Table saw to cut boards?

[gutsofgold]

Every time I pull out the dremel to cut up some PCBs I wonder if I could save my self the trouble and the crooked edges by just using a table saw. I'd imagine it would need a really thin blade on there but it would make for some perfect cuts. Anyone do this? Does it tear up the copper at all?

[ayayay!]

A miter saw might work if the blade was really thin, but typically the kerf and the blade width itself mean you'd really be sacrificing a lot of holes with your cut.   I'd think a table saw would eat your boards up.   Personally I wouldn't even try it. 

Have you tried the scoring method?  I get a $2.00 exacto type blade from HD or WalMart and a nice straight edge.  Score it along the straight edge applying decent pressure 2-5 times, then snap it over a straight edged countertop or bench.  Even the tiniest of boards work out great this way. 

[GibsonGM]

I sometimes use a coping saw with a thin blade, lots of teeth...

[gutsofgold]

never tried the scoring method, had no idea an exacto blad would do anything other than just scratch the surface. Seems kind of dangerous as well but I'll see what I can do. I'll clamp the straight edge to the desk so it holds along with the board ... should make my boards a little neater looking.

[Mark Hammer]

I sometimes use a coping saw with a thin blade, lots of teeth...

That's pretty much all I use.

[shadowmaster]

This is what I use all the time.

[mojotron]

I got a bandsaw a few weeks ago - I wonder if a bandsaw would work well for this - really thin blade. I've always used my dremel, but I'm going to try my bandsaw next time.

[Pushtone]

I'm a fan of the score and snap method.
The dremel makes to much hazardous dust and throws it up into your face and you breath it.

If I did use the dremel I would spray down the work piece with soapy water to keep down the dust.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=44440.0

The key to make scoring safe is to apply light pressure with many passes.
Don't try to cut through. You just need a deep score line.

You have to score both sides.
I do the copper side first.
When you flip it over you can see a white-ish line from the scoring to guide you.

I've been able to score and snap very narrow pieces.
After the snap I clean up the edge with sand paper then shake the dust off the sand paper OUTSIDE.

Besides the glass fibers the dust also contains Bromide fire retardants.

[frank_p]

I sometimes use a sheer.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=66059.0

Pushtone is wright. PBDE (fire retardants) and glass fiber dust are not friendly for your body.

[Mark Hammer]

Score-and-snap, for all its virtues, works better under some conditions than others. 

I regularly try to save myself some time, effort, and money, by etching several boards at a time.  Often (TOO often) the layouts are positioned in "Tetris-like" fashion (i.e., interlocking) such that a straight line across the board which would permit score-and-snap is not feasible.  In those instances, my only recourse is the small coping saw (actually, it's an 88 cent mini-hacksaw from Princess Auto).  Of course, when it is easy to usescore-and-snap, I do, simply because it makes less dust.

I find, as well, that some copper-clad board breaks more cleanly than others.

[Gus]

You need to think about safety.  Cutting with a table saw will make a lot of fine dust.  I don't think you would want to breath this dust.

[Crawf]

Hi,if you have access to a table saw you can sandwich the copper between two scrap pieces of timber the same width as your copper board,set the fence to the width you want and push through against the fence with two pushsticks and you should get a nice clean cut.You can cut to length the same way if you have access to a table saw with a sliding fence for crosscutting,failing that if you have a chopsaw you can cut to length that way sandwiched between the scrap timber again.

That what i do but i'm a joiner to trade and work in a well equipped workshop but i find it easier than messing about with hacksaws and especially a coping saw(unless you want circular boards)      
hope this helps, Crawford.

You need to think about safety.  Cutting with a table saw will make a lot of fine dust.  I don't think you would want to breath this dust.

PS yes some form extraction would be useful re:the dust

[John Lyons]

I use a table saw but unless you use it for woodworking or another hobby like I do I would not recommend it for the simple reason that it's very dangerous. I have one short finger to prove that...and I was lucky there... When I was in the hospital the nurse said out loud to the others in the hall, "It's table saw season"

A bandsaw will work but if you do a lot of boards it will your blade up quick. A metal blade should last longer and a carbide blade will last even longer. I use a dedicated blade for cutting PCBs on the table saw.

I use a respirator while working and trim the final board size with a 12" disk sander (with dust vacuum collection) and a file after that.

I'd recommend a shear as mentioned in the link above. Simple, safe, quiet and clean.

john

[gutsofgold]

Thanks. I actually use a mask respirator w/ Fiberglass & sanding filters in it. I also don't take it off until I'm out of the back of the room where I cut the stuff.

Now... recommendations on blades? Regular exacto knife or box cutters would do it?

[guilds100]

I have a friend who lays tile for a living who suggested letting him cut a few boards for me with his tile saw. That is something you may want to look into. It squirts water on the suface to keep down the dust as it grinds more than cuts through the board. The cuts left very sharp edges that had to be sanded, but other than that, it did an excellent job. The blade is designed for tile and should last forever cutting circuit board. At about $85 at my home depot, that something i hope to add to my collection shortly.

[Mark Hammer]

You know, even if you DO use score-and-snap, the PCB material that is removed from the board to permit the snap to take place is still dust of a sort.  Moreover, no matter how cleanly you cut the outline of the board, there is the not-so-small matter of drilling, which also produces its own particulate matter.

So, maybe the thread ought to be about two things here: efficient and precise cutting of boards, and minimization of dust hazard (whichever way the dust is created).

Incidentally, one of the thngs that was never cleared up for me in this thread was "Are we talking about cutting a single PCB out of a larger etched copper board, or ar we talking about lining up a bunch of stacked boards and cutting them all at once?".

[Pushtone]

, and minimization of dust hazard (whichever way the dust is created).

Soapy water - learned this from the folks who removed asbestos from my 80 year old house.

Fill a spray bottle with water and add a few drops of soap. This traps the partials and makes them a slury

[GREEN FUZ]

Score'n'snap definitely. If the edge is a bit rough a light sanding sorts it out. I have access to one of those tile-cutters but anything involving a saw sounds like overkill to me.

Unless of course you`re planning a big production run  .

[tranceracer]

Throatless shears cut's thru PCB like butter w/out the dust:



Even better is something like this:

[demonstar]

A lot of people seem to worry about using a respirator for cutting circuit boards. I've never thought of it before. Do you think I should be using one for cutting stripboard with a hacksaw in the garage. By the way a hacksaw isn't a particularly way to do it. It is very had work sometimes.