[Elecraft] "Shortening" a min-module PC board., how to...

[Jim Wiley]

Chris -


Several possibilities occur to me:


Assuming you don't remove any portion of any circuit trace (Duh!), I 
would suggest an Adel "nibbler".  It is designed for metal work,but 
works well on circuit boards.  It is essentially a  hand-powered shear 
that removes a small "bite" of material about 1/16" by 1/4" each time it 
operates.   If used carefully, it can make very precise holes and slots, 
and of course shorten material as well.  It does require a minimal 
amount of clearance to operate.  It will accommodate material up to 
perhaps 3/32" thick, so circuit board should fit OK.


Lacking that,  the next thing I might try is to mount the BL2 on a piece 
of scrap wood (as a handle), and VERY carefully and SLOWLY  trim away 
the excess material using a band saw or jig saw.  Keep your fingers well 
away from the action, of course.  It is important to have something 
large enough to grip (the piece of scrap wood) so that if the saw tries 
to grab the material, you won't lose control, causing possible injury 
and almost certainly ruining your BL2 in the process.


Personally, I would use my milling machine, but not everyone has access 
to one of those.   However, many model railroad enthusiasts,  R/C 
airplane pilots,  and other hobbyists do have small machines, so ask 
around. Your local hobby shop may have some names of people that are 
amenable to helping others.


I have done these sort of modifications many times on various boards and 
assemblies, and with a little care you can  end up with exactly what you 
want.


As a last thought - I would stay away from any sort of sheet metal ships 
or similar tools around PC boards.  In my experience, attempting to use 
these types of tools carries a high risk of causing cracks and splits in 
the board. 


- Jim, KL7CC



Christopher Kimball wrote:
> I have a BL2 minimodule that's about 1/4" too long for my purposes.  I'd 
> like to cut off a piece of it without zapping the functionality of the 
> board.
>
> What's the neatest way to do this with commonly available tools and 5 
> thumb hands? 
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris
> WB4WZR
>
>