board sizes

[mad_dog]

Ok so I was a little bored at work today and created these board templates for my next build, I think they should work to the mounting centers for the chassis that odor boy has up for sale. I also put the size and cost to order precut boards from turretboards.com (some will require to be trimmed a little bit more.)

I'm not sure if they are correct or not but thought they maybe useful.

PM me if anyone wants a CAD file to play with

[M Fowler]

Hey thats very nice of you and just what I needed thanks, Mark.

[odourboy]

Great stuff!

===========================================

A general word of caution about using board templates like these. I have three laser printers here and every one of them distorts my drawings in different ways when I print them. Varying degrees of vertical and horizontal compression or stretching show up on the printouts.

If you're going to print these to use a drilling templates, verify your printouts by checking a known vertical and horizontal dimension with a ruler. I've taken to stretching/compressing my diagrams (in Visio in my case, because that's what I use for doing board/chassis layouts) before I print them to correct for the distortions my main printer introduces.

FWIW, my Epson photo inkjet printer is the only one that seems to print pretty accurately.

[Structo]

Yes, I have experienced that as well.

I think it also depends on what program you display the image on.
There is a freeware program that I use called Irfan View that can do many things with images and you can set it so it does not scale the drawing.
Original size from image DPI.
It will also display the dimensions in whatever format you want, such as inches.
Of course I always print out a fast draft copy to double check dimensions before printing the real thing.


BTW, is 1/16" board sturdy enough for the main board?
My D'lite used all 1/8" board and it is very strong and sturdy.

[ChrisM]

Tom you want 1/8". 1/16" is too thin, eyelets are harder to get, its more a backing material.

[markr14850]

I actually prefer the 1/16 size. I use 2 layers of it - one for the board, one for backing.

You can cut 1/16 using an old-school paper cutter. This creates almost none of the nasty dust.

Mouser carries the correct eyelets.

[Structo]

Yes but isn't the cost of two 1/16" boards more than a single 1/8" board?

By the way, Hoffman carries the 1/8 board and the eyelets for $.05 ea
Mouser wants $.10 each for the eyelets.

[ChrisM]

Mouser's price break is probably way better though if you buy in bulk. Did you look at a few different kinds of eyelets, they might have other brands or what not that are cheaper.

[Structo]

I think the ones I was looking at were Keystone.

[guitardude57]

Check with Joann Fabrics near you. They have 5/32 eyelets $4.00 for a bag of 100. Just a squeak big..........handy for those PI junctions too.

[Noel Grassy]

Check with Joann Fabrics near you. They have 5/32 eyelets $4.00 for a bag of 100. Just a squeak big..........handy for those PI junctions too.

Is the depth correct for 1/8" board? Thanks for the great tip!

[Tonegeek]

Check with Joann Fabrics near you. They have 5/32 eyelets $4.00 for a bag of 100. Just a squeak big..........handy for those PI junctions too.

Is the depth correct for 1/8" board? Thanks for the great tip!

I tried some hobby store eyelets once and they would not take solder. Not tried the ones from JoAnn though. At least take a magnet with you and make sure they are not aluminum.

[guitardude57]

I used a couple pieces of Formica glued back to back
(3/32 total thickness) on my last build, and the eyelets were a perfect depth.

I just measured an eyelet, and 1/8" is absolute max thickness that will work. Barely leaves a small flange where you flatten it out on back.

After drilling.......I inserted them one at a time, flipped the board over on a flat piece of board. I then used a very small hammer and a #2
Phillips ( we all have one that get used as a tool for other uses not designed for ) to initially set and spread flange a little.

Then used a broad faced punch I got specifically for setting these eyelets.........tap tap....done.

Don't recall off hand which size drill bit I used. I have a big drill card with number/letter/fractional and decimal bits. Maybe a # 31 or 33.........

Joann had several different sizes of eyelets......they may have different lengths too.

The little eyelet......it is amazing what those little rascals get used for.

Solder loves them too.....works excellently.

[Structo]

A method I use is to insert all the eyelets then put blue painters tape over the top of them. Keeps them from falling out.

I took a regular old center punch and ground the tip so it has less of an angle on the point.
Then I chuck that into my drill press.
Press down to spread the flange out.

Then I chuck up a drift punch that has a flat tip and go over the same eyelets again flattening the flanges down on the board.

A bit time consuming but it works and I didn't have to buy anything.