Lathe Electronic Leadscrew Part 12: PCB Manufacturing Update

I'm in the process of having the Electronic Leadscrew PC boards manufactured for sale. Today is just a quick progress update.
Tools and parts used in this video:
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
8-Digit LED display module with buttons (eBay*): ebay.to/2RvCCxR
Hakko FX-951 Soldering Station (Amazon*): amzn.to/2XB9CD0
Hakko 611-2 Dual Solder Reel Stand (Amazon*): amzn.to/2H0Yhaf
StickVise PCB Vise (Amazon*): amzn.to/2YIvyxq
High Temperature ESD Safe Mat (Amazon*): amzn.to/2Xz0n6D

[@shirothehero0609]

This is so wicked cool. You are now definitely now the authority on modifying a mini/benchtop lathe with an ELS on the internet. No other forum, post, page or other has a project documented like you have. Very awesome. Congrats for doing an Internet First.

[@Clough42]

Thanks! That was my goal.

[@TrekDreamer11]

@@Clough42 Goal Achieved and blown out of the water. Great Teacher, and thanks for taking the time and effort to make collate and provide the information while trying to build. This is what youtube was always suppossed to be about education and possibilities to the masses.

[@stephenjohnson6841]

James you do such a great job of walking through all of the steps. Another great video! Thank you!

[@EverettsWorkshop]

Very cool, right down even to the simulated lathe to test the system on the revision.

[@misterfixit1952]

You might want to get a preorder count so you order enough boards. I have a feeling this might be really big as there are a lot of people who are very excited about this project. I know I am. Your development methodology, from concept to product is top notch and I for one, really appreciate the extraordinary effort that you have put into in this project.

[@mecee4516]

Us metric techno-freaks down under in NZ are watching with eager anticipation. Waiting to punce on the buy now button!

[@RobB_VK6ES]

Was thinking the solder joints looked frosty, then you say it is lead free solder and that explained it all. Lead free solder, The spawn of the devil IMHO

[@AttilaAsztalos]

The devil's cat surely must have tin whiskers...

[@iwantitpaintedblack]

Lead free solder is on of the major cause of so many electronics failures it literally destroyed the environment it was trying to save

[@PracticalRenaissance]

This project continues to be so interesting and impressive! I've been very pleased to see the results of your experiences with the PCB manufacturer, it's something I've looked into and I'm glad the process and product appear to be satisfactory

[@LV2XPLR]

If anyone is new to soldering, you should seriously consider using 60/40 Tin Lead Solder with a rosin core. It works at cooler temperatures, it's easier to form a joint and has proven itself to be more reliable than leadfree solder in hand soldered applications. As long as you wash your hands after soldering, there is no danger to lead exposure. This is an awesome project. James, you have done an excellent job explaining & documenting this huge improvement to change gear based metal lathes.

[@DrFiero]

Aha! Perfect excuse to build a pick n place machine. “In our next series... we build a pick and place machine, to build our previous series...”. :D

[@lesthompson5907]

can the system be configured to run , of a 12 or 24 volt mobility scooter , Motor? .

[@DrFiero]

@@lesthompson5907 - I dunno man, a 24V scooter motor powered pick n' place machine could be pretty brutal. ;)

[@hoffybeefe]

EEVBlog! Aussie Aussie Aussie!!! OI OI OI! Love your work James. But i'd love to plant a seed for a future project and perhaps get you to take on an open source Rotary Table style project like this ELS one. You would super charge the hell out of it with your know-how on the electrical/program side and modernise capabilities and feature set all in one!

[@Clough42]

You mean like a digital rotary indexer? That wouldn't be too hard.

