Thin PCB from Eileen's

[Andy W]

In the few moments when I tore myself away from Clutton at the St Alban's show I visited Eileen's stand and saw some thin pcb board. Board is the wrong description as the small pieces I bought were of 0.3mm and 0.12mm thicknesses. I expect may of you are familiar with the stuff, but I hadn't seen this before, and Derek actually had to persuade me that it really was double sided.

I bought it on a "might come in useful" spur of the moment. Then when I started putting some csb chassis together I found that using my usual thickness of pcb (around 1.5mm) could foul the springs when soldered flush to the frame tops. So I dug out the thin stuff to see if it might be strong enough to work. I had my doubts though.



The spacers being cut and gapped. I used the 0.3mm. The gaps must be staggered on either side so they are at different distances from the ends. If not the central core becomes too thin.



The 0.3 and 1.5 boards compared.



I built this LRM tender chassis using the supplied spacers in a jig, and then replaced them with the cut board.



All the spacers are in and clear the CSBs with ease.



Thin and strong enough to work.



Testing for shorting. It worked, and I've now put two tender chassis together. Next stop a loco. I'm sure this material has many other uses. The very thin 0.12 can be twisted like paper, but it and the 0.3mm might find a use in stretcher bars etc where it could be almost imperceptible.

I'm aware that having tested Derek's split axle material, some may think I'm becoming a publicity arm for E.E., but I'm just a happy customer.

Andy

[Clive Impey]

Andy. I put channel section formed from shim brass on the ends of pcb frame stretchers to increase the area soldered to the frames. This is particularly useful where the spacer is flush with the top of the frame. Up to now I have, like yourself, used 1.5mm pcb and have formed the channel around 1.6 square brass - I am not sure at the moment exactly how I would make channel for 0.3 pcb.

CliveLincs

[nigelcliffe]

A different approach to using thin PCB is to fix it "copper side" to the frames as a very thin layer, and then solder the stretchers to the other side of the copper. You may even find with some faffing that EM gauge frame spacers result in the correct width chassis.

The downside of this approach is the need to very carefully check that the "inside" of the PCB pad is insulated from its frame before soldering the stretcher. You can blast away small electrical bridges with an RSU set to "max" and the frame with the bridging in series with one of the RSU probes, but that might be considered dangerous by some !


- Nigel

[Jan]

I got some 0.6 mm double sided from C&L. I'm of a mind to use it for loco frames, as it's so much easier to work with than metal, and comes ready-insulated. But the tuit is not in, on or around at the moment.

[Phil O]

I got some 0.6 mm double sided from C&L. I'm of a mind to use it for loco frames, as it's so much easier to work with than metal, and comes ready-insulated. But the tuit is not in, on or around at the moment.

Hi Jan

I've just had a quick look at the C & L website and was unable to spot any PCB any chance of a part No or a link Please.

Phil

[James Moorhouse]

I've just had a quick look at the C & L website and was unable to spot any PCB any chance of a part No or a link Please.

Sources of thin double-sided PCB were discussed in this thread.

[Jan]

I got some 0.6 mm double sided from C&L. I'm of a mind to use it for loco frames, as it's so much easier to work with than metal, and comes ready-insulated. But the tuit is not in, on or around at the moment.

Hi Jan

I've just had a quick look at the C & L website and was unable to spot any PCB any chance of a part No or a link Please.

Phil

Hi Phil,

I got the gen on C&L stocking this stuff from Missy over on RMWeb..

Unfortunately I got my PCB from a place where I used to work and managed to grab some before it was thrown away! So I cannot really help but I do know that C&L Finescale (http://www.finescale.org.uk/) reguarly have offcuts of PCB in varying thicknesses (down to 0.2mm!) at shows so it might be worth contacting them, alternatively you could try Eileens Emporium (http://www.eileensemporium.com/) as they might have some.

I have used it for a few chassis so far and have been happy with the results, I think you will too. BTW its 0.5mm thick double sided PCB!

I rang C&L back last around March last year, and very quickly recieved a suitably packaged response.

[DougN]

It is quite strange that the thin PCB is almost unobtainable here in Melbourne. I was looking for some ages ago adn i have been kicking myself that I didn't buy any 2 years ago at Scalefourum. Any how thanks to all for stating that C&L and Eileens both stock ut... I can't justify a package from either at the moment though.