Pin header cutting machine

I'm a cheapskate. Most of our kits use single-row headers, and it's cheaper to buy 40-pin headers and break them down to size than buy headers pre-cut. This of course takes time, which is in short supply. And breaking headers apart with a pair of pliers is unreliable and inefficient.

Time to build a machine.

I've got a bunch of mediocre tools and a wild mechanical imagination. So I invented a guillotine-like machine with an adjustable stop to get fast, repeatable results

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• fabrication
• machine
• contraption
• diy
• laborsaving

[GeorgeGraves]

Very well done. People forget how many useful jigs you can make from wood if you have a table saw. The added bit of AL track is great too?

Looks great - How often does it incorrectly break a header? Has it ever?

[zolotiyeruki]

@GeorgeGraves The track is actually a piece if 1/8" steel bar sandwiched between the wood on either side. Since posting the video, I made a couple minor adjustments--replacing the 1/8"-thick steel tooth with a 1/16" aluminum one, and shaping/sanding the adjustable stop to reduce jamming. Since then, I haven't had a single misfire.

[bestog2000]

You should add some kind of electronics to make an auto feed system that will count the number of pins you want and cut them to length. And have a setup so you can punch in a number and hive it feed cut and spit out the right length header.