Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On 4/26/2017 2:15 PM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote: On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 5:06 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk wrote: It's one of these: http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html Glad to hear it was saved from the scrap heap! Indeed. I knew it was not a cheap item, and looking online today, it's a mere $2300! A very cool machine, reminds me of the manual punch we had to go along with our trip punch at a previous job. The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping boards I've got are Stu Phillips handles. Ah. I probably have some I can check for makers marks. They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know if MDB did their own riveting. With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it wouldn't surprise me. -ethan Found his contact info STU PHILLIPS CO 23141 LA CADENA DRIVE, SUITE P LAGUNA HILLS CA 714-855-4263 WRAP POSTS STU PHILLIPS OWNER
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 5:06 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk wrote: >> It's one of these: >> http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html > > Glad to hear it was saved from the scrap heap! Indeed. I knew it was not a cheap item, and looking online today, it's a mere $2300! > A very cool machine, reminds me of the manual punch we had to go along with > our trip punch at a previous job. I've wanted to look into buying additional dies for mine. All I have is the 1/8" tubular rivet setter. The bottom die has a 1/8" projection that the rivet slides down prior to setting. Some years before I started, someone broke that off (it would be easy to do if you were about to press the pedal and let the PCB slip from your hands - the weight and torque would easily stress the projection). I heard replacement dies were around $250. I haven't had a project that was important enough to research other types of dies. >> Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco >> extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600. > > The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping boards I've got are Stu > Phillips handles. Ah. I probably have some I can check for makers marks. > They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know if MDB did their own riveting. > With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it wouldn't surprise me. We did our own riveting at a smallish company, so I expect they did too. -ethan
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
> The CP-2 line seems to have the right dimensions for DEC FLIP CHIP > modules (2.43" wide, ~2" rivet hole spacing) and they have them in > natural nylon, which might be dyable, white, and black. > > They are stocked by Digikey and Mouser for under $1 each. Good stuff! Now I know what to use when my stock of scavenged Thermalloy handles runs out! Thanks, Jonathan
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
> It's one of these: > http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html Glad to hear it was saved from the scrap heap! A very cool machine, reminds me of the manual punch we had to go along with our trip punch at a previous job. > Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco > extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600. > That business came from him owning an injection molding machine and > someone asking him to make the handles. The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping boards I've got are Stu Phillips handles. They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know if MDB did their own riveting. With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it wouldn't surprise me. Thanks, Jonathan
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On 4/26/17 10:02 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote: > > > The boards bend up or down in the center of the card > as you pull very hard on each edge. fortunately, Alto cards have steel bus bar/stiffeners at the edge connector end that keeps that from happening. do you know of anyone that still has any NOS of these around? I was going to canabalize a few off some some 4K DRAM Alto memory cards, since I don't have any non-XM machines any more and have dozens of them.
