While building prototypes the need to cut an existing PCBs or generic prototyping PCBs to fit your project will come up once in a while.
What I normally do is score the PCB with a box cutting knife or hack saw the board into the shape I need. Both of these techniques end up making a bunch of PCB dust, and everyone says that it’s bad for you.
Today I needed to make a programming header but all of the prototyping PCBs on hand were too large and I didn’t have my hack saw or box cutter. But, I did have a paper guillotine. So I thought why not give that a try?
The results were amazing! The guillotine cut the PCB quite easily, and there was almost no PCB dust at all. This could dull the blade, but with no dust, it’s worth possibly needing to change the blade every so often.
In the tests that I did, I cut along a set of holes. Thats why you hear the “thud” “thud” “thud” … in the video.