Stencil holder

[Dago]

I'd need a stencil holder for small time prototyping work (at work) but I'm having problems finding anything suitable.

Should be something fairly affordable like... 300€ max. or so. Not one of those "production" kind of jigs that cost upwards of 1200€.

I have experience with this http://www.beta-estore.com/rkuk/order_product_details.html?p=64 and it's ok but a bit fiddly so I wouldn't mind trying out something else.

Can you recommend me any stencil holders?

Preferably from EU.

[tggzzz]

I'd need a stencil holder for small time prototyping work (at work) but I'm having problems finding anything suitable.

Should be something fairly affordable like... 300€ max. or so. Not one of those "production" kind of jigs that cost upwards of 1200€.

I have experience with this http://www.beta-estore.com/rkuk/order_product_details.html?p=64 and it's ok but a bit fiddly so I wouldn't mind trying out something else.

Can you recommend me any stencil holders?

Preferably from EU.

For prototyping, you might just consider the quick'n'dirty technique with spare PCBs, see https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/58

[Precipice]

If you've got control over your PCB and stencil, so you can put dowel holes in,
https://www.tindie.com/products/arachnidlabs/pcb-tooling-block-full-grid/
is tempting.
Well, it's tempting me! (No experience with it, but I've got other stencil holders that are variously unsatisfying).

[Dago]

If you've got control over your PCB and stencil, so you can put dowel holes in,
https://www.tindie.com/products/arachnidlabs/pcb-tooling-block-full-grid/
is tempting.
Well, it's tempting me! (No experience with it, but I've got other stencil holders that are variously unsatisfying).

That looks perfect but it's backordered :| You could always make some guides from PCB that would have the holes that would enable you to position the boards without 2.5mm holes on the boards themselves (which might be difficult on space constrained boards).

[jc101]

EuroCircuits have a registration system you can add to boards and stencils when ordering, but they publish the dimensions used...

http://www.eurocircuits.com/ec-solutions/ec-registration-system

With these holes in the right place they also sell a ex-stencil-Fix which can be seen here
http://be.eurocircuits.com/shop/offtheshelf/product.aspx?ano=ec-stencil-fix

It's only 15 euro's and quite handy, and if you use their dimensions you don't need them to also make the boards and stencils.

[odingalt]

For cheap I've just used plastic guide pieces (similar to sparkfun's method using spare PCB's) and have had good luck.  Basically my material list is:

-guide piece that is same thickness as your PCB to be printed
-your plate only prototype stencil foil
-some masking tape

I've printed down to 0.50mm with this setup with no problems.

[tszaboo]

EuroCircuits have a registration system you can add to boards and stencils when ordering, but they publish the dimensions used...

http://www.eurocircuits.com/ec-solutions/ec-registration-system

With these holes in the right place they also sell a ex-stencil-Fix which can be seen here
http://be.eurocircuits.com/shop/offtheshelf/product.aspx?ano=ec-stencil-fix

It's only 15 euro's and quite handy, and if you use their dimensions you don't need them to also make the boards and stencils.

I've used this some time ago, and indeed, this is the amount of money I would spend on a hobby project. It is simple, and does the job, if you have the standard 1.6mm PCB with the mounting holes described by them. The whole thing is made from FR4 btw.

[odingalt]

Cheap stencil holder example in this video:



In this particular case the stencil and plastic holder was purchased from www.quickstencil.com (I'm in the USA).

[zapta]

For cheap I've just used plastic guide pieces (similar to sparkfun's method using spare PCB's) and have had good luck.  Basically my material list is:

-guide piece that is same thickness as your PCB to be printed
-your plate only prototype stencil foil
-some masking tape

I've printed down to 0.50mm with this setup with no problems.

Same experience here. OshStencils sells those 1.6mm L shape plastic holders

http://www.oshstencils.com/pricing.php

I later made my own from laser cut 1/16" acryilic, design files are here (three different sizes) https://github.com/zapta/misc/tree/master/prototyping/pcb_brackets

No problem with 0.5mm pitch. Just get good metal stencils, the plastic one are not as great for 0.5mm.

[Dago]

EuroCircuits have a registration system you can add to boards and stencils when ordering, but they publish the dimensions used...

http://www.eurocircuits.com/ec-solutions/ec-registration-system

With these holes in the right place they also sell a ex-stencil-Fix which can be seen here
http://be.eurocircuits.com/shop/offtheshelf/product.aspx?ano=ec-stencil-fix

It's only 15 euro's and quite handy, and if you use their dimensions you don't need them to also make the boards and stencils.

I've used this some time ago, and indeed, this is the amount of money I would spend on a hobby project. It is simple, and does the job, if you have the standard 1.6mm PCB with the mounting holes described by them. The whole thing is made from FR4 btw.

This is actually work work, thus the "big" budget