trimming finger cards

**LoginR** · 09-14-2012, 01:33 PM

I don't have a paper cutter and my work environment does not allow nor would I want PCB particles getting everywhere. The way I do it is with a razor edge and short flat pliers. Score one side twice (some cards you only need to do it once, usually a lighter shade of green) where you want it to break, then snap it off with the pliers. Don't try to break it off in one yank, work your way up the length of the finger with "gentle" bends until it's ready to give way. I get really clean cuts this way, and since I got a vise it makes it much easier and less likely to cut myself

At first it's kinda slow, but (especially if you have a vise) you get much faster with practice. The blades stay sharp for a while with pcb but you do need to switch occasionally. Last time I had a trimming session I had 22 lbs and it took me about 90 mins to do the whole lot, and I was doing it quite casually. I got about 380ish grams of extremely close cut (can barely see green on most except for a rare few where I slipped with the razor a bit) fingers from the 22 lbs, but most of them were pretty old and had the super long connectors, and some were from servers/risers so were thicker. I imagine it would take a lot more of the newer PCI cards to get the same amount... I seem to remember reading 32ish lbs per lb of fingers?
I think a paper cutter is the way to go though, you could rip right through them once you get good at it. Might not be quite as close a cut, though... cant quite remember how thick those blades are?
Hope that helps.

**Bear** · 09-14-2012, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by LoginR

I don't have a paper cutter and my work environment does not allow nor would I want PCB particles getting everywhere. The way I do it is with a razor edge and short flat pliers. Score one side twice (some cards you only need to do it once, usually a lighter shade of green) where you want it to break, then snap it off with the pliers. Don't try to break it off in one yank, work your way up the length of the finger with "gentle" bends until it's ready to give way. I get really clean cuts this way, and since I got a vise it makes it much easier and less likely to cut myself

At first it's kinda slow, but (especially if you have a vise) you get much faster with practice.

if you'll look around tool sales and flea markets you might find a wide jaw vice grips that would speed your method. They're used in metal work etc and the jaws are about 3" wide, the head might remind one of a hammer head shark