New bits and another board

Post date: Oct 27, 2013 2:08:45 AM

I got some new, high-quality bits from Think & Tinker (PreciseBits), and cut a PCB with one of them. The difference in cut quality is amazing- clean traces without the need to sand! This was done with a 60° bit:

The board cut with a 45° bit wasn't quite as clean. Anyway, I'm pleased. I don't know if a cheapo 60° bit would have the same results (my cheapo bits are 30°) or if it's just the angle difference. Either way, the PCBs keep getting better and better. The traces still have copper bits in them that need cleaning out; I still need a way to do that without too much tedium and with some amount of assurance that they're actually all clean without having to manually check each trace for [dis]continuity.

Note: The holes are sloppy because I don't have the right size bit to drill them on the mill, so I've been drilling pilot holes on the mill and then re-drilling them by hand.