What Type of Vero do I need?

[Mike Vilogi]

I am about to switch over to Vero Builds, but after browsing the site I noticed that there any many types to choose from. From the Vero Builds I checked out it looks like I want the Linear copper strip type ( I`m assuming to save trace time?), but I am not sure if I want / need EpoxyFiber , Phenolic, Etc. 

Also , when cutting the traces on the Vero, is this as simple as an exacto knife slit or is there something more?

Any help or useful tips for this switchover would be super helpful and greatly appreciated. 

[Mustachio]

Check out the "Strip Board" here

http://www.taydaelectronics.com/hardware/prototyping-boards.html

For cutting the traces the easiest thing I found was to hand turn a drill bit over the hole. You use a much bigger bit then the size of the hole and only turn it a few times , enough to take away the copper but not go all the way through the board. I can't remember what size I used maybe 7/16 or 1/4 and just hand twisting a few times over the hole.

[PRR]

> the Linear copper strip type ( I'm assuming to save trace time?)

As a general thing, if you avoid random wires, "any" network can be done with half the wires run N-S, the other half E-W. And with legged parts, you can often do a lot with part-wires. With strip board, you pick one direction, say E-W, and let the strips be your conductors. In a pure-wire matrix the N-S would be wires, but with parts you can often run parts N-S and eliminate another 1/4 (or more) of actual wires.

Planning a minimal stripboard build is brain-work, like chess, Go, or the NYT crossword puzzle.

> want / need EpoxyFiber , Phenolic, Etc

If driving into a battle-zone, Epoxy Fiber will take more abuse.

If making a million pedals for a penny profit, the cheapest Phenolic may give you a tenth-cent more profit.

In DIY economy, the "good stuff" makes sense to me. I like working with good material. Plywood instead of chipboard, laminated oak instead of plywood, etc. It's not like you need a house-worth of board.

However other builders reject the 50-cent pots when they find 20-cent pots. So value choices differ.

I do not think just knifing the copper is reliable, until you have done it way too much. You don't get all the way through that easily, and you can't see into the groove to see that there's still a copper-hair in there. I've had to do that, but I keep checking with the Ohmmeter, and cut some more after it says "infinity".

The force is high enough that you tend to nick the traces on each side. Maybe not "through", maybe no-problem, but bad form.

As Jim says, a drill-bit gives a good inspectable "cut" without heavy swearing. Especially on Vero where you generally cut at a hole (which gives your drill bit a good start).

[Jdansti]

+1 on the drill bit for cutting traces. Just use your fingers and a few twists. No need to use an electric drill.

If you're like me, you'll cut the traces in the wrong places at least once due to the fact that the cuts as shown on the layout will be from the top view of the board, but you have to flip the board over to make the cuts. So now left and right are reversed as seen from the back. If your brain is good at dealing with spatial orientation, you should be ok. I like to number the holes (columns) on the layout in ascending order from left to right, and then number the holes on the back of the board in ascending order with a fine tip sharpie from right to left. Some people print a flipped image of the layout to avoid cutting the wrong places.

[samhay]

I perfer the phenolic board over fibreglass - it is not quite as rigid, but the dust is a bit friendlier.

If you are going to do a lot of work with vero, I suggest you buy a track cutter like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/220509678716?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95&ff19=0

It is a lot easier on the figures than simply using a drill bit.

[Buzz]

I found Vero to be a pretty cool medium for small circuits.

It's the quickest way to go from "I want one of those" to stompbox if you keep a good supply of components and Vero.

Different strokes for different folks, but I found the following tips makes life on vero easier.

*Most layouts you will find, or even if you make your own, will have been done on DIY layout creator. They have a nice red dot on the cuts that you can use to your advantage. Once you have scored and snapped to the right size, count out and mark your cuts from the component side. Most DIYLC layouts are shown this way. Then put a 1mm drill bit through the holes. Just hold the drill bit in your fingers. Now you can hold the board up, component side facing you, in front of the layout on your PC screen. Line up the board with the image and you should see a red dot in each of the slightly larger holes you just put the 1mm bit through. If everything is in the right place, flip the board to the strip side and use a 4mm  bit to make the cuts. This I found invaluable, It's worse to find out you made a wrong cut in the soldering stage.

* The 4mm bit is good for plastic stand off holes too, if you use them.

* A great troubleshooting tip. After you have  soldered the board up, you can put it solder side down on a scanner. Do a high res scan, like 1200dpi. You can use it to zoom in and look out for solder bridges and bad joints. I actually don't know if this has the possibility of static damage to components, never broke anything of mine. If I got a solder bridge between tracks I would just scratch them out with a flathead jeweller's screwdriver.

Enjoy.

[Buzz]

Ha ha, by the way I have only used the fibreglass Vero. AKA stripboard. It is what I can get my hands on easily and you don't make as much dust with vero as you would with etched fr4.

[digi2t]

I get my vero here;

https://www.veroboard.com/

As for making the cuts, I bought a multi-bit jeweler's screwdriver, into which I loaded a drill bit.



The swivel top makes it more comfortable for the hand, especially when you have a lot of cuts to do.

[Luke51411]

If you're like me, you'll cut the traces in the wrong places at least once due to the fact that the cuts as shown on the layout will be from the top view of the board, but you have to flip the board over to make the cuts.

