25 Apr
2017
25 Apr
'17
6:03 p.m.
I'm sure most of you DEC hackers have replaced a broken DEC handle or put handles on a
protoboard, and did what I've done in the past: use 4-40 screws and nuts, or pop
rivets. Well, I finally came across the right tool for the job, an Indestro tubular rivet
set! I cut the head off of a rivet on an old Sundstrand CNC control board that was getting
scrapped anyway and discovered they're 1/8" hollow brass rivets, but that a M3 x
5mm is close enough. You can buy the M3 rivets online for cheap, I paid $6 USD for 200
rivets, shipped. Here's the writeup:
http://www.glitchwrks.com/2017/04/25/installing-dec-handles
Thanks,
Jonathan
26 Apr
26 Apr
6:51 a.m.
On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:03 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
I'm sure most of you DEC hackers have replaced a
broken DEC handle or put handles on a protoboard... I finally came across the right tool
for the job, an Indestro tubular rivet set!
When I worked for a place that made Unibus and Qbus boards, we bought
bulk metal quad and hex handle assemblies from DEC, no number stamped
on them. We used a floor-stand foot-powered Stimpson rivet setter
with a lower die that held the rivet and an upper die that set it. I
saved the Stimpson machine when the company closed.
It's one of these:
http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html They make
quick work of setting rivets but overkill for hobby use. We shipped
over 1200 Unibus and Qbus boards, so we set well over 10,000 rivets on
it. I probably did at least 1,000.
they're 1/8" hollow brass rivets, but that a
M3 x 5mm is close enough. You can buy the M3 rivets online for cheap, I paid $6 USD for
200 rivets, shipped.
Good to know. I still have a bag of our old stock, but if I run out...
-ethan
8:06 a.m.
On 4/26/2017 6:51 AM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:03 PM, Systems Glitch via
cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco
extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600. He probably had
a machine, as the Southco levers were riveted onto our board thru holes
in the corner and levered the board in and out of the card cage.
He made a line of the ears for the DEC manufacturers here in Orange
County, and I've seen his SPC or Stu Phillips or Phillips company logo
on may such products.
That business came from him owning an injection molding machine and
someone asking him to make the handles. His original business was doing
jobs like the riviting and other assembly jobs around Orange county.
thanks
Jim
I'm sure most of you DEC hackers have
replaced a broken DEC handle or put handles on a protoboard... I finally came across the
right tool for the job, an Indestro tubular rivet set!
When I worked for a place
that made Unibus and Qbus boards, we bought
bulk metal quad and hex handle assemblies from DEC, no number stamped
on them. We used a floor-stand foot-powered Stimpson rivet setter
with a lower die that held the rivet and an upper die that set it. I
saved the Stimpson machine when the company closed.
It's one of these:
http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html They make
quick work of setting rivets but overkill for hobby use. We shipped
over 1200 Unibus and Qbus boards, so we set well over 10,000 rivets on
it. I probably did at least 1,000.
they're 1/8" hollow brass rivets, but
that a M3 x 5mm is close enough. You can buy the M3 rivets online for cheap, I paid $6 USD
for 200 rivets, shipped.
Good to know. I still have a bag of our old stock, but if
I run out...
-ethan
9:01 a.m.
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 11:06 AM, jim stephens <jwsmail at jwsss.com> wrote:
He made a line of the ears for the DEC manufacturers
here in Orange County,
and I've seen his SPC or Stu Phillips or Phillips company logo on may such
products.
I didn't find his products, but I found these:
http://www.bivar.com/enclosure-hardware/ejectors-handles-inserters-extracto…
The CP-2 line seems to have the right dimensions for DEC FLIP CHIP
modules (2.43" wide, ~2" rivet hole spacing) and they have them in
natural nylon, which might be dyable, white, and black.
They are stocked by Digikey and Mouser for under $1 each.
That business came from him owning an injection
molding machine and someone
asking him to make the handles. His original business was doing jobs like
the riviting and other assembly jobs around Orange county.
We are exploring a small-scale injection mold machine at our local
hackerspace. I want to try some DEC switch handles but as an earlier
experiment, FLIP CHIP handles will be a simpler die to make.
-ethan
2:10 p.m.
The CP-2 line seems to have the right dimensions for
DEC FLIP CHIP
modules (2.43" wide, ~2" rivet hole spacing) and they have them in
natural nylon, which might be dyable, white, and black.
They are stocked by Digikey and Mouser for under $1 each.
Good stuff! Now I know what to use when my stock of scavenged Thermalloy handles runs
out!
Thanks,
Jonathan
9:47 a.m.
On 4/26/17 8:06 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:
Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of
metal metal Southco extractor handles on our boards for the
Microdata 1600. He probably had a machine, as the Southco levers were riveted onto our
board thru holes in the corner
and levered the board in and out of the card cage.
