Sheets of thin but stiff plastic?

[CZroe]

Another material sourcing question. I've been told to use a fabric-wrapped credit card with Isopropyl to clean female receptacles intended for male card edge connectors. I actually need something about twice as wide as a credit card but for a similar purpose. It might be better if it were a little thicker too but I won't know until I break out the calipers to check. I want to trace out a bunch of them so significantly larger sheets would be desirable.

 

[Ruptga]

Use two credit cards.

Oh you want a bunch of them. Use a bunch of pairs of cards. See about getting used gift cards or something.

 

[Mike64]

Another material sourcing question. I've been told to use a fabric-wrapped credit card with Isopropyl to clean female receptacles intended for male card edge connectors. I actually need something about twice as wide as a credit card but for a similar purpose. It might be better if it were a little thicker too but I won't know until I break out the calipers to check. I want to trace out a bunch of them so significantly larger sheets would be desirable.

Whether you really mean twice as wide or twice as thick, the dimensions of a typical credit card are 85.60 × 53.98 mm x 0.76 mm or 3.370 × 2.125 x 0.030 in. So if I'm understanding your question correctly, you basically want some sort of moderately flexible plastic sheets that're roughly 1.5mm, .06 in, or 60 mils thick. Apparently actual credit cards are typically made from various PVC-based materials, but I imagine their exact compositions are generally proprietary. I've never bought this sort of stuff by mail, so I don't have personal experience with specific Internet plastics suppliers, but I dare say a little Googling will bring up plenty of potential sources. For that matter, depending on how many you need, how "polished" an end result you want, how much you value your item, and what tools you have available, it might end up being more cost effective to get them punched out for you instead of just buying the raw sheets of plastic...

 

[paperfist]

Plexi glass?

You can't a brush into the area you want to clean? They make such an electronic cleaner with a brush.

 

[CZroe]

Whether you really mean twice as wide or twice as thick, the dimensions of a typical credit card are 85.60 × 53.98 mm x 0.76 mm or 3.370 × 2.125 x 0.030 in. So if I'm understanding your question correctly, you basically want some sort of moderately flexible plastic sheets that're roughly 1.5mm, .06 in, or 60 mils thick. Apparently actual credit cards are typically made from various PVC-based materials, but I imagine the detailed specs are for the most part propriety. I've never bought this sort of stuff by mail, so I don't have personal experience with specific Internet plastics suppliers, but I dare say a little Googling will bring up plenty of potential sources...

I do mean twice as wide. I'm trying to make one a specific length that will fit in the connector perfectly and a specific shape to fit inside a particular plastic housing. I don't know exactly how thick but because the make-shift/DIY solution says to use a credit card and insert/remove in various places to clean the whole connector, I'm sure "credit card thickness" will do.

I'll search for sheets of PVC as soon as I get my measurements. Thanks!

 

[CZroe]

Use two credit cards.

Oh you want a bunch of them. Use a bunch of pairs of cards. See about getting used gift cards or something.

Nope. Gotta be one piece for my purposes. Thanks though.

The DIY using a credit card involves inserting it and removing it in several places to cover the whole connector. Mine will be in a housing and will need to cover the whole connector for each insertion. I'm going to be mounting it where a PCB would otherwise be and it needs to fit and stay mounted.

Plexi glass?

You can't a brush into the area you want to clean? They make such an electronic cleaner with a brush.

The stuff is brittle and the thinnest sheets I've ever seen are much too thick. Thanks though.

 

[Crono]

Polycarbonate might work. Or ABS. Or PLA. I just got custom cut acrylic sheets (for a PC build) from TAPPlastics, but they also have polycarbonate, ABS, and other materials (including carbon fiber and metals... ordering aluminum from them soon, as well) at various thicknesses. I ordered six custom size pieces and intend to cut out the areas for fans, power button, PSU, I/O shield, etc with a Dremel.

My 3D printer uses ABS filament (others can use PLA or other plastics). It's definitely a rigid enough pastic (LEGO blocks are made out of it) for cards at one to a few mm without being brittle. It would take a minute or two to design the cards in Tinkercad (or Photoshop, or a full fledged 3D modeling program if you have one) and 3D print them (if you havr access to a 3D printer) or use a print-on-demand service.

