PCB Fabrication
I'm trying to find a good place that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for PCB fabrication. Most places I've found either charge a whole helluva lot for a few pcbs, or require a huge amount ordered.
Does anyone know of a good place that caters towards the hobbyist?
@ Thu, 2008-12-18 11:17
Inkjet won't do, even on
Inkjet won't do, even on transparency sheets. Ink or ink with the transparency gell will dissolve in the etching agent. It's the laser toner that does the trick. You may print your pcb artwork and go to a copy shop to photocopy the inkjet printout. Photocopies use toner.
I've been using the toner transfer method with great results and I highly recommend it. It's really easy, and fast. And it works right away. You only need to be careful. To transfer the toner from paper onto the pcb, I use a small modeller's iron that I bought for covering rc-planes with heat-shrink foil Paper choice is also important. I use a glossy folder paper - it is covered with a thin layer of chalk and it easily goes off under water leaving the toner on the pcb. For etching here in Poland you can buy in electronicssupply stores: either Ferrum Chloride (FeCl) but it is very messy or sodium persulphate, which I like. As for the tank, anything that's non-metallic would do. I etch in a silver plastic 'blister'-like box some EPSON inkjet cartridges come in. Before I used plastic chocolate box lid.
There are many sites on the web that describe the process, you may see here http://myweb.cableone.net/wheedal/pcb.htm
@ Wed, 2008-12-31 13:57
Inkjet can work
"inkjet won't work" That is not 100 percent true. Most inkjet inks are dye based and have no durability to the etchant solution. A few inkjet inks (some EPSON inks) are based on a pigment and a binder (think house paint). When properly cured, the pigment inks will work as a resist.
There has been a lot of work done by hobbyists on this and there have been some successes It is not a technique for the faint hearted. There has been discussions on both the Yahoo Homebrrew PCb and Inkjet PCB construction groups.
I' have tried the dierct to pcb printing with pigment inks and found the curing process to be a little too sensitive to very minor differences in techniques. But I have to admit, I didn't spend a whole lot of time fine tuning the process.
If you want to try dye based inks then you need to add a "toner dusting step"
Myc Holmes
@ Wed, 2008-12-31 21:30
Makes me wonder about those
@ Wed, 2008-12-17 00:13
pcb process
Of course, you could always do a quick "Toner Transfer". There are a number of sites explaining this tehnique, You don't need any special "blue film, glossy magzone pages and phot paer works just aa well.The is a new inexpensaoive tecnnique called "TONER DUSTING". No, this is not what you have to do after the toner fairy vists your workbench, but rather a technique that uses the wet inkjet ink as a temprary adhesive to hold the toner in place.i
You print the pattern on the clean copper pcb with an inkjet printer. Dust on some toiner powder, let dry and then blow off the excess toner, Fuse with a hot plate, oven or haor dryer and etch normally.
If you have an EPSON printer with a CD tray, you can print on a thin 3" x 4" pcb without hacking the printer.
An added benefit is that using the same process with electriostatic paint powderl you can add a solder msk.
Myc
@ Wed, 2008-12-17 00:15
My husband and I are
My husband and I are anti-inkjet, so we can't :(. I just picked up some transparency sheets (sone side is rough), and that should do the trick.
I might have to steal my mom's inkjet printer to try the solder mask idea :)
@ Wed, 2008-12-17 07:31
anti inkjet? por qua?
@ Tue, 2008-12-30 13:02
The initial cost of an
The initial cost of an inkjet printer isn't bad, but the recurring cost of replacing dried-out ink cartridges makes my skin crawl.
I've been married to my husband for over two years, and since I've known him (more than 5 years), we've NEVER had to replace our toner cartridge. It lasts for seemingly ever.
@ Tue, 2008-12-16 23:32
simple pcb...
You know Zanthess,
If it is just a simple board, you can do all your layout mask with a Sharpie by hand. A few radio shacks still carry the $20-or-so kit with all the stuff you need in it -including the sharpie!
@ Tue, 2008-12-16 23:50
Yeah I know, but my husband
Yeah I know, but my husband and I have a laser printer, and I'm all about making sure things are straight
Plus, this gives me an excuse to get a tank and all the necessities to start making more boards :P
@ Wed, 2008-12-17 00:25
Don;t waste your money on a
Don;t waste your money on a special tank, a plastic tupperware or sandwich containers works fine.
For the etchant use 1 part muriatic acid and 3 parts of housohoild hydrogenr peroxide. Use skin and eye protection. Neutralize any spills with Baking Soda.
Muraitic acid is availible at pool supply stores and ahardares stores.
Myc