Springboard Breadboards??

Mar 25, 2007 7 Replies

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone here might know if the old springboard-type prototyping breadboards still exist and are still available. The springboards are/were a grid of vertical springs on a plastic board. The springs are pretty much the same ones on those Radio Shack 101 project electronics trainer boards. I'm often prototyping with power resistors / large components & miss those suckers we had way back in my school days. If not the boards themselves, maybe the springs to make one?



Thanks in advance! :-) B


I know what you're looking for, they were a staple in training labs pre-60s. I kind of think they went out with tubes and large discrete components. You might find some in a surplus electronics place, but those types of places are dying out, too. If you can find a ham radio swap meet, that's probably your best bet. Leaded components are dying off, too, surface mount rules these days.

Stan

In 5th grade (approx. AD 1959), I won a blue ribbon at the Science Fair with one of those things. ;-)

Nowadays I use an ordinary proto-board, and if I have a component with fat leads, I cut the leads short and solder a little pigtail of #24 wire to them.

If I need more power than that, I just solder them rat's-nest style.

Good Luck! Rich

I think I had 3 of those in my youth.. I recall scavenging the kits for parts. Just springs left.. :)

If I had to find springs I'd check out: Hobby shop Hardware store Online spring shop Ebay VCR repair shop or similar

Maybe buy the wire and make the springs... D from BC

You can still get fahnestock clips and make your own.

bart wrote:

I'd check the mcmaster carr online catalog

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for various springs - not the only source of course, and won't have the most unique items, but often a good place to start.

Not quite sure about mounting them though - appropriately threaded studs that they could screw onto might be a possibility. I think the radioshack ones were stepped where they went into the cardboard. RS had a mechanical "computer" kit that had probably about 100 of them (and no "electronics" other than batteries, bulbs, and switches)... if you could find one of those that might be a source.

Sure. And others sell them, R P Electronics for one.

I don't know who makes them, but Carl's Electronics has some stuff:

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Leon Fisk Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b Remove no.spam for email

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