Drill press hooray!

hi,
I agree,clamping a pcb when using a 1mm drill is going to be a pain.

Make up a 0.5inch piece of flat of wood, about the size of the drill table.
Fasten along one edge another piece of wood say, width of the base piece, 0.5inch thick, 1inch wide.

The same design as woodworkers use to hold their work piece.

This wooden template makes drilling small pcbs a simple operation.

When you etch a PCB created with Eagle there is a script that reduces the size of the holes (fills them in) so that what is left will center the drill. You only have to get the board close, if you hold it loose enough the drill will pull the board into position.

Adamsoft has another method. He places perfboard over the PCB and uses it as a drill guide. Both have advantages.

In spite of the somewhat weak motor the motor, pulleys, and spindle have rotating mass. Under the right conditions I think the work can get away from you. Not a problem with PCBs where the bit will snap off.

hi 3V0

I agree he must allow the drill tip to centre on the copper doughnut hole.

I do find on very small pcb's that masking taping the pcb to the wooden base block [described earlier]
keeps my fingers out of harms way.

The wooden block is easily moved freely on the drill table.

3v0 said:

Adamsoft has another method. He places perfboard over the PCB and uses it as a drill guide. Both have advantages.

Click to expand...

How does he see where the holes should be?

Mike.

Pommie said:

How does he see where the holes should be?

Mike.

Click to expand...

I do not have a clue. You will have to ask him.

Pommie said:

How does he see where the holes should be?

Mike.

Click to expand...

I did it this way once or twice, you hold the vero pcb over the pcb and the light box, then mark the holes on the vero pcb with a fibre tipped pen.

You have to tape the two boards together to keep the hole registration.

I dont recommend it.

One of the nagging problems I have found with the HF drill press is that the hand levers constantly get loose. I solved the issue by putting lock tite on the threads.

Simple safety guidelines. Do protect your eyes. Drill presses can be high-energy javelins hurtling tiny shards of metal, or broken bits, at high speeds. Don't wear loose clothing or jewellery, or you may get injured. Keep the work area clean and dry for a firm footing. Don't overpower the tool, the motor will fail before the circuit breaker kicks in.

One more thing Krum, Make sure you keep a good tension on your belt. Not the one holding up your baggy pants, but the one on your pulleys