I think these are the same style used on the DG Nova and the Alto. They have a problem
that they bend if you aren't
paying attention to card alignment.
Also came upon this
http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com/bivar/pdf/page26.pdf
modern source for DEC style plastic handles?
10:02 a.m.
On 4/26/2017 9:47 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:
On 4/26/17 8:06 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:
> Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco extractor
handles on our boards for the
> Microdata 1600. He probably had a machine, as the Southco levers were riveted onto
our board thru holes in the corner
> and levered the board in and out of the card cage.
This shows the Southco
extractor. The Nova DG cards I have have them as
well.
http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/microdata/1600/PCB_Photos/A20001043_…
Data General Nova 3 cpu card showing the same extractor.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSDB_FtBUZc/WC6t5e2XkYI/AAAAAAAEF8Q/f4aH_E65ypsn…
If the above link is fubar, the posting is here in this blog post:
http://jimsoldtoys.blogspot.com/2016/11/data-general-nova-3.html
The fastners were rivited thru the board, and with particularly stiff
backplanes, the corner of the boards could also
break off as well as the bowing of the boards Al refers to. The boards
bend up or down in the center of the card
as you pull very hard on each edge. Eventually either your fingers
bleed, or the card pops out of the connector
at the far end.
I think these are the same style used on the DG Nova
and the Alto. They have a problem that they bend if you aren't
paying attention to card alignment.
Also came upon this
http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com/bivar/pdf/page26.pdf
modern source for DEC style plastic handles?
11:59 a.m.
On 4/26/17 10:02 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:
The boards bend up or down in the center of the card
as you pull very hard on each edge.
fortunately, Alto cards have steel bus bar/stiffeners at the edge connector end that
keeps that from happening.
do you know of anyone that still has any NOS of these around? I was going to canabalize
a few off some some 4K DRAM Alto memory cards, since I don't have any non-XM machines
any
more and have dozens of them.
2:06 p.m.
It's one of these:
http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html
Glad to hear it was saved from the scrap heap! A very cool machine, reminds me of the
manual punch we had to go along with our trip punch at a previous job.
Stu Phillips, a friend of ours did the insertion of
metal metal Southco
extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600.
That business came from him owning an injection
molding machine and
someone asking him to make the handles.
The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping boards I've got are Stu Phillips
handles. They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know if MDB did their own riveting.
With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it wouldn't surprise me.
Thanks,
Jonathan
2:15 p.m.
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 5:06 PM, Systems Glitch via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Indeed. I knew it was not a cheap item, and looking online today,
it's a mere $2300!
Ah. I probably have some I can check for makers marks.
It's one
of these:
http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html
Glad to hear it was saved from the scrap heap! A very cool machine, reminds me of the manual punch we
had to go along with our trip punch at a previous job.
I've wanted to look into buying additional dies for mine. All I have
is the 1/8" tubular rivet setter. The bottom die has a 1/8"
projection that the rivet slides down prior to setting. Some years
before I started, someone broke that off (it would be easy to do if
you were about to press the pedal and let the PCB slip from your hands
- the weight and torque would easily stress the projection). I heard
replacement dies were around $250. I haven't had a project that was
important enough to research other types of dies.
Stu Phillips,
a friend of ours did the insertion of metal metal Southco
extractor handles on our boards for the Microdata 1600.
The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping boards I've got are Stu Phillips
handles. They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know if
MDB did their own riveting. With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it
wouldn't surprise me.
We did our own riveting at a smallish company, so I expect they did too.
-ethan
3:45 p.m.
On 4/26/2017 2:15 PM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 5:06 PM, Systems Glitch via
cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Indeed. I knew it was not a cheap item, and looking
online today,
it's a mere $2300!
Found his contact info
STU PHILLIPS CO
23141 LA CADENA DRIVE, SUITE P
LAGUNA HILLS CA
714-855-4263
WRAP POSTS
STU PHILLIPS
OWNER
It's
one of these:
http://www.grommetmachinery.com/stimpson-479-machine.html
Glad to hear it was
saved from the scrap heap! A very cool machine, reminds me of the manual
punch we had to go along with our trip punch at a previous job.
<snip>
The blue handles on the MDB Unibus prototyping
boards I've got are Stu Phillips handles.
Ah. I probably have some I can check
for makers marks.
They are indeed riveted on, but I don't know
if MDB did their own riveting. With the amount of DEC-compatible stuff they made, it
wouldn't surprise me.
<snip>
-ethan
2797
days inactive
2797
days old
10 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
aek＠bitsavers.org -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
jwsmail＠jwsss.com -
systems.glitch＠gmail.com