Metallising holes in PCBs???

[thunderer]

I do it by hand with pieces of wire soldered. I guess is the cheapest way.

[aussie3d]

I have tried all different methods over the past 25 years and have always come back to one of two different ways.
1 - Using a professional PCB manufacturing company to fab the boards or,
2 - Making them at home with Kinsten positive photoresist PCB's, drilling the vias by hand using a Dremel mounted in a stand and then simply knitting a single piece of wirewrap wire back and forth through the vias, and finally hand soldering the connections before trimming the remaining knitted wire off to reveal individual vias. Has always worked well for me, and a lot less work than rivets or extra chemicals that sometimes work, sometimes doesn't.

Posted on: February 09, 2013, 10:21:44 22:21 - Automerged
And using through hole components to make the connection on both sides of the board by soldering the pins on both sides to make the connection wherever possible. Looks really neat and tidy this way too and nobody really knows it's not a plated through hole. Must say it's not so easy to do this with SMD's...

[thunderer]

I used also the pin of some through hole component, then cut it very short and even tap it with a small hammer to be as low as possible, but it is not so nice. Even though it is very effective even for high currents.

[aussie3d]

I guess a lot of methods are a compromise on quality, effort and cost. I have seen some great jobs performed in creating metallised holes with chemical deposition but as a hobbiest the biggest problem for me is the ongoing cost of chemicals, as they all have a relatively short shelf life.
I checked out some pricing on 2 Layer PCB's (small quantities) out of china as suggested by Gallymimu and it's not worth my time and money to make them at home. bigtoy also come to the same conclusion on this.
Well at least that's my opinion on the matter.

[dcsmrgun]

This just showed up on hackaday.com and seems pretty relevant:

http://hackaday.com/2013/02/19/via-press-crushes-copper-to-make-a-mechanical-connection/

[metal]

cheap, not bad idea indeed. But the problem you can't control the crush pattern.

[solutions]

I seem to recall this was discussed to death a year or two ago here. Did you look?

[Sideshow Bob]

I seem to recall this was discussed to death a year or two ago here. Did you look?

Is this the tread you meant? http://www.sonsivri.to/forum/index.php?topic=50290.0
@Yukine Given that you are working with DIY boards. If you route your own boards and use through hole compoents. You can use the compents leg as via. This works good for components like resistors, most ceramic capacitors, tantalum capacitors, and through hole ICs. Also works on DIL sockets of this type. These sockets cost somewhat more but not that much.
Edit: Just to sure. I did not meant using cut of components leg as via (although that also works) But in the design process changing from top to bottom layer at sutiable components legs as often as possible. Instead of creating a via

[Porki]

Sometimes it is possible use PCB rivets.

http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.16/doc/tutorials/PCB_Rivets/

[solutions]

So, Sideshow Bob was gracious enough to spend his TIME to help you out by finding the vias topic and it appears you didn't even read it.

Why?

[zielpunkt]

Jan Mrázek has a tutorial on how to make a homemade real copper electroplating to get through hole plating on vias. Its methodology seems very interesting for me and I believe can help you:

https://blog.honzamrazek.cz/2017/10/diy-through-hole-plating-of-pcbs/

[Gallymimu]

So, Sideshow Bob was gracious enough to spend his TIME to help you out by finding the vias topic and it appears you didn't even read it.

Why?

the flashing super annoying light bulb might have sapped his mental strength.

[Captain_Boblo]

The rivets work well, but the tooling is expensive.  Reichelt is the cheapest for the proper kit (mechanical press, tooling and rivets).  I am using the 0.6mm internal diameter rivets. 
The lower part of the tooling has a spring loaded pin while the top part has a fixed pin. 
The fixed pin on the tooling has bent a couple of times because I was careless when lining up the PCB, but the press works OK and the rivets work even without the fixed pin. 

[Wizpic]

I tried the rivets yes they work well but I found you have to double the connections before you build the PCB as one time I spent hours trying to find out why my project t would not work it was down to one of the rivets not made properly
The chemical way is messy and time consuming

[Porki]

I tried Seeed studio fusion - max 10 cm x10 cm, 2 layers, hasl, mask from 6 colors for USD$ 4.90. Delivery to Europe - roughly from USD$8 to 20, you obtain 10 pc`s boards in this price. For this price I maybe only buy material for this in Europe. I do not know if I can paste link directly, but it is easy find Seeedstudio fusion pcb.

[Captain_Boblo]

I tried the rivets yes they work well but I found you have to double the connections before you build the PCB as one time I spent hours trying to find out why my project t would not work it was down to one of the rivets not made properly
The chemical way is messy and time consuming

The best way to guarantee a good connection is to solder the rivet after forming it.  I use a silhouette portrait craft cutter to make solder stencils out of mylar sheets and then squeegy solder paste over the board.  Place an SMT pad over each through-hole (top and bottom of board) so that solder paste will cover the rivet, then use a hot air gun or reflow oven to complete the job.   

[weetit]

I tried Seeed studio fusion - max 10 cm x10 cm, 2 layers, hasl, mask from 6 colors for USD$ 4.90. Delivery to Europe - roughly from USD$8 to 20, you obtain 10 pc`s boards in this price. For this price I maybe only buy material for this in Europe. I do not know if I can paste link directly, but it is easy find Seeedstudio fusion pcb.

For me I use pcbway before.  Almost same price without shipping it is about 50 cent per PCB, if you look for the promotion which is 10x10cm 2 layers with screen.  It took me only 3 days to complete.  But the shipping may cost vary, for me it took 30USD everything together it is still cheap.  I think PCB is not become a lot cheaper.  We just have to google it check for one with a good reputation. 

Sometime my PCB comes faster than my part from mouser or digikey, if I order it at the same time.

I also try to connect the via manually before, it is not very good approach and not reliable.

[Wumudapy]

I have ordered 200x best quality pcb copper via vias through hole rivets, 5 sizes ,40pcs each

https://www.ebay.com/itm/200x-best-quality-pcb-copper-via-vias-through-hole-rivets-5-sizes-40pcs-each/223139155568?hash=item33f4214e70:g:AbgAAMXQDHpRjAbE

 US $18.93

Not arrived yet but I will see if any good.

[cyber_drifter]

I use a few applications of silver conductive paint but it's expensive.

[bigtoy]

Are we really discussing a topic from 2013 ??

[Sideshow Bob]

Are we really discussing a topic from 2013 ??

Nah not exactly. The question was asked again by a now muted member Yukine in Mrach 2018 in a seperate thread. However this thread ended up in pointless off topic bickering for some reason, do not remember why. End of storry the thread go nuked with Yukine. But the relevant postings on topic were moved to this thread from 2013.