How do you do the above to plywood? I do NOT want to drill them.
Thanks
Bob D As long as you surface as many times as you dive you`ll be alive to read these posts.
The first thing that comes to my mind is to get a piece of wood, say 1x1x6 and cut a grove in the center length-wise with a table saw. Then cut the stick in half. Use the two parts to hold the edges of the circuit board on opposite sides.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
What kind of PC boards?
If they're a commercial product, there's probably been some consideration given as to how they should be mounted.
But if they're not, then I agree with Elmer's suggestion to cut a groove in some square stock and use that.
This won`t work guys because the entire perimeter of the board is taken up with terminal blocks soldered to the board and there would be no way for the wires to enter the terminal blocks. These are ISS signal control boards each controlling 2 heads. There are 16 mini blocks each with 2 terminals on each 2 x 23/8 board. Tim suggested velcroing them but that would not hold the board steady enough to tighten down on the screws. He also suggested hot gluing them but I don`t know if that would harm the traces.
Can you post a photo? I just mounted a Digitrax AR1 pc board (even though it had holes) using two 1/4" scraps of plexiglas and some foam mounting tape. Works great but you have to have some flat areas on the pc board for this.
- Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Double sided foam core tape?
Wire ties long enough to go around the PC board screwed to the plywood? (Use something to insulate the screw head so it doesn't short out the board).
Make a small wood shelf just big enough for the PC board to sit on and mount it to the bottom of the layout with spacers?
Edit: I just saw your comment about needing the mounting to be firm enough to allow you to tighten screws so my second and third suggestions may not work.
A small word of caution - resist the urge to over tighten the screws to ensure good contact. You can twist the contacts off the PC board. Ask me how I know!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
subman This won`t work guys because the entire perimeter of the board is taken up with terminal blocks soldered to the board and there would be no way for the wires to enter the terminal blocks. These are ISS signal control boards each controlling 2 heads. There are 16 mini blocks each with 2 terminals on each 2 x 23/8 board. Tim suggested velcroing them but that would not hold the board steady enough to tighten down on the screws. He also suggested hot gluing them but I don`t know if that would harm the traces. Thanks
Okay, now that we know what boards they are - Those ISS signal control boards look like they have small mounting holes on two diagonal corners.
Get some #4 sheet metal or round-head wood screws about a half or five-eighths long, and some #4 by 1/4 inch fiber or nylon spacers, and use those to fasten the boards to the plywood.
When you are attaching the wiring along each edge, gently slide a shim like this under that side of the board until it's just supporting the edge, then tighten those connections. Remove and repeat as necessary for the other connections on the other three edges.
No I can`t post a picture because I don`t have a digital camera.
Stevert what you are looking at are Tims old boards. He has redisigned his boards and they have terminal posts instead of solder pads. He has left off the mounting holes in favor of another means of mounting them. I may have to question Tim again on the hot glue and gluea 3/8" spacer to the pc board and the plywood.
submanStevert what you are looking at are Tims old boards. He has poorly redisigned his boards and unwisely left off the mounting holes in favor of another, obscure and/or undefined means of mounting them.
There, I fixed it for you.
submanI may have to question Tim again on the hot glue and gluea 3/8" spacer to the pc board and the plywood.
It sounds as if something along those lines may be your only option.
I just use hot glue, they last years with not problem
Not a fan of hot glue on PC boards. I suppose it shouldn't hurt anything as it's not as hot as the solder gets in a production wave soldering system, particulary for newer lead-free stuff. Double-sided tape works great. Non-conductive and you can pull the board off if you have to. Screw holes and standoffs would be best but if a small blank corner was not left then that's that.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
How about using Velcro, if possible?
Double sided foam tape has always worked for me. Whatever you do make sure the board works before sticking anything to it, especially glue. It could void any warranty.
Springfield PA
I Have used double-sided tape to mount small electronic boards to wood and metal. Lasts for years.
Look at the below link. Store the link in Favorites.
http://www.mrdccu.com/curriculum/adhesives.htm
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
For reasons like Randy said, I'd be afraid of hot glue if you had to pull the board off... leaving some traces or components behind?
Something else to caution against Velcro! Turn off the lights and pull apart Velcro. 10,000 volts of ESD! Fried ICs...
I have made my wiring connections on my Logicrail boards while holding the board in hand, test the operation, then stick with double sided tape (sometimes two layers) to a nearby location.
Ed
Thanks all. Double sided tape it is. Time to deep 6 the velcro idea.
Some double sided tape, it is fairly easy to release things. Some not so easy. I like the stuff with the red backing for fairly easy release. That is in the link I provided. I use that for decoder installs with light board type decoders that are not under shrink wrap.
Some of the foam stuff that is white backing can really be difficult to release. I did some circuit board installs under a layout and found the difference when I had to remove the PC board for modifications.
subman Thanks all. Double sided tape it is. Time to deep 6 the velcro idea.
One thing to look out for....I had some accessory decoders that I tried to mount with double sided tape and could not get them to adhere properly. First I thought that I had a bum roll of tape. Then I thought that there was some sort of waxy material on the layout legs that the tape disagreed with. Then I looked a little closer at the decoder. Some of the mounting pins for the decoder components stuck out higher from the back of the decoder than the tape was thick, and this did not allow good contact between the tape and the mounting surface. A second layer of tape took care of the problem.
richg1998 Some double sided tape, it is fairly easy to release things. Some not so easy. I like the stuff with the red backing for fairly easy release. That is in the link I provided. I use that for decoder installs with light board type decoders that are not under shrink wrap. Some of the foam stuff that is white backing can really be difficult to release. I did some circuit board installs under a layout and found the difference when I had to remove the PC board for modifications. Rich
I found that all you have to do to release the foam stuff is put it in the freezer for awhile. The glue loses it's tack when frozen.
Trouble would be putting the layout in the freezer to release the tape.
ABout the only other way to do it is possible use a coupel of small pieces of wood at each corner, diagonal, to clamp the very edge of the board. One underneath as a standoff, the other on top to clamp down. If there are no components on the very corners.
Between some squares of double sided tape and clamping down the wires next to the board, it won't go anywhere.
richg1998 Trouble would be putting the layout in the freezer to release the tape. Rich
Easy enough. All you have to do is foam it to a piece of styrene and screw the styrene down to the layout. It can be easily removed that way.
On a side note, the forums seem to be getting worse with speed as the night progresses.