[@hoffybeefe]

@@Clough42 Good day James. Yes exactly like that. I have managed to find a bunch of them based on Arduino's and they seem great and many people have put in some great open source style work for all to use. but i'd love to have one supercharged and slightly more modernised, perhaps with the ability to be more flexible in its application. e.g. for more applications then just cutting gears, like: rotary indexing for photography and all its desired rotary functionality, rotary weld indexer, rotary indexing for 3D Scanning tables and possibly even apply it to a linear positioning so it could be used for camera sliders all in one seems they are very similar in their programming uses. i think all those features might make it "hard" ;) I have a video of me 3D Scanning on my channel, this is what i'm in the process of setting one of the arduino based ones up to use for first (then if i managed to get it working i will then, time permitting, apply it to a welding rotator and then eventually photography turntable and/or slider). The thing that lead me to find your channel was your thumbnail withe the rotary encoding and its direct relation to rotating a motor. I was thinking this was something i wanted to play with to add features/functionality to a rotary index table so one could use a Job Wheel style input device and an encoder to have the table job directly to user set-able resolutions around a circle. Perhaps not many use cases in teh real world.. but a great thing try and learn to do hence why you have a new sub that has binged watched for a week! But way out of my depth when it comes to coding!

[@MrPatdeeee]

It just gets better and better. You are a VERY gifted man James. Your videos are among my most favorite. Please continue to dazzle us with "goodies" that are very rare. We luv yuz!

[@timogross8191]

There are self closing tweezers that you can put between the pins, works well for soldering the pin headers.

[@Clough42]

Yeah. Right after I turned off the camera, I realized I could clip a clothespin over the handles of my needle-point tweezers and do exactly that. :)

[@midlanab4835]

I have all the hardware and briefly connected the controller to the display-came up the first time, whoo hoo! I then realized two things:1. Working with the controller side is a waste of time if I'm waiting for James to produce his boards, mostly because the software's already proven.2. Time should instead be spent on the mechanical side of things: getting the encoder and servo mounted with pullies and belts. That's being done now, on a Takisawa TSL-800 lathe.

[@sheemondallasgeorgia]

You have an amazing grasp of the task at hand. I think this is a great project and you are doing it justice

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nice job. This is very cool. Thanks James for sharing.

[@MCJemFinch]

I was just about to order some boards from JLCSMT with AMS1117 regulators and I didn't read the datasheet, so I didn't know about the minimum output impedance! My design had a big 10uF MLCC on the output, so not nearly enough impedance. Thank you for saving my design from output oscillation!

[@Litzwire]

Hi James.Wonderfully clear and concise tutorials on your design and development of your ELS. I have ordered the LED/Button panel, encoder and TI Launchpad in readiness. The stepper motor and driver I already have. Only need this level shift board now and the drive belts etc. A great upgrade to any lathe. Many thanks for sharing.

[@Clough42]

Coming soon. Details to follow.

[@chuckscustomammunition2393]

Can't wait for the finished product will be getting one or two

[@peterdams7431]

Just wanted to place my order at jlcpcb for one pcb-through hole. I guess I'll just wait a little bit more to order a board from your batch. My servo and encoder are already waiting to be connected. Great work James, I love it.

[@davewilliams6172]

Man, you are doing a great job James. I am looking forward to seeing this complete and on the lathe. Hope to get my Chester lathe adapted when you have the electronic parts available Keep up the good work

[@UncleKennysPlace]

Decades ago, I worked at Cincinnati Microwave, maker of the Escort, Passport, and other radar detectors. They have wave soldering for the discrete stuff, and pick and place for through and surface mount, and ovens to bake, and a full PCB manufacturing setup. I used to go watch it at lunch time. Most of the items being made were contract stuff, as they didn't need that big of a line to make radar detectors. So in one huge building, they went from boxes of bits and sheets of blank copper-clad PCB to radar detectors, and sales and shipping were also "in-house". Unheard of today. But one of the owners sought to diversify, and thought that satellite TV dishes (the big ones!) and receivers was the way to go. Oh, well; we got Siriusly hurt. I had some boards made [elsewhere] in the USA back then for a niche project, just 500 of them, and they were literally 50% of the cost of my product. But well worth it, because after soldering about five boards I'm bored. As soon as I have some free funds, I'm gonna add this to my lathe/mill combo that never had any threading (or even feed). The lathe/mill was a gift, and it's much heavier than a MiniLathe.

