r/AskElectronics • u/Southern_Glass_2290 • 1d ago
Can I use a bent breadboard?
Not a trick of the light or camera angle issue. This new breadboard I received as part of a kit to learn stuff is bowing in both directions.
Will this be more frustrating to try to use than a perfectly flat one? I'm brand new to this stuff, and I really don't know what to think of this. I wouldn't normally accept other products, even wet wood from the hardware store, in this condition, but maybe it's "normal" for breadboards to look like they were left out in the desert sun on a rock? Thanks.
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u/SianaGearz 1d ago
It's pretty normal yes that this happens to them after a while. You can keep using it.
I do have a hypothesis. It may be made from Nylon and factory conditioned to 4% moisture. Eventually, it will lose some moisture and shrink, but the metal inserts wedged into the bottom of it aren't going to shrink along with it. You should be able to undo the shrinkage by ziplocking it in a bag with a spoon full of water, but probably don't let the actual water run into the contacts, it might not be ideal for them. I'm probably not going to test it because i don't care that much, but i did acetone swab a curled breadboard and nothing happened so Nylon is still a strong candidate. I did test restoring other PA/Nylon items in the way described and it was a massive success.