A super cheap $6 PCB holder from ebay that's rather useful - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: electronupdate
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2015, 08:16:11 pm
content: I finally got tired of chasing a circuit board around on a microscope as I was doing some assembly work. I quick trip to ebay popped up this listing: the "Baku BK-687". At $6.40 it was worth a chance. It's been more useful than I expected... low profile so it fits well under my microscope.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2015, 08:21:51 pm
content: Neat, I noticed that the Bakku logo looks very familiar.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2015, 09:05:57 pm
content: They are awesome for tiny boards.Some stuff on ebay is really handy. Scalpels, Spudgers, Squeeze bottles, Solder holders and that's just a few from the "S" list.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2015, 04:09:03 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on January 11, 2015, 09:05:57 pmThey are indeed.Few others would be dental probes/picks, wax carvers, and mirror, as well as medical clamps of various types, particularly locking hemostats.

author: DavidDLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2015, 06:57:13 am
content: Quote from: nanofrog on January 12, 2015, 04:09:03 amI bought one on a trip to China, love it.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 12, 2015, 10:47:44 am
content: $6? Don't waste your money, get this for < $4 USD.eBay auction: #http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cellphone-PCB-Fixtures-Repairing-Circuit-Boards-Holder-for-Samsung-iPhone-v-h9-/221550163350?pt=AU_MobilePhoneAccessories&hash=item33956b3596

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 12, 2015, 02:50:58 pm
content: I spotted those board holders yesterday and was wondering if they were any good. Maybe I can spare a few £ to find out for myself.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 02:13:17 am
content: Here is my favorite scalpel. I like the #10 blade (curved). These are the sharpest thing I have on the bench. The finish on the handle could be better on some and can be sanded out. I cannot stress how sharp these are.http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=scalpel&LH_BIN=1&_from=R40&LH_FS=1&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xscalpel+3.TRS0&_nkw=scalpel+3&ghostText=&_sacat=0

author: neslekkim
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 10:07:57 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on March 24, 2015, 02:13:17 amyes, they are extremely sharp.. to bad none of these come with any form of protection..

author: alexrich82
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 11:41:52 pm
content: Hello all, I wanted to give you a heads up that a personal project turned product I came up with is now for sale. It started as a cool idea for a a low profile PCB holder that I posted on hackaday.io. The folks at hackaday helped me fund production and now it's a real product for sale, pretty cool. It is not $6 but under $30 with free shipping. It is well built and great for holding PCBs flat. Hope you will consider supporting me and giving me feedback on how it works for you. Here are the relevant links:http://stickvise.com/http://store.hackaday.com/products/stickvise

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2015, 02:09:23 am
content: Quote from: alexrich82 on May 08, 2015, 11:41:52 pm- Is it free shipping worldwide ?- what material the jaws are made of? Would they handle hot air gun soldering temperature, i.e. when you need to (de)solder something close to the PCB edge ?

author: alexrich82
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2015, 03:14:30 am
content: It's through hackaday store, so here is their shipping policy:USA: free on orders $25+, otherwise $5Canada: free on orders $50+, otherwise $12International: free on orders $50+, otherwise $17On the hot air question, the jaws are nylon6/6, not impervious to heat or something you would want to reflow in an oven, but in my experience they can withstand a good amount of hot air without sustaining major damage. I considered a lot of specialty design features like PTFE, metal, or ceramic jaws but decided to start with something general purpose on the initial production run. I see your point though and hope to eventually offer jaws in many different materials.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2015, 06:05:07 pm
content: On the subject of the $6 holder, I just wanted to share what I did to make mine a bit more useful.Base plate is 150x150mm stainless (pre-cut on ebay, just needed to round the corners). The rods are 3/16" leaded mild steel square section, 300mm length from ebay. The rods are drilled and tapped M3 with standoffs to bring the PCB height to ~25mm. I added an extra screw and pillar to the joint between the two rods (half lapped, drilled and threaded again).The max jaw opening came out at 105mm so I can support eurocards. I think 150mm square is the largest practical size given the 3-point support. The height gives enough space for most electrolytics when inverted but still low enough fo fit under my stereo microscope without needing to adjust the column. The screws are countersunk to allow the whole thing to slide reasonably easily on an antistatic mat, no feet. I replaced the clamping screw with a flat ended thumbscrew, the original is ground to a point which means only a couple of threads actually engage. The build means that there's a support block left over that can be used as a spare.If I was doing it again I think I'd use 5mm rod - I suspect there's just enough slack in the sliders. Hope it gives some food for thought anyway.