JLS2016
Member
For lack of better terms...lol. How do you go about repairing the teeth on a pcb when one flaked off?
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For lack of better terms...lol. How do you go about repairing the teeth on a pcb when one flaked off?
I assume you're working on a Pole Position (in which case it's a 5V or GND pin, which is the same on both sides of the board.)
As other have mentioned, adhesive copper tape is the way to go. And wrap it around, removing and replacing the finger on the other side of the board (even if it isn't damaged).
What's important with this type of repair is getting the thickness right. That's why you want to remove the finger from the other side even if it's still good, and not just tape over it. I score the finger all the way at the bottom of the finger, using an exacto, then lift at the PCB edge and peel it off. You want the thickness to be as flat as it was originally, as if it's too thick, it will stretch out and/or damage the pins in your edge connector.
You also want to dig out any charred PCB fiberglass, under the finger, if it's brittle or loose. However what happens here is you'll be left with a depression. And because that will affect the thickness, it will cause connection issues.
Some folks fill the hole with epoxy, then put the tape over it. That works, but is slow and can be a pain, as epoxy can get messy.
What I do is put the copper tape over the hole, then tin over the tape. I tin it all the way to the ends of the tape (where it meets the board), to make it electrically and visually seamless (and the color matches, so it makes the repair stick out less). However the other benefit is that you can fill the missing material from the hole with solder, rather than epoxy.
You just need to play with the solder a bit to get the thickness just right. But using quality solder like Kester 44 (which has a lot of good flux) helps.
I then clean the joint with acetone or Goof Off to remove the flux. Then I finish by burnishing it with a fine fiberglass pen, which matches the sheen of the other fingers.
When it's done, you almost can't tell it's been repaired, unless you see that the finger now wraps around the edge of the board.
Any specific recommended copper tape and whatever tin?
For lack of better terms...lol. How do you go about repairing the teeth on a pcb when one flaked off?
Sorry, sure I'm driving you nuts. But you're saying to use copper tapen then tin. In that 4 part video posted he uses a copper tape that is plated with tin. Would that be a better easier way to go to save a step or not?What I do is put the copper tape over the hole, then tin over the tape. I tin it all the way to the ends of the tape (where it meets the board), to make it electrically and visually seamless (and the color matches, so it makes the repair stick out less). However the other benefit is that you can fill the missing material from the hole with solder, rather than epoxy.
You just need to play with the solder a bit to get the thickness just right. But using quality solder like Kester 44 (which has a lot of good flux) helps.
I then clean the joint with acetone or Goof Off to remove the flux. Then I finish by burnishing it with a fine fiberglass pen, which matches the sheen of the other fingers.
When it's done, you almost can't tell it's been repaired, unless you see that the finger now wraps around the edge of the board.
Sorry, sure I'm driving you nuts. But you're saying to use copper tapen then tin. In that 4 part video posted he uses a copper tape that is plated with tin. Would that be a better easier way to go to save a step or not?
Any recommendations on mil thickness? Thanks