A Good DIY Solder Stencil Begins With a Cleanly-Sliced Soda Can

Solder stencils are a fantastic way to accurately apply solder paste to a PCB. Professionally-made stencils are cut from steel, but for the home hacker, soda cans continue to be …. A Good DIY Solder Stencil Begins With a Cleanly-Sliced Soda Can.

The only trick is how to actually get those little holes made, and [Saheen Palayi] shows off both his method of laser-engraving the holes, as well as a tool for cutting the can in the first place. A good result starts with cutting a can cleanly, thanks to a 3D-printed tool. To turn a soda can into a flat-ish aluminum sheet means cutting off the ends and slicing it open.

Ideally, one achieves this without kinking or bending the thin metal. [Saheen]’s solution is something a little like a pipe cutter — a 3D printed tool that gradually presses a blade section from an utility knife into the empty can as it turns until it cuts through. Once the top and bottom are off, it’s easy enough to snip down the side to get a curved sheet.