[@Clough42]

Siriusly. I see what you did there. :)

[@CncObsession]

Amazing the thought you put into this board.

[@Clough42]

Thanks!

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

Assembly usually costs very little for a board of that size, even at the U.S. Fabs (there are still a couple in business last time I checked). You just have to make sure they are not selling USA manufacture and then shipping it overseas. I will do the footwork for you if you like and we can try one of these houses with a few boards to see how they do, turn around, etc.

[@minskmade]

i love that you are showing the whole process. cant wait get one of these packages

[@joemcgarry1106]

Thank you James for another great video.

[@augustvonmackensen9785]

Well, time to jump into the fray ! My Sieg C6 is getting an ELS ! Since there is not much difference between stepper and servo drive, I’ll go with the stepper option just to keep the cost down. I wanted to do this for ages, not so much to cut threads, but to be able to change feed rate easily, plus I reckon it will make the machine quieter because all those noisy gears won’t be needed.

[@carneeki]

Can't wait to see a shopping cart link! I've ordered all the other bits so far, just waiting for the TI board to arrive. This project has me pretty excited!

[@sansdecorum4600]

Again, a clear and concise presentation with appropriate explanations where applicable. Looking forward to the next installment. Recommended your channel, and this project inparticular, to another creator, Quinn, at Blondie Hacks, as she has a similar small lathe and faces the same annoying change gear challenges. I've watched videos for other successful ELS projects using arduinos, but your concept and execution stands heads and shoulders above. Thanks for the educational content and keep up the fine work. By the way, thanks to your video on troubleshooting and repairing the stage lighting board, it cleared the cobwebs littering my brain since my radar tech days, allowing me to finally dig into my ancient Pioneer SX 1250 receiver and bring her back to life. She is now loud, proud and cranking out the tunes. Many thanks for that!! Now I feel confident about tackling an Interocitor. ;)

[@Clough42]

Awesome! Glad I could help.

[@machinemaker2248]

Use the bottom half of an old coffee maker as a pre-heat, with an index card or paper towel between the carafe warmer and the pcb, to slow the heat transfer. This makes soldering copper pours (large planes of copper) easier.

[@jamesbrewer3020]

Thank you for the update. Will keep watching.

[@JohnK8]

I'm in for two boards. Another great video! Thanks

[@ImplicitConversion]

I can't wait to get one!

[@marcellozazzetta9657]

I want one. I recently came into the possession of a 1940's Macson lathe that I am restoring. Unfortunately it does not have any change gears and your electronic lead screw development would solve that problem. So as soon as they are available I will definitely be ordering one. Thanks for all the hard work and great video content. Very interesting.

[@chriswesley594]

Another great video James - thank you. I'd love to know why whoever disliked this video did so, but I'm betting they have no intention of coming out of the woodwork to explain themselves.

[@amundsen575]

outstanding that you are getting them fabed,I myself would use leaded solder to finish the board for my own personal use. I think you can crank up the temp a bit for the connectors .

[@roygilby4513]

I'll take one board when you're ready to take orders. Already have most of the other components, so things are progressing well. I'm modifying my Sieg SC4/510 to take the ELS.

[@edwardaloftis6705]

I seen a solder dip operation once way back in time.

[@misterfixit1952]

I would be happy to solder my own board parts. Just got a nifty solder pencil (gun) with a solder dispenser by trigger. Now I can hold the soldering iron and add the solder with one hand leaving the other hand to hold parts. It's like having 3 hands. I hacked the power cord and wired it up to my temp controlled soldering station. Kool device, good quality and less than $20 on aliexpress.

[@brunogoncalvesbasto]

Not sure you heard about Macrofab. They offer assembly in small quantities and are based in the US. Not sure they use an offshore fab house though.

[@brunogoncalvesbasto]

macrofab.com/

[@gadjetsvideo]

If anyone in the UK is interested I've done a through hole PCB version and just waiting for SEEED to deliver the PCBs and then I can test them, they will have the eeprom option but not the power LEDs or the alarm+ circuitry.

