• Excellent document, especially on turret-setting (and making your own swage/press), and pardon overlap or inconsistencies: https://s3.amazonaws.com/tubedepot-com-production/spree/attached_files/turret_boards_v1.pdf?1382391090
  • Options:
    • Make circuit board material
      • Have worked with fiberglass, mainly for boat repair, and can be quite messy, plus it was decades ago and would likely have to incur many trial-and-error cycles before I hit some level of consistency in this very different context
      • Should really do it outside or in an otherwise very well-ventilated area (e.g., open garage)
      • Sanding will be necessary, hence ventilation, but even then also a respirator and, to elams’ comment, the fibers will find their way into everything like a twig in your shorts.
      • No idea what the specs would be, such as dielectric strength (at which point an energized insulator starts conducting, including arcing), etc.
    • Buy:
      • Pre-drilled: nah, but good for practicing (plus constrained to drill hole sizes); anything from TubeDepot or Amplified Parts
      • Undrilled blanks: 3” wide blanks – not bad, but unfortunately limited dimension options, and for this build the options I found were not sufficient; anything from TubeDepot or Amplified Parts
      • Bulk blanks:
  • Bulk blanks
    • 3” wide blanks – not bad, but unfortunately limited dimension options, and for this build the options I found were not sufficient
    • Fairly inexpensive; look for bulk 1/8” (3mm) on McMaster, Amazon, eBay, etc. – 12” x 12” sheets are $30-$40.
    • G-10/FR4 bulk:
      • Main reason is what I can’t achieve if I do it myself: Consistency from quality, verifiable manufacturers.
      • “G”: Garolite
      • “FR” for “flame-retardant”
      • Electrically-insulating and used for PCBs and boards in general
      • Material specifications are readily available
      • High tensile and hardness; G-10/FR4 specs from McMaster’s site
      • Relevant for cutting and drilling
    • Fairly inexpensive; look for bulk 1/8” (3mm) on McMaster, Amazon, eBay, etc. – 12” x 12” sheets are $30-$40.
  • Generally, epoxy/glass laminate board
    • G10/FR4
    • “G”: Garolite
    • “F4”: Flame-retardant
    • 1/8” (~3mm) thick

  • Color – like a car, black shows everything…

  • Printing “Turret Board Drill Holes All Turret.pdf” to scale
    • Print the PDF on 8.5 x 11 paper
    • Once printed, measure the “SCALE: 3 Inch” scale
    • Reprint scaling up or down in print settings until that line is exactly 3 inches
    • Mileage varies, but using Chrome to print and any potential variance due to the printer itself notwithstanding, my magic scale percentage was 102%.
    • Once it’s 3”, measure the board dimensions
    • Using mm from hereon: 90mm high x 285mm long
  • Cut using a scroll or jig saw with fiberglass-rated blade.