 

[Artdeco]

Plastic cutting boards, Amazon has them. I used a couple on a project I recently did. They're more flexible than CC's, but should work fine, and they're cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/CounterArt-Fl...&qid=1453808543&sr=1-6&keywords=Cutting+board

 

[LTC8K6]

Garolite?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#garolite/=9gso4nbn76ijvc1u1n

 

[CZroe]

Polycarbonate might work. Or ABS. Or PLA. I just got custom cut acrylic sheets (for a PC build) from TAPPlastics, but they also have polycarbonate, ABS, and other materials (including carbon fiber and metals... ordering aluminum from them soon, as well) at various thicknesses. I ordered six custom size pieces and intend to cut out the areas for fans, power button, PSU, I/O shield, etc with a Dremel.



My 3D printer uses ABS filament (others can use PLA or other plastics). It's definitely a rigid enough pastic (LEGO blocks are made out of it) for cards at one to a few mm without being brittle. It would take a minute or two to design the cards in Tinkercad (or Photoshop, or a full fledged 3D modeling program if you have one) and 3D print them (if you havr access to a 3D printer) or use a print-on-demand service.

3D printing was the first thing that came to mind but in my experience it might be uneven. My next thought was to just use a blank custom PCB from OSH park but that's probably too expensive.

What I'm trying to do is make replacement parts for a manufacturer's long-abandoned official cleaning kit (no replacement supplies available) and see if it's feasible to make cheap compatible replacements supplies or clone the functionality of the entire assembly. I might change the design of a 3D printed replacement cartridge shell so that it can be used like the original cleaning kit.

Plastic cutting boards, Amazon has them. I used a couple on a project I recently did. They're more flexible than CC's, but should work fine, and they're cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/CounterArt-Fl...&qid=1453808543&sr=1-6&keywords=Cutting+board

Good idea but I think I might have to stiffen it where it will mount inside the shell (glue hard plastic over it?).

Garolite?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#garolite/=9gso4nbn76ijvc1u1n

Never heard of the stuff but I'll look at it. Thanks!

 

[Humpy]

UHMW Polyethylene?

Tough as hell and still easy to work with.

 

[MongGrel]

Garolite?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#garolite/=9gso4nbn76ijvc1u1n

Depends on what you are doing with it.

That would definitely be stiff, but also abrasive, though I guess you would be wrapping it.

Delrin sounds about right for what you have in mind to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

Probably similar to what Humpy mentioned.

*edit* hmm, don't really see it listed in thinner than .250, was sure we used to have some around the shop thinner.

*edit edit* Ah there we go, some .032 thickness here.

http://www.nationwideplastics.net/plastics/acetal-delrin/?_vsrefdom=ppcbing&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=delrin%20thin%20sheet&utm_content=%20+delrin%20+sheets&utm_campaign=Important%20Keywords&ex=wyfhl3-13c8k9q-ht53f0

 

[Anubis]

UHMW Polyethylene?

Tough as hell and still easy to work with.

this is what I came to post

UHMW or Delrin

 

[sdifox]

why not stainless steel?

 

[Anubis]

Depends on what you are doing with it.

That would definitely be stiff, but also abrasive, though I guess you would be wrapping it.

Delrin sounds about right for what you have in mind to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

Probably similar to what Humpy mentioned.

*edit* hmm, don't really see it listed in thinner than .250, was sure we used to have some around the shop thinner.

*edit edit* Ah there we go, some .032 thickness here.

http://www.nationwideplastics.net/p...n=Important Keywords&ex=wyfhl3-13c8k9q-ht53f0

McMaster carr also has well everything and you can get it really thin from them as well, I know we have, you can also just machine it down

 

[MongGrel]

I'm sure they do, I didn't bother to go look I guess.

Always easier to just buy it to thickness of course, but yeah machines pretty easily with a plate and some double sticky tape for that thin.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

You could use high-density polyethylene, which you can cut to size directly from a used milk jug.

 

[dullard]

McMaster carr also has well everything and you can get it really thin from them as well, I know we have, you can also just machine it down

Exactly. McMaster Carr is where I get just about everything like what the OP is asking for:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-sheets/=10umw2p

You'll probably be able to get just about any thickness you want. The length and width might not match exactly what you want, but buy it a size larger and machine it down as needed.

 

[herm0016]

what about hobby/aircraft plywood. easy to machine, stiff and maybe more rigid than plastic sheets. MidwestProducts.com has plywood, and plastic sheets of different resins.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Plexi glass?

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Jaepheth]

http://www.acemart.com/prod222811003.html