Standardizing Standoffs

Mounting electronics is an art in itself. Case design can take just as

much time and be just as expensive as the circuit board it is

protecting. The worst offender in terms of price is the metal

standoffs that create distance between the circuit board and

enclosure. The DIY community has figured out that cutting plastic

tubing that costs about $0.15 a foot is far more economical and easy

to cut just to the desired size. The trick is getting a clean cut. The

flexible tubing bends and moves often leaving you with angle edge.

This results in a circuit board being mounted with a tilt. I have

found that marking my cut lengths onto the protector that 40-pin DIP

packages ship in works just right to get clean standoffs. I just lay

in the plastic tubing and cut along my guide lines with a razor blade.

Finally cheap standoffs with clean edges.

Done