easy to make to order.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2016, 05:30:21 pm
content: We have a winner! I just dug the tile saw out of the cellar and the grit disk produces a perfect cut with no spoiled edges on either side. a big THANK YOU for the idea as it's saved me hours of work. I need to revise my measurements as the disk produces a cut 1.8mm wide but this is no problem.

author: C
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 04:47:36 pm
content: In some very old gear I have seenA small wire soldered into the inside corner of your joins. The copper of the PCB then does not need to go all the way into the corner joint for easy soldering. The wire also adds strength to the corner.The second thing was very thin foil use.One use was an L shape foil used on inside or outside of corner.The second was the L shape foil forming a spring gasket between the box and main board. The L shape soldered to edge of box, the pcb pressing on the L with the tip of the L pressing on Main board. The L in this case was not 90 but 120 degrees to make a spring.Note that the thin foil when in place could be cut with knife allowing you to take things apart easily. You then have two flat strips that are easy to remove.Some simple tools can make thin foil use very easy.These ideas might help with you bag of tricks.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 05:44:32 pm
content: I just use brass shim cut with tin snips.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2016, 04:53:19 am
content: The OP has his solution, but others may not own a tile saw.Although the 120 mm circular saw the OP used was not satisfactory, a very fine tooth version might, particularly with a low feed rate. An abrasive wheel also provides fairly clean cuts if fed slowly.An abrasive wheel in an angle grinder also does a fairly clean job.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2016, 06:43:09 am
content: Quote from: CatalinaWOW on October 05, 2016, 04:53:19 amIt does but just as one should with any thin paneling the saw blade height need be lowered to minimize chip out on the bottom side.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2016, 01:31:27 pm
content: If you are going to use a saw or grinder on PCB material make sure to wear suitable protection. The dust is nasty!