[@Cenedd]

Just a heads-up to those impatient to get started. Firstly, there are control panel facia kits if you wait until you've watched the rest before ordering the PCB. Secondly, note how the connector blocks are soldered on from the underside of the PCB as shown at 15:52 rather than from the top. Don't ask....I don't want to talk about it! ;-(

[@martdod]

That would definitely be something I would be interested in buying.

[@routercnc9517]

Great work - one step closer !

[@jeffkodysz4309]

I use Stick-tack (poster-hanging putty) to hold components in place while I get the initial tack soldering done.

[@Clough42]

I think I saw a video a long time ago about that. I know some pick'n'place processes use adhesives for double-sided boards.

[@waltkiefer9334]

Great project, I have an old Atlas lathe that I'm rebuilding this will be a great upgrade for it. Mark me down for two boards.

[@edwardaloftis6705]

I was a visual inspector for Digital Equipment Corporation. I was working under contract threw a temp co.

[@kennyd.5743]

Yet another step to the final product....Great job!! When available to the public, how will you handle the vast list anticipated? Thanks again!!

[@SlamminGraham]

Great work!! Lookin' good! This is a fantastic project -- great to see it continue to progress.

[@rogerkirby6586]

Hello James, I did not realise you were going to take this project to this level otherwise I would of mentioned earlier but the launchpad is a development board, i,e, you connect it up to test out your project and once you are happy you use the design files found on the Ti web site page to produce your schematic and pcb only using the parts you require to make your project work. All of the extra bits and pieces you can loose. This has the advantage of greatly reducing the size of the board and all of the interconnects that are required.

[@Clough42]

Correct. That may come at some point in the future. For now, the firmware is still in flux, so having the probe on board for programming is appropriate. If you have a pointer to an easy way to set up a custom c2000 DSP board for field programming, let me know.

[@apollorobb]

OHHH The bed of nails Jig so much fun lol

[@spokehedz]

I find that for boards that are going to interface with other boards, that I use that board to "line up" the pins of my board. It keeps everything perfectly concentric to both parts. Just got to be careful to not 'wick' solder down the pins into the other board!

[@Clough42]

I've done that several times. The other consideration if you do that is that the contacts in the connector will be under tension when you heat them, and this could weaken the spring tension, depending on the material and temperature.

[@timwoods9350]

I cant wait to make this project!

[@woodscreekworkshop9939]

Beautiful!

[@aiden1015]

Instead of adding the thermal relief to the barrel jack pads, I would replace it with PTH. The company I work for, we have a lot of issues with the SMD. After they go through the reflow oven, the barrel jacks have the same issue you have, where they don't get hot enough. They'll reflow and look good, but the solder joint breaks pretty easily. The other issue is the cost. Depending on the supplier, the SMD barrel jack is $0.40 - $0.65 in quantity, where as the PTH version is

[@Clough42]

I considered using a through-hole part. In this particular case, there are header pins on the LaunchPad, directly below the jack, and they would interfere, so it would require a little more redesign. I do have seven vias through the pad, and these typically fill with solder,. This should help with mechanical strength, though I haven't cut through the board to properly inspect the joint. I'm investigating the possibility of running the board through an additional reflow cycle to eliminate the majority of the hand soldering, but I won't have the supplies for that until tonight. Mechanical stress would be a much bigger concern in a consumer product where the jack is connected and disconnected regularly, the product dropped off a table, etc.

[@peteromoe4667]

I would be nice if the software had a "encoder simulator" build in. So you could set the servo to do in.p.min / mm.p.min Then you could broach keyway, or if you had rotating tool on the lathe, then you had feed for that to :)

[@Clough42]

Not a terrible idea. I hadn't thought about that.

[@adrianjeffery7950]

Great project can't wait for the next part, put me down for two boards.

[@rpavlik1]

The clothespin trick is neat! I've been using aluminum foil tape, since I have a ton of it laying around so it's one of my first things I try when I need tape for something (if gaffer tape won't work), and it actually seems to work really well for this. Not sure if it contributes any heat sinking for better or worse.

