cardboard pcb

[22tape]

hey all.  i recently bought a Tremulus Lune kit from 4ms.  it has a cardboard pcb...with paper layout...

for those who have worked with the cardboard pcb's, did you have problems with soldering?  do i have to remove the paper from the board?  the reason i ask is because i'm trying to solder the ic sockets but the solder doesn't want to bond to the paper....it just crawls up the ic socket's pin...

maybe i should clean the surface....but it's paper!  how would i properly clean that, a damp rag?

thanks 

[darron]

I've never heard of a carboard PCB... maybe for point to point stuff.

can you please post a link? i'm really interested to check out what you mean.

[Michael Allen]

The cardboard PCB is essentially a paper perf board. You use the layout as a guide and place the parts where needed. Bend the leads along the traces and solder at each connection. You aren't soldering to the paper, you're soldering the parts together using the paper layout as a guide. You could do it on perf board, but this way is very simple and easy to follow.

[dschwartz]

hmm in fact..cardboard PCB..seems to be a great idea for fast and easy layout!!
for prototypes is ideal!..how i didnt thought about it before?

just print the layout, an inverted traces image, and stick it to the faces of a cardboard..you can make a dist+ in an hour or less like that!

just don´t think of using it on high powered circuits like regulators, amps, or tube stuff

[plankspank]

... and dont spill any Beer on you pedal...

[Naz Nomad]

... just print the layout, an inverted traces image, and stick it to the faces of a cardboard..you can make a dist+ in an hour or less like that!

My first distortion was built exactly like that ...

[22tape]

The cardboard PCB is essentially a paper perf board. You use the layout as a guide and place the parts where needed. Bend the leads along the traces and solder at each connection. You aren't soldering to the paper, you're soldering the parts together using the paper layout as a guide. You could do it on perf board, but this way is very simple and easy to follow.

great, thanks for the responses guys!

do you guys know fo any tutorials (or at least pictures) of a finished point to point board....so i know what i'm going for?  about bending the leads, the ic socket leads aren't exactly flimsy....i feel like their going to snap if i bend them!  any suggestions?

again, thanks so much!

[markm]

Tweezers -or- small needle-nose pliers should work for ya.

[Michael Allen]

Bend all the leads that need to connect to the IC socket, and solder them at the IC pin. The IC socket pins don't want to bend, and you're right, they'll snap if you bend them.

Check out this example, http://www.home-wrecker.com/uglyface.html

This is what your cardboard underside should look like, except without all the holes and copper pads. You bend the component leads and use them as the wires that connect each part. Solder at the IC pin like shown in the picture...

[22tape]

fantastic, thanks! 

thanks for the link, Michael.  in the picture on the link it doesn't look like the component leads have been bent then soldered together.  it looks as if the leads have been snipped at it's base, then connected and soldered together.  okay, another stupid question, what kind of wire is it that connects those components together (it almost looks like solder)?   or is it a specific type of wire?

thanks!

[Faber]

I remember one day I got bored and soldered together a little NPN Fuzz on a cardboard PCB and used an Altoids can as the enclosure.

[frank_p]

The first ROG project that I had made was a prototype on cardboard.  I tried to do a sprinngboard version.
I tried to do as in those old crystal radios science fair kit that they sold some decades ago.
What I did is:

- Draw the schematic on the cardboard with consideration of the sizes of the components
- Cut small extension springs to about 1cm long (about 1/4 in. diam.)
- Take the springs and bend one side of the wire a bit out of its coil shape
- Screw the spring in the cardboard (on your drawing) at the points where you plan to do your connections (the wire that you bent out of shape will thread in the cardboard)
- Place all your electronics components over your drawing and grip the leads of the components between the coils of the extension springs
- Voilà !

Bear in mind that different springs will have different contact resistance.
The method work pretty well except that you might have a large circuit.
It's fun and easy to mod the circuit: just screw more springs to have more connections.
Just as with breadboards you can dismantle everything and have back your components.

Also: cardboard and fiberboard take humidity so for higher voltage audio stuff you might have some ticking (like on those eyelet Fender fiberboard supports).
If so you can soak it in wax (fastidious).

I plan on building more with other kind of springs: McMaster Carr have a variety of 304 stainless steel that I would like to try.

[CodeMonk]

Bend all the leads that need to connect to the IC socket, and solder them at the IC pin. The IC socket pins don't want to bend, and you're right, they'll snap if you bend them....

Bending IC leads is bad. Not just the risk of breaking them, but of possibly creating cracks in the ic body itself (I've looked at them under a microscope after doing this).

[22tape]

hey guys.  is there a specific type of wire (or is it just solder) that i should use to connect the component leads for point to point?  refer to the link and picture above that michael provided.  thanks!

[kristopher612]

just use the leads themselves.  if they won't  reach where you need to go, then i use some tinned wire i got from radio shack.  item number 278-1341http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102500&cp=2032058.2032227.2032239&allCount=19&fbn=Cable+type%2F24+gauge&f=PAD%2FCable+Type%2F24+gauge&fbc=1&parentPage=familyit does the job, and has lasted me about 3 years of doing a lot of perf and cardboard projects.  make sure it doesn't touch things it shouldn't though, obviously

[22tape]

fantastic, kristopher, thanks very much!  the link too