Printed circuit board options?

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#25
What temperature in Celsius?

Thanks, I will coat it after etching then...

I am going to the jumbo sales to look for some used glass/china casserole rectangler..ish shape, big enough for the 6"X9" PCB for etching. So that the tray can be put on the stove to be heated slowly while my wife is in bed of course. My question is if I select to use F.C. to etch the PCB what temperature range I should keep the etching solution at, between 35C and 40C? I will predrill only the mounting holes, attach a couple of wooden sticks so that I can gently lift the PCB to create a slow moving wave of the etching solution. Has anyone been there done that?
In the kitchen I meant. Of course I should wait till the solution to cool off before funnel back into a container, prior to take it to the dispolsal depot.

Chris
 
#27
Imperative not to let the XYL know

XYL = ex young lady in ham lingo. It's imperative that you not tell her you used the good Le Creuset or Farberware stuff to etch your PCBs. If you turn on some soapy movie on TCM or the Lady Channel, she willl probably fall asleep on the couch anyway. At any rate, here's a good way to do it without resorting to a stove -- get an 11*14 darkroom tray and a Kodak darkroom syphon (attaches right to the faucet). I use a corning bakeware dish for the FeCl with a stream of 140 degree water flowing into the darkroom tray. It takes a few minutes to heat the glass, but this method is safer than using the cooktop. By the way, stainless steel and FeCl don't get along too well, make sure to rinse very well afterwards. I also use rubber gloves (they are actually Lab gloves -- I think they are neoprene rubber) to protect my hands.
 
#28
here's a link to a step by step diy pcb page:
http://www.geocities.com/pdmtr/
I've used the press n peel stuff in a pinch and for me it works well, even etching at room temp.
It's messy, but I can have a board in 2 or 3 hours as long as it's not too dense. The biggest drag is drilling. So I keep designs simple like power supplies, tube circuits, did a Zen a few years back. Has saved my rear several times!
 
#29
Thanks guys!

After reading all info from this forum, now I have managed to do the following trials;

1. Saved an PCB image from the net on my computer.
2. Use Photoshop to enhance and smooth all edges and corners of the traces.
3. Print flipped image on Epson photo paper using 600dpi laser printer.
4. Clean copper board using waxless rubbing compound and I. alcohol to clean it.(medium, messy, but good result)
5. Iron the image onto the board.(easy and good result)
6. Use F.C. to etch the copper, rinse and dry.(easy but long time)
7. Use acetone to remove the toner, rinse and dry.(easy and fast)
8. Use liquid tin to tin the traces, rinse and dry.(very easy and very fast)
9. Use silicone laquor to seal the board(just spray on)
10. Ready for the drill press.

The result for the home made PCB produced this way is very good. I am really happy that from know nothing about PCB and to produced one. I also managed to brag about it to my wife too! I said to her that I am not only look good lying on the couch all day I can actually make some PCB too!

Thank you all for your sharing,
Chris
 
#31
The following part numbers are from Digi-Key.

Tonner Transfer System:
TTS-5-ND: "make instant circuit boards using any laser printer or photocopier, no darkroom, no negatives, no chemicals"

and for the board, the part number is:

PC19P-ND: Positive Coated Sentized Copper Clad board.

Anybody has experience using this? How easy is it ... really? The ad says "no chemical" .... which don't make sense to me. Can somebody elaborate on this? I thought it does need to use Ferrode Chroine (sp?), developer (what is developer anyway?) and cold water.
 
#33
I can supply small quantities (as few as one) of single sided, unplated printed circuit boards up to 10" x 12" from artwork (no Gerber files). Price depends on size and I'd rather not drill them.

email with your needs.

If anyone knows where I can post this service for maximum exposure, please let me know.

Thanks
 
#37
Comment about carbide bits and DIY.

The carbide bits are extremely brittle and can't take any bending to speak off. To get any life out of them you need to make sure your PCB is securely mounted to a flat surface during drilling. If the PCB is free to lift up during drilling you are going to be breaking a lot of bits.

I find the plain HSS bits actually last a lot longer than the carbide bits do with my setup (Dremal drill press, PCB pressed against a wood backer), since they are a lot more forgiving of bending.

Phil
 
#40
fcel said:
The following part numbers are from Digi-Key.

Tonner Transfer System:
TTS-5-ND: "make instant circuit boards using any laser printer or photocopier, no darkroom, no negatives, no chemicals"
Click to expand...

yeah i've tried it. it works only so-so. the "no chemicals" part refers only to the process of getting the pattern on the board, you will of course still need ferric chloride or somethign to etch the board.

the big problems i have with the toner transfer system is getting even heat from an iron when applying the transfer paper to the board, then removing the paper from the board after ironing. it is hard to get the right combination of heat and pressure on the paper/board so that you get a nice firm transfer of the toner, then when you put the board in water to remove the paper a lot of the toner tends to dissolve and lift off the board. i've actually had some success with very small boards (4" x 2") but for anything larger i inevitably end up with smeared or missing traces at the edges of the board.

i too am looking for a better way to fab my own PCBs, i may have to just go to a full photo-resist system with heated tank like everyone else... the "easy" solutions give results that are too inconsistent.

marc
 
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