[@brianburke7440]

Great work, I'm still intrigued by the servo controlled approach, any plans to show this or references to how this would change your project?

[@TheRetiredtech]

Looking great.

[@davebroere9078]

The ability to design and create small quantity PCBs with components is desirable. Have you documented the process and vendors you used?

[@johnrockland18]

Nice board, but I took a closer look at your 3v3/5v connector, you have a bottle neck that can cause overheat: when you fill a zone, there is a option on the right menu to do a full connection with the connectors instead of a cross pattern. It did save me some grounding issues on my projects.

[@Clough42]

I did fill the connection between the voltage regulator tab and the power plane, just to act as a heat sink. The power connector pads are thermally relieved, but there are a total of eight 10-mil connections, 10-mil long, in 1oz copper. That will pass 0.5A current with a 1 degree celsius rise in temperature, which is more than sufficient for this project.

[@reprapmlp]

Earlier I saw your "C42CAD" and thought "I wonder ...". Then you brought out the 121GW.

[@edwardaloftis6705]

Cool setup.

[@jamesdavis8021]

The electronic leadscrew would,in my humble opinion,be a necessary addition to small lathes that,do not have a quick change gearbox.I owned several of those machines years ago and, they were so time consuming to change feeds and threading that, I only changed the gears if I absolutely had to

[@mfx1]

Blutack is your friend for holding parts in place when soldering.

[@t030609]

Awesome project! I am interested in ordering the PCB from you, if/when available. I can do the basic electrical things myself, but fine electronics are not my forte.

[@inspectable]

Great stuff!! Thanks!!

[@ChrisMower]

Great stuff. The excitement mounts 😉

[@progandy]

Some mounting putty like Blu-Tack should be able to hold those pin headers during soldering.

[@stricklandlabs]

We use this as well for prototyping and pcb refurbishment. (Mounting putty, uhu tac etc) Make a blob, use it to hold the component solder some pins (preferably away from the blob) then remove the blob and continue.

[@Lawrench00]

Hi James! First off thank you so much for all your hard work on this!! I soldered my connectors in last night and all went well, but I didn’t see this video I until after I was done! I did not realize that lead free solder was a thing and I used leaded solder. Now I’m worried that this is going to be an issue. Should I order a new board?

[@mumblbeebee6546]

Goodness no, lead solder is generally considered to be superior in all but one aspect, which is the environmental impact, which for a one-off like your board is also negligible. Lead solder is easier to work with, easier to spot if you made a duff weld etc.

[@house89147]

Use liquid flux under the surface mount hand soldered parts, it will heat up faster and wick the solder better, might help. Any issues with me using this later for a beagle bone black project with the cross-slide also driven so that tapers can be cut with out the need for a taper turning attachment? You can also count me in for a board my Colchester chipmaster rebuild will be greatly enhanced by one of these.

[@paulmorrey733]

Great project Thanks for sharing

[@ttabbal]

Looking good! As it seems you're close to selling the interface boards, I'll focus on getting the mechanical parts on the lathe. I could build the circuit on a perfboard, but if it's close there's no need. I'm modifying a PM1127 if anyone is looking to collaborate.

[@pravado81]

Excellent work!!

[@markgray3785]

Hi James can you please tell me when these will be available again on eBay

[@hduff]

I'm interested in purchasing one. Any updates since September 2019?

[@leesteele4574]

I couldn't do the electronic stuff but would be interested in a completed unit.

[@hotel-california]

I'm not sure if this counts, but I believe OSH Park is also a US-based fab

[@Clough42]

Yeah. I've used them for projects. I don't think they offer assembly services, though.

[@flameboy7265]

Hi James, I have no interest or understanding of electronics or programming but I find your videos fascinating and very enjoyable. I think that what you have done in supplying the kits is fantastic but I suspect there are many folks like me out there who would prefer to buy a complete, plug and play, version. Would that be at all possible?

