DIY own copper tracks on blank boards

[chris ma]

Any idea what method or glue I can use to adhere copper tracks onto the surface of a blank PCB?

Chris

[jackinnj]

I use 3M Copper tape -- this box is an engineering sampler, you can just specify the solid (#1181) and get one flavor. I use it for top layer traces, ground planes and repairs:

[ekd]

This is used for stained glass construction. Great glue.

It comes in many widths and a few thicknesses. Example is 1.5mil x 3/16" x 36 yds. Cost me $3.75.

How does this compare to PCBs and that tape?

E

[chris ma]

The way I normally do it was to stripe the insulation out of solid copper cable. Flatten it to the desired thickness by hammer. Bend and shape, drill before hot glue it to the blank pcb. This is ok for the larger parts like caps and power supply connections. But for small signal transistors the home make copper tracks are too big for the job and I can not drill it too. The glue tend to get burnt pretty bad after the heat of the soldering.

If I can find a better glue so that I can create my soldering pads for the parts to be secure on the board then P2P using double side method can really follow the actual schematic layout without creating a PCB layout file, etch and drill all that kind of trouble.

Chris

[Magura]

Just use epoxy instead of hot glue...its good till 250C and some types even more than 250C.

Magura

[chris ma]

Originally posted by ekd
This is used for stained glass construction. Great glue.

It comes in many widths and a few thicknesses. Example is 1.5mil x 3/16" x 36 yds. Cost me $3.75.

How does this compare to PCBs and that tape?

E

Never thought about using glass to build amps on. Using dead bug method with this tape on glass, but still, mounting a glass board to the heatsink or chassis may still post problems here.

[ekd]

Regular glass is said to be sonically flat. The hot ticket is stained glass, and the color is crucial to the mood of electrons. For example, blue is great for jazz.. Yellow jazz is nearly impossible to listen to...



Seriously though... I tested the tape last night, and as long as you don't cook the glue (destructive tested w/240w iron), it works well. A 30w iron works quickly, and sets the glue well. The tape tins readily.

How thick are the traces on a good PCB?

Is sure is cheap to try. And now I can't get the "Glass Amp" out of my head (hanging with the GC guys too long, I guess...

E

[chris ma]

So where can one buy this Masterfoil from?

[jackinnj]

Originally posted by ekd
This is used for stained glass construction. Great glue.

E

I wonder if they were using it in the 12th Century?

[Pjotr]

How thick are the traces on a good PCB?

Standard boards have 35 µm copper, for high current boards 70 µm. 100 - 150 µm is also available but not standard.

Cheers