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From: "Tim Shoppa" on Tues,May 3 2005 10:22 am
Many years ago (like, 20) I bought many 24" x 24" sheets of single-sided PCB that I've been using to homebrew dead-bug style and for other activities like soldering together little shielded boxes. Probably mail-order from Fair Radio.I'm sure I paid very little for the stuff at the time, probably a few bucks a sheet. Now my stash is almost gone. Anyone care to recommend a good cheap supplier for similar single-sided PCB? I'm not picky as to phenolic vs glass-epoxy or whatever, I just need a good ground plane. Big pieces are good but I can live with little pieces too. Ebay might be good as someone else suggested. The best bet for low CO$T material is to sweet-talk a PCB maker for left- overs...if one is in your neighborhood. I've gotten fairly good prices from www.circuitspecialists.com on double-sided stock (comes in protective plastic envelope). The stuff I got 20 years ago was, for some reason, pre-tinned. (Maybe this is why it was so cheap?). That was nice because I don't have to clean off my dirty fingerprints when coming back to a project after a few weeks or a few years :-). Pre-tinned is a big plus. Cleaning OLD PCB stock the "green" way - Sprinkle any kind of table salt on the PCB stock, then take half a lemon and rub it on the salt. Most of the blackened oxide will disappear! I tried that late last year on some 4" x 8" double-sided phenolic substrate PCB stock after seeing all those "green" site remarks that I didn't really believe. It WORKS! :-) Those pieces had been sitting in the back of the workshop for about 35 years. I did "cheat" a bit. Have a year-round producing lemon tree and my wife had some coarse salt left over from a canning experiment. Zero cost trial...lemons at the markets can run 50 cents each. The residue can easily wash down the sink, don't need any gloves, nothing toxic. Result is easily solderable although for best appearance, some cleaning with a bleach-containing kitchen cleanser will make it shiny and spotless. |
#2
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wrote in message oups.com... [snip] Cleaning OLD PCB stock the "green" way - Sprinkle any kind of table salt on the PCB stock, then take half a lemon and rub it on the salt. Most of the blackened oxide will disappear! I've amazed a few people when we go out to eat lunch. I take a tarnished golden dollar and put it in the lemon from a drink, or catsup works just as well. Less than a minute later, it's nice and shiny again. The vinegar or citric acid reduces all that tarnish to invisible. Some say the carbonic acid in the fizz in cola will do it, too, but I haven't tried it. Check it out sometime when you're into impressing your friends. I tried that late last year on some 4" x 8" double-sided phenolic substrate PCB stock after seeing all those "green" site remarks that I didn't really believe. It WORKS! :-) Those pieces had been sitting in the back of the workshop for about 35 years. I did "cheat" a bit. Have a year-round producing lemon tree and my wife had some coarse salt left over from a canning experiment. Zero cost trial...lemons at the markets can run 50 cents each. The residue can easily wash down the sink, don't need any gloves, nothing toxic. Just make sure you don't get any of it in a cut on your finger. The lemon will add a whole 'nother meaning to rubbing salt in your wounds!! Result is easily solderable although for best appearance, some cleaning with a bleach-containing kitchen cleanser will make it shiny and spotless. |
#3
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"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" wrote in message ... wrote in message oups.com... [snip] Cleaning OLD PCB stock the "green" way - Sprinkle any kind of table salt on the PCB stock, then take half a lemon and rub it on the salt. Most of the blackened oxide will disappear! I've amazed a few people when we go out to eat lunch. I take a tarnished golden dollar and put it in the lemon from a drink, or catsup works just as well. Less than a minute later, it's nice and shiny again. The vinegar or citric acid reduces all that tarnish to invisible. Some say the carbonic acid in the fizz in cola will do it, too, but I haven't tried it. Check it out sometime when you're into impressing your friends. I tried that late last year on some 4" x 8" double-sided phenolic substrate PCB stock after seeing all those "green" site remarks that I didn't really believe. It WORKS! :-) Those pieces had been sitting in the back of the workshop for about 35 years. I did "cheat" a bit. Have a year-round producing lemon tree and my wife had some coarse salt left over from a canning experiment. Zero cost trial...lemons at the markets can run 50 cents each. The residue can easily wash down the sink, don't need any gloves, nothing toxic. Just make sure you don't get any of it in a cut on your finger. The lemon will add a whole 'nother meaning to rubbing salt in your wounds!! Result is easily solderable although for best appearance, some cleaning with a bleach-containing kitchen cleanser will make it shiny and spotless. |
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