[@lesthompson5907]

have you got on for sale & how much I haven the skills to build on so can you proved a plug a go . 4tpi leas screw . Colchester master , with detail whit to porches contacts for the vireos bits from . final question can it be configured for a 12 vote OR 24 volt, dc motor of a mobility scoter ? .

[@raymondfriesen7978]

The little 'Arduino' circuit: Would you share how that was hooked up?

[@tablatronix]

I have not found anything on the asm1117 output ESR in the datasheet, just a small note that says electrolytic.. I have been using ceramics.. oops, I suspect load regulation is better now or I am just not having an issue. crosses fingers

[@JoeyG1973]

So much want. Please let us know how to purchase all of this.

[@randysmith9715]

James; Do you have an idea of the board cost? Just a ballpark figure would be good. Ask for commitments to get an idea of how many to order.

[@dbanfi]

Hi there! First of all, it's an amazing project, thank you very much for share it! I'm trying to implement it for my lathe, and I'm buying the components suggested on the project Wiki, but unfortunately, eBay doesn't ship your products to Argentina... Is there any way to get in contact with you to purchase the interface board and display panel, and ship them to Argentina? Thanks in advance!

[@johnmiddleditch3656]

My rotary encoder turned up yesterday :-)

[@gekoevolution]

Great job!

[@johngunn7947]

very nice work, I assume you have ran the numbers so what do you think the end cost to consumer will be?

[@panorama-nk3zn]

This project is also suitable for proxxon pd400 lathe?

[@billpiep]

I use MacroFab.com out of Houston. They have 10 business day turnaround and their process (website) makes it extremely easy if you are using eagle-cad. The others look easy too, but I do all my development in eagle, so I can't speak for them. Prices are relatively reasonable, a bit more expensive than China-based companies, but worth it. Great set of videos for the ELS.

[@Clough42]

Thanks. I'll check them out.

[@MichaelLloyd]

Any chance you would sell the bare board? I can handle SMD soldering (by hand down to 0205)

[@rogercrier]

Such a well presented and thought through set of videos. I asked at this projects inception about potential use as a shaft control for a gear hobbing device! Any thoughts?

[@Clough42]

I don't see why not. At its core, all it does is maintain the position and rotation of one shaft relative to another. I'd have to see the actual application to have more of an opinion on the details.

[@rogercrier]

It is as simple as putting the encoder on the quill of a mill and driving a shaft mounted on the bed, just like all the stepper motor dividing heads use. That allows the use of a helical hob as the cutter, which for gear cutting accuracy is as good as it gets!

[@jhinze]

I'm ready for this when you are... been following from the start. Has anyone compiled a list of components required in a single spot? I know I can get from the videos, just wondering if theres a formal bill of material

[@Clough42]

I'll put something together.

[@sblack48]

I’m in!

[@Graham1904]

Where did you buy the pcb jig from? Looks well made

[@wizzardofwizzards]

So, what was the small quantity cost per board assembly fee from JLCPCB?

[@jasonm2477]

isnt macrofab US based?

[@drakonzebra]

Why not use something like a teensy instead of the MSP?

[@BluesDoctor]

How do I find information to adapt the drivers to support larger servo or stepper? I have a Victor 20 X 40 lathe. I obviously want to order the board, where is that information? Previous video maybe? Thanks

[@amundsen575]

this board does not directly drive the steppers or servos, it sends stepand direction signals to what ever stepper or servo drive you use . so yes this will drive large or small stepper or servo motors.

[@BluesDoctor]

@@amundsen575 thank you. I am trying to figure out all the parts and pieces I need. So I understand step and direction signals. Is there a website that shows the parts and pieces as a functional diagram?

[@EcoMouseChannel]

What are your plans for the display case? I've already started buying the things you suggested on the list. Motors, Encoder, TI Board etc...

[@Clough42]

I've been thinking about it, but the PCBs have been my priority. The trouble with me producing a bunch of cases is the time involved. I only have a 2200RPM spindle on my mill, so they take a long time to machine and engrave. I'll keep thinking about it.

[@OuroborosArmory]

I really want one of these :)