A Cheap Trick for Making Cutouts!

Tutorials - Guides - How to's - & Experiences.
1

No problem designing my custom PCB’s and thought about making a Custom Part that is simply a Rectangle Cutout (thinking it would be simple - nope, at least not yet doable or, perhaps I lack the skill/knowledge).

However, aside from stringing holes together, it dawned on me to try using a PinHeader… and simply set the hole diameter to be the width of desired Rectangle.

Sure, the result will have radius’d ends but, easy to live! (and, a mill-bit would produce radius’d corners anyway).

The image shows (in Red) the PinHeader and it’s parameters (pin count=14, dia=6, ring dia=0…).
It also shows an embedded image of the result in CopperCam (I use it for Milling PCB’s).
The DRC produced no errors (needed a couple of parts (LED/Resistor) on the PCB to make it happy).

Might be a good idea (a Cheap Trick) if you need a slot or cutout…:grinning:

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2

Did you output to a Gerber and look at it with a Gerber viewer. I use the free Gerbv, but if you want to post the .fzz skecth with the 7th icon above I can look at it.

Radius is probably better as there is less chance of the PCB snapping under stress.

3

Yes, I use CU29 to check. And, more importantly for me, is to load it into CopperCam. I if something won’t work there, I’ll have no use for it (as that’s how I machine PCB’s).

So, Yes, it works!
CU29 image shown

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4

Ah, you do your own PCB. Because I was wondering how a PCB manufacturer would do it because they don’t do overlapping holes, at least not small ones, because it breaks drills.

5

Yes, I have a MicroProto CNC Mill and machine my PCB’s.

Using a larger hole would eliminate broken bits if having fab’s by vendor