Home PCB etching - one for the hobby-ists

[bernardgreen]

There is an mechanical etching machine that removes enough copper by milling to create the tracks. I don't know if it can be manually operated having only seen it used with a CAD package ,

 

[echoes]

Inket + transparency: Not bad, but artwork not black enough; resulted in some exposure of the tracks (4 - 5 mins UV exposure time), but got a working board out of it.

Interesting. I take it that you used the 'blackest' possible printing preference setting of the printer? Did you try even shorter exposures?

I confess that I nearly always use a laser printer for this purpose, although I thought I'd sometimes used an inkjet. Maybe laser toner is denser than inkjet ink.

Kind Regards, John

Lasers are much better since the toner is a plastic. Did try the blackest setting, but it is just ink. I expect some ink/paper combinations are better than others.

Several exposure times tested, and 4 mins seemed about the best.

 

[echoes]

I'm resurrecting an old hobby

OOI, why did you not post this in the Hobbies forum?

I had an inkling there were a few regulars on this forum who dabbled in this sort of thing.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

OK

 

[mattylad]

I had an inkling there were a few regulars on this forum who dabbled in this sort of thing.

I more than dabble, PCB layout has been my job for the past 20+ years

I have always wanted one of the milling machines that will carve you up a PCB but they (only) cost a couple of thousand and the purse holders always see that rather than the savings in time spent to purchase from places like Eurocircuits.

Used to have a complete "Mega" plant at my last workplace, a bit of a messy job to clean it. It was finally decided it looked too much of a mess so was removed and we got a 10 day wait for prototypes from the pool suppliers.

When doing double sided boards it helps to put crosses outside the board edges so that you can align both sheets of acetate when in your UV box.