I have also used a dremel tool with the cut off wheel, but also requires holding the circuit board firmly in something like a vise. Work slowly and smooth straight cuts can be done. Wear glasses flying board particles are nasty. Merv K9FD/KH6 > Chris - > > > Several possibilities occur to me: > > > Assuming you don't remove any portion of any circuit trace (Duh!), I > would suggest an Adel "nibbler". It is designed for metal work,but > works well on circuit boards. It is essentially a hand-powered shear > that removes a small "bite" of material about 1/16" by 1/4" each time it > operates. If used carefully, it can make very precise holes and slots, > and of course shorten material as well. It does require a minimal > amount of clearance to operate. It will accommodate material up to > perhaps 3/32" thick, so circuit board should fit OK. > > > Lacking that, the next thing I might try is to mount the BL2 on a piece > of scrap wood (as a handle), and VERY carefully and SLOWLY trim away > the excess material using a band saw or jig saw. Keep your fingers well > away from the action, of course. It is important to have something > large enough to grip (the piece of scrap wood) so that if the saw tries > to grab the material, you won't lose control, causing possible injury > and almost certainly ruining your BL2 in the process. > > > Personally, I would use my milling machine, but not everyone has access > to one of those. However, many model railroad enthusiasts, R/C > airplane pilots, and other hobbyists do have small machines, so ask > around. Your local hobby shop may have some names of people that are > amenable to helping others. > > > I have done these sort of modifications many times on various boards and > assemblies, and with a little care you can end up with exactly what you > want. > > > As a last thought - I would stay away from any sort of sheet metal ships > or similar tools around PC boards. In my experience, attempting to use > these types of tools carries a high risk of causing cracks and splits in > the board. > > > - Jim, KL7CC > > > > Christopher Kimball wrote: > >> I have a BL2 minimodule that's about 1/4" too long for my purposes. I'd >> like to cut off a piece of it without zapping the functionality of the >> board. >> >> What's the neatest way to do this with commonly available tools and 5 >> thumb hands? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Chris >> WB4WZR >> >> >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > >
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