DEC UNI/Q-BUS board physical size?

[Ethan Dicks]

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 15:32:05 -0500, Brad Parker <brad at heeltoe.com> wrote:
> I'm curious what the holes on the top of the board are for - I have
> about 10 metal hex-width "stiffeners" with extractors I was given by a
> guy who made unibus memory boards - I've yet to measure the holes on
> those.  I assume they end up some how pop-riveted to the board but how
> one fastens them I'm not sure.  I've only used pop-rivets on cars and I
> don't think I want to use the same style fasteners on a PCB.  Maybe
> nylon screws & nuts with some loctite, and trim the excess threads.

They use 'eyelet' rivets, not pop rivets, but for home use, as long as
the pop rivets don't touch the boards above or below, you should be
OK.

I happen to have a Stimson foot press with the right die for DEC
handle rivets (a legacy from Software Results, since we used to rivet
on our own quad and hex handles.  Somewhere, I have a box of rivets.
 
> Are some sort of plastic handles available?  Any thoughts?

I won't say that no 3rd party ever made a plastic-handle hex card, but
it is awfully wide to not have a stiffener of some sort.  ISTR some
3rd party tape controler (TC-131?) had some kind of machined block on
either corner for extractors, but I don't recall what they did to keep
the board from flexing; perhaps a metal L bracket?

 -ethan