I did this the first time I used vero. I tried to still use the board and translate it backwards... I think I was pretty close but never actually got the circuit working correctly.
I typically leave an extra row than what is needed so I can board mount the pots if I so choose, when I do this I knife the cuts between the pot lugs since I need all of the holes to run wire to where the lugs go (plus I don't usually decide if I want to board mount until after I get the circuit running...) I've always just drilled a hole right through the board for the cuts, it's the quick and dirty way but it works for me. I clean up the debris left on the board with a razor blade to make sure there are no tracks still connected. I always do a continuity check on all the tracks before adding components to make sure nothing is connected that shouldn't be.

[gjcamann]

I've seen someone who glued the printout of the DIY layout on the vero, then populated it over that. Pretty hard to screw up when you do it that way - I keep meaning to do this, but I'm a masochist.
FY: I also recommend the "silver" vero over the copper vero. The copper will oxidize and make it hard to solder. The silver looking one will have a thin layer of solder over the copper, this prevents the copper from oxidizing and makes it much easier to work with. I get mine from Tayda - which is the fiberglass style - but it cracks a little when you cut it with tin-snips, for this reason i recommend the phenolic because it's easier to cut. Good luck

[karbomusic]

If you're like me, you'll cut the traces in the wrong places at least once due to the fact that the cuts as shown on the layout will be from the top view of the board, but you have to flip the board over to make the cuts.

I did this the first time I used vero. I tried to still use the board and translate it backwards... I think I was pretty close but never actually got the circuit working correctly.

Use any image editor (even MSPaint) and flip it vertically and you are good to go. If you have slightly better image editing skills/software print that out to scale and use it like a template, and/or take a cell phone picture of your finished cuts and overlay in the editor to confirm they are exactly right. I always go back and check every solder joint under high magnification such as a jeweler's glass. Only takes a couple of minutes and saves lots of potential frustration.

I always "mark up" my boards for cuts and IO (it really helps to create a sense of what is right and what is not) and faux place a few random parts (especially jumpers) to help confirm where the cuts go and that I'm not overlooking anything silly. Lately, I've been using a nice Xacto blade making a small V-cut in the board but as PRR said its pretty small, always double/triple check with an ohmmeter. The Xacto method does have the risk of solder runover in tight spots where the drill bit method creates a gap large enough to generally prevent it. Before that I used this tiny, round carving bit in my dremel which works very well, you just need a steady hand.

I cut all my vero to size using a tiny miter saw rig made for arts and crafts which makes extremely smooth cuts with little fuss and lots of accuracy w/ no snapping. I would like to find a table saw type attachment for my dremel which would be ideal for the small boards I typically use.

[duck_arse]

I might as well have a go, too.

I've always used phenolic board, didn't know they made fibreglass vero. I'd probably just hate that more. and I always buy 2 of the largest size I can get, so it'll last a while.

my sisters throw out worn-out brushes every couple of months, they use them for "washing up", if that's a real thing. cut 10cm of handle off one, drill a 3.5mm hole up the handle, then jamb the drill into it. a spot-face cutter. I had a crummy, original vero tool for a long time, also gone for a long time now.

I mark the component side with spots for holes, poke a component lead through next the marked hole, and turn the board over to cut, using the lead as a reference, cut 1 above, 2 across left, down 3, etc. after I cut w/ drill, I usually go over with a lens and an exacto knife, and take out all the little sharp arcs left behind. then I colour mark the ground, signal and supply lines on the component side.

[PRR]

> cut the traces in the wrong places at least once due to the fact that the cuts as shown on the layout will be from the top view of the board, but you have to flip the board over to make the cuts

I suppose you could start on top, poke bits of wire at "cuts", turn-over, Sharpie-mark the wires, take them out (one at a time?) and do the cuts at the marks.

.....Ah, the Duck beat me.

[davent]

I get my vero here;

https://www.veroboard.com/

Me too, really nice expoxy boards in large sheets available at a very good price.

Oily cocobola & found bits trace cutter.

[Buzz]

I use these drill bits. pretty easy to use with your fingers.

The 1/16 I use to mark out the cuts from the component side. All the way through. A quick twist will do it.

Then board flipped and then use the 5/32 to do the cuts.

I got them from Bunnings ( hardware chainstore ) They were $12 for a set of five if memory serves me correctly.

They are not the metric sizes I previously stated.

[IvIark]

Use any image editor (even MSPaint) and flip it vertically and you are good to go.

This ^ although you want to flip the horizontal.
Irfanview is free, and the horizontal flip takes a lot of the pain away, as does Paint Shop Pro "Mirror".

[StephenGiles]

A lot of fuss it seems to me......you just build with it! Use a Rose Countersink for trace cuts.

[karbomusic]

Use any image editor (even MSPaint) and flip it vertically and you are good to go.

This ^ although you want to flip the horizontal.
Irfanview is free, and the horizontal flip takes a lot of the pain away, as does Paint Shop Pro "Mirror".

Depends on how you holding at the board.

[Jdansti]

With your fingers...

[StephenGiles]

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/uncle_boko/media/drawmerdl251.jpg.html?sort=3&o=26

Just found photo of my Drawmer DL251 build on veroboard - not for the fainthearted!!!