Non-conductive foam/glue/felt/etc/??

[RonHackett]

Hi All,

I frequently use home-make stripboard circuits, which I know is risky on my much-too-cluttered desktop due to the abundance of small metal pieces floating around (extra LEDs, lead clippings, etc. Today I finally succeeded in destroying an 08M by shorting something out somewhere!

I know I could solve this problem by keeping my work area clean, but I also know I won't. :-(

So, can anyone suggest a non-conductive material (thin foam, felt, plastic, etc.) and a non-conductive adhesive or glue I could use to attach to the bottom of the stripboards to protect them from my bad work habits?

Thanks... Ron

 

[BeanieBots]

Old mouse mats. Sunny side down.
Silicon sealant should be OK but some can be corrosive to copper so test first.

 

[ylp88]

I too have used old mouse mats before but they seem to be a bit hard to come by recently. I've also tried using some of that high density "styrofoam-like" stuff - I'm not sure what it is exactly but I assume it is not exactly styrofaom due in part to the fact that you can't see it made from lots of small balls and it doesn't seem to get much static.

Perhaps a good layer of PCB laquer may suffice if that surface can be protected from scratches and general wear and tear.

<b><i>ylp88 </b> </i>

 

[hippy]

Same problem, and thought I'd lost an expensive commercial PCB when it was sitting on the carpet with a stray wire off-cut underneath.

I'm now using polystyrene discs which are put under shrink-wrapped pizza's. High density, about 4mm thick, easy to cut with scissors, scalpel or hobby knife giving a nice clean edge and no evidence of polystyrene balls. Sounds like what ylp88 describes; I never thought about static though.

The ones I get ( Tesco's el-cheapo 30cm ) have one side dimpled which suits the spikey soldered side well. I put the stripboard on the disc, press down, cut round with a scalpel and then just wrap masking tape over top to bottom surfaces all the way round.

The only thing to watch for is shorting any 'bug fix' wires to tracks on the soldered side.

Another type of pizza supporting base is made from more traditional plastic with curled edges for strength. This can easily be cut into flat sheets which are flexible but sturdy. Handy for insulating the insides of metal enclosures, facings for wooden or tatty fascias for finished units. Looks okay as a blanking plate in my car where a radio was, and, my piece de resistance, a V-shaped sun-blocker to go behind the rear-view mirror.

 

[Dippy]

I actually use a pizza positioned face down.
The cheese is a very good non-slip base.

 

[xstamp]

I recommend sparying the underside of the stripboard with pcb lacquer (eg. Maplin N67AN) to stop bits of conductive material from getting between tracks. Also place a sticky-backed rubber foot at each corner to save the surface of the desk from getting scratched by the ends of component wires.

 

[RexLan]

I use a rubber mat that is easily found at most bearing houses or places that sell hydraulic stuff. It comes in sheets up to 2M wide and in very thin to very thick pieces. It is used mostly for conveyor belting.

Solder, flux and small trim parts wont stick (coffee wipes up nicely too!). A dry rag will wipe it clean. I covered my entire bench with it for $25

 

[premelec]

in short - almost anything will usually work unless perhaps you are in a very humid environment - ok the plastic covers from old 8 1/2 or 5 1/4 inch floppies - now you don't have to throw those out - they may be useful!

 

[BeanieBots]

Alternatively, treat yourself to a dustpan &amp; brush to remove the problem!

 

[RonHackett]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I'm in the mood for a pizza anyway, so I'll try that one first!

I thought of another possibility today - the liquid rubber stuff that you dip tool handles into to provide electrical insulation. I don't know how it would stick to a PC board, but I think I'll give it a try.