Date   : Wed, 07 Dec 2005 12:00:14 +0000
From   : Richard Gellman <splodge@...>
Subject: Re: Vanishing electronics suppliers

Jules Richardson wrote:

>> Cool, there I was thinking I was totally insane, a blowlamp in a vice 
>> and a
>> pair of pliers...
>
>
> Heh. Works pretty well, except for any plastic-cased things right at 
> the edges of boards - they tend to die from too much heat spilling 
> round the board edges from the underside. Plus PC ISA sockets tend to 
> be made of some oddball plastic which doesn't survive the heat. Works 
> a treat for other things though.

I think ISA sockets (and some varieties of IDC socket) are made of some 
plastic/ceramic mixture, plastic enough to be cheap and easily made, but 
ceramic enough to be rigid and not deform easily. The only downside of 
course, is that a hot day can make the surface melt.

>
> (for anyone now thinking of trying that - do so in a well ventilated 
> area. Hot  PCBs give off all sorts of nasty stuff)

Combination of tin/lead solder, flux, and that weird green/brown (also 
red or blue on PC PCBs) coating they use to stop the copper tracks from 
oxidizing. And yes, if not used in a well ventilated area (suggest large 
open quarry), it will give off nasty smokes and smells, and I do believe 
a hint of Sulphur Dioxide du jour.

>> I think CPC do take Switch/Maestro, why won't you get a credit card, 
>> just
>> pay the balance off at the end of the month and don't use it for actual
>> credit. 
>
A friend of mine has paid for stuff at CPC using a VISA debit card 
without problem, so its definitely possible.

-- Richard