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 11:06 AM, jim stephens wrote: > He made a line of the ears for the DEC manufacturers here in Orange County, > and I've seen his SPC or Stu Phillips or Phillips company logo on may such > products. I didn't find his products, but I found these: http://www.bivar.com/enclosure-hardware/ejectors-handles-inserters-extractors/handles/cp-series?p=CP-2%20NT The CP-2 line seems to have the right dimensions for DEC FLIP CHIP modules (2.43" wide, ~2" rivet hole spacing) and they have them in natural nylon, which might be dyable, white, and black. They are stocked by Digikey and Mouser for under $1 each. > That business came from him owning an injection molding machine and someone > asking him to make the handles. His original business was doing jobs like > the riviting and other assembly jobs around Orange county. We are exploring a small-scale injection mold machine at our local hackerspace. I want to try some DEC switch handles but as an earlier experiment, FLIP CHIP handles will be a simpler die to make. -ethan
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On 4/26/2017 9:47 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: On 4/26/17 8:06 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote: Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600. He probably had a machine, as the Southco levers were riveted onto our board thru holes in the corner and levered the board in and out of the card cage. This shows the Southco extractor. The Nova DG cards I have have them as well. http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/microdata/1600/PCB_Photos/A20001043_Data_Bot.jpg Data General Nova 3 cpu card showing the same extractor. https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSDB_FtBUZc/WC6t5e2XkYI/AAAEF8Q/f4aH_E65ypsn8BqmpXFv75xeTXuGFaRhQCLcB/s1600/2016-11-17%2B22.29.12.jpg If the above link is fubar, the posting is here in this blog post: http://jimsoldtoys.blogspot.com/2016/11/data-general-nova-3.html The fastners were rivited thru the board, and with particularly stiff backplanes, the corner of the boards could also break off as well as the bowing of the boards Al refers to. The boards bend up or down in the center of the card as you pull very hard on each edge. Eventually either your fingers bleed, or the card pops out of the connector at the far end. I think these are the same style used on the DG Nova and the Alto. They have a problem that they bend if you aren't paying attention to card alignment. Also came upon this http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com/bivar/pdf/page26.pdf modern source for DEC style plastic handles?
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On 4/26/17 8:06 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote: > Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco > extractor handles on our boards for the > Microdata 1600. He probably had a machine, as the Southco levers were > riveted onto our board thru holes in the corner > and levered the board in and out of the card cage. I think these are the same style used on the DG Nova and the Alto. They have a problem that they bend if you aren't paying attention to card alignment. Also came upon this http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com/bivar/pdf/page26.pdf modern source for DEC style plastic handles?
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On 4/26/2017 6:51 AM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote: On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:03 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk wrote: I'm sure most of you DEC hackers have replaced a broken DEC handle or put handles on a protoboard... I finally came across the right tool for the job, an Indestro tubular rivet set! When I worked for a place that made Unibus and Qbus boards, we bought bulk metal quad and hex handle assemblies from DEC, no number stamped on them. We used a floor-stand foot-powered Stimpson rivet setter with a lower die that held the rivet and an upper die that set it. I saved the Stimpson machine when the company closed. It's one of these: http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html They make quick work of setting rivets but overkill for hobby use. We shipped over 1200 Unibus and Qbus boards, so we set well over 10,000 rivets on it. I probably did at least 1,000. they're 1/8" hollow brass rivets, but that a M3 x 5mm is close enough. You can buy the M3 rivets online for cheap, I paid $6 USD for 200 rivets, shipped. Good to know. I still have a bag of our old stock, but if I run out... -ethan Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600. He probably had a machine, as the Southco levers were riveted onto our board thru holes in the corner and levered the board in and out of the card cage. He made a line of the ears for the DEC manufacturers here in Orange County, and I've seen his SPC or Stu Phillips or Phillips company logo on may such products. That business came from him owning an injection molding machine and someone asking him to make the handles. His original business was doing jobs like the riviting and other assembly jobs around Orange county. thanks Jim
Re: Attaching DEC Handles, the Right Way
On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:03 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk wrote: > I'm sure most of you DEC hackers have replaced a broken DEC handle or put > handles on a protoboard... I finally came across the right tool for the job, > an Indestro tubular rivet set! When I worked for a place that made Unibus and Qbus boards, we bought bulk metal quad and hex handle assemblies from DEC, no number stamped on them. We used a floor-stand foot-powered Stimpson rivet setter with a lower die that held the rivet and an upper die that set it. I saved the Stimpson machine when the company closed. It's one of these: http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html They make quick work of setting rivets but overkill for hobby use. We shipped over 1200 Unibus and Qbus boards, so we set well over 10,000 rivets on it. I probably did at least 1,000. > they're 1/8" hollow brass rivets, but that a M3 x 5mm is close enough. You > can buy the M3 rivets online for cheap, I paid $6 USD for 200 rivets, shipped. Good to know. I still have a bag of our old stock, but if I run out... -ethan
