Re: [OT] Have you made your own pcb's?

["Gary" <questuk1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Ian,

I have an inkjet printer so i doubt if i could do it that way, but
your ideas sent me looking and found this http://www.5bears.com/pcb.htm

Have a look at the paper they mention, as i assume its even cheaper
and i think you can get it here in UK.



Regards=20


Gary




--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Ian Lowe" <ianlowe@x...> wrote:
>
> Firstly... It's cheaper than you think!
>=20
> There have been a few good service posted over the years, including
one
> recently in response to one of my posts.
>=20
> I have made a few PCBs of late using a cool technique - here's what I
> posted:
>=20
> Okay, I had one of those little discoveries tonight that just has to
be
> shared...
>=20
> I know that a fair few folks on the list do some electronics dabbling
at
> various levels - and like myself make up simple PCBs in house.
>=20
> Previously, the best and easiest way that I have found to make PCBs
reliably
> was using a special blue paper/film that Maplin sell - you make your
PCB
> layout in something like Eagle CAD (the freeware version is pretty
good for
> small stuff) then print it on your Laser printer.
>=20
> The pattern of the PCB is transferred onto the film, which you then
iron
> onto a blank copper board (which are buttons from Maplin - a huge
one that I
> managed to get a good ten or so circuits out of only cost =A32.50). I
prefer
> these blank boards to the UK sensitised ones, as they are a fair bit
> cheaper!
>=20
> Once the pattern is fully burnt onto the board (the toner melts, and
> re-fuses onto the copper), you can etch the board - again, the
chemical to
> do it (Ferric Chloride) is sold pretty cheaply from Maplin.
>=20
> The expensive bit of the process is the film - it's =A315 for three
sheets...
> So you end up running it through the laser lots of times, with the PCB
> design aligned a different way each time.. Which means that the
quality
> drops etc.
>=20
> So.. Tonight, I bolloxed up my last bit of film - there was a print
job
> waiting as the printer had run out of paper, and I printed a generic
letter
> out onto =A35 a page PCB film! :(
>=20
> I spotted a pile of Photo paper beside the printer, and thought -
what the
> heck, it's a shiny surface.. It *might* work...
>=20
> Surprise surprise... The cheaptastic kodak inkjet photo paper does
the job
> just as well as the proper PCB film - I printer my design onto it,
and the
> stuff came out of the laser printer seriously hot, and a bit
tacky... Cut
> out the PCB shape, ironed it onto the blank copper (it smelt a bit
funky,
> and melted the backing paper a bit)... Gave it 2-3 minutes on high
heat,
> then stuck the copper under the cold tap.
>=20
> Sure enough, as the paper started to peel back (you have to be gentle
> obviously) it left a perfect impression on the copper. The effect
was a bit
> like those "tatoos" you used to get in kids sweets that
transferred
to the
> skin when wet.
>=20
> I etched the board up, and sure enough - perfect result! Except, of
course,
> that the photo paper was about =A35 for 25 sheets - much cheaper!
>=20
> I'm guessing that it wouldn't work on "proper" laser photo
paper, as the
> inkjet stuff seems to have a plastic skin for the ink to stick to
without
> beading.=20
>=20
> Ian.
>