Circuit Board Pen

[Dan26]

I picked up a few circuit board kits this week and tried it for the first time. As with most "first times" I did learn not to use a dull pen mill on them. The first one had a blowout about 1/2" up the tube. (Now I only sand them flush.) I was able to recast the blown-out portion and it turned out great. The picture is of the part that blew out after the recast and I can't tell exactly where it is. I'm pretty happy with it.

I was wandering if anyone knows who makes these? Are they made in Taiwan? Are they actual circuit boards? From the blowout I had, it seems to be a real board, but since all the kits I have are identical, I assume these are made just for the pen blanks. Anyone have any info on this.

By the way, I sold the pen to the first guy I showed it to and may have some orders coming.

Thanks for any info.

 

[MartinPens]

I heard that they are cell phone circuit boards. Don't know the source though. They are fun to make when I've only got about 20 minutes. They work well on the wallstreet III kits from woodcraft as well. A nice sharp tool and if using a rough out gouge, as many do, approach the material at an angle and not directly parallel. The material will just peal off in long ribbons. Great job!

 

[G1Pens]

Looks good. I am a newbie, so I can't really answer your questions. I have often wondered myself, how they make them. I worked as a computer tech for years and don't see how they could take a circuit board and wrap it around a tube. Maybe somoeone will know the answer

 

[PenMan1]

The first circuit board pens that I saw here came from Bruce119. The first ones that I got from him were LAN cards from computers.

You might want to check the library here, someone (Bruce I think) did a tutorial on sanding down the circuit boards and bending them around the pen tube for casting.

The Tiwian PC boards (Wall Street III, etc) seem to be circuitry from old 56k modems.

I hope this helps.

 

[crabcreekind]

i would assume that other countrys get all of our old electronics that they are probably real and inexpensive.. the sell old circuit boards by the barrels at junk yards and stuff

 

[Dave Turner]

....I have often wondered myself, how they make them. I worked as a computer tech for years and don't see how they could take a circuit board and wrap it around a tube. Maybe somoeone will know the answer

I believe this has been discussed previously. They sand the back side of the board until they are paper thin and flexible, then they bend the board around the tube for casting. The sanding releases many dangerous metallic and other dusts, making this an operation for the pros only.

 

[PenMan1]

i would assume that other countrys get all of our old electronics that they are probably real and inexpensive.. the sell old circuit boards by the barrels at junk yards and stuff

The cost for Tiawan (MAJOR supplier of electronics) to produce a basic circuit board is just pennies. I build computers and recognize most PC circuit boards by a set of numbers etched directly into the boards.

The last of the Berea circuit blank and pen set that I bought had the number for a Rockwell chipped 56k modem. Basically, nearly the entire world moved away from dial up modems a few years back. Virtually all modems were made in Tiawan. I bet they got caught with a few billion of these cheap modems when the world changed to broadband Internet. Tiawan throws NOTHING away!

 

[Dan26]

Thanks for the info guys.

Good for Tiawan. I wish we could be more conservative and thrifty. I do keep a lot of cut-offs for segmenting.