how to make your own PCBs

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rocklander
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how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

just typed this out for someone else, but thought it may be of interest to others too.. lemme know if you think I've missed/forgotten something.

here's the deal:
+find the layout you want and print it to normal a4 paper using a laserjet printer (not inkjet).
+take one musicworks pamphlet.. the paper they use is glossy (the toner will come away more easily), but disintegrates easily; cut out some pamphlet paper larger than the pcb on the white page and use magic tape (that invisible stuff like scotch - it goes through the printer again without getting stuck to the insides usually - can handle the heat) to tape it over the layout on that original piece of paper, then use the laserjet again to print over the top.. this will put the layout onto the musicworks pamphlet.
+cut the musicworks pamphlet paper away from the original white; face up poke 'breather' holes with a needle in the paper
+clean (with IPA) then heat (with an iron - set to almost full heat, just under a smidge) a piece of PCB (cut to about the size of the PCB you want to end up with, maybe a lil larger, but you can file that off after) before applying the musicworks paper layout. this heats the copper and makes the toner 'want' to transfer to it more
+apply the musicworks paper layout (toner facing down) and position it using your eye-o-meter then put the iron on top of that and lean the bageesus onto it (climb on if you can)..
+leave it on there for 5-10 mins. and every so often iron the crap out of it (use the edge of the iron if you want, but try not to rip the paper) - especially the edges.. it will discolour slightly.
+when you're done there, drop the pcb in water to cool for handling, then into the freezer for 10 mins... (shrinks the copper more and makes the toner stick to it).
+to remove the musicworks paper layout, keep water running over the board as you rub away the paper.. not too gentle, but not too crazy.

you may need to fill in some tracks (match it up against the layout on the original, but remember it'll be reversed) but using this method I've had better transfers and etching than using p'n'p (at $8/page!!)

if you screw up.. just don't etch it.. no biggie.. plenty more musicworks paper in the mail.. just start from scratch.. it takes a few goes, but this is the best method I've tried.

for etching:
I have 2X plastic takeaway containers a larger and a smaller.
in the larger I put an XLO cloth and then boiling water from the kettle.. then I drop the smaller in that (kinda like poaching, or melting chocolate styles), then in to the smaller one goes some Ferric Chloride... this stuff is super stainy and eats metal so wear gloves and don't tip it all over your stainless steel kitchen bench (like I did :facepalm:).
leave the PCB in there for anywhere from 5 - 25 minutes (depending on how strong your etchant mixture is - you can reuse ferric chloride - I keep mine in a glass coke bottle and reuse it till it's basically black, but then it takes AGES to etch - handy for etching graphics in alu enclusres still at that stage though- waste not/want not).
you can swish the etchant about by moving the smaller container back and forth - this speeds up the etching process.. once all that you have left on the board is the black toner (covering/protecting the copper) then run under water to get rid of the etchant (I leave mine running for a while out of paranoia of etching my copper pipes - unrealistic, but I do it anyway).

scour away the toner with a plastic green kitchen scrubber thingy + IPA...

drill the holes with a 0.8mm drillbit (get a 10 pack from jaycar cos they break a lot - in order to make mine last longer, I shorten them by snapping in half so only a lil bit sticks out of the chuck)..

booya! you gots a PCB.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Aquila Rossa »

Look more like a recipe for cooking P :lol:

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

Aquila Rosso wrote:Look more like a recipe for cooking P :lol:
I wouldn't know.. now get back in my kitchen woman... :P

[edit] oh wait.. I missed that "P" :facepalm: [/edit]
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by dayl »

good write up Rocky.

One vote for making it a sticky

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rickenbackerkid »

dayl wrote:good write up Rocky.

One vote for making it a sticky
two.

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by jeremyb »

+1

I've got the gear at home, just haven't plucked up the cojones to use it, I need a Dr Boogey so must get cracking soon I reckon!
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

I just stickied my own thread.. I feel so dirty
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by TmcB »

rocklander wrote:I just stickied my own thread.. I feel so dirty
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by sean k »

I've never done the glossy paper as toner trick with copiers, I still just use sharpies to draw on the copper, but I do love using muriatic acid (hydrochloric) and hydrogen peroxide... though I must get a bubbler together to get into the cupric stage so nothings wasted. Both are "past participle of get" from Pool supplies in 10 litre containers and will last absolutely years for a fraction of the price of either ferric or ammonium persulphate. Just google cupric and you'll find mountains of articles about this stuff... which is, incidentally, quite dangerous because of the chloride fumes, but only initially as you mix the hydrochloric and the hydrogen peroxide. Both are best at concentrations of 30 odd percent.

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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

sean k wrote:but I do love using muriatic acid (hydrochloric) and hydrogen peroxide...
so it doesn't go off? I mean, the ferric chloride eventually (after maybe 20 odd uses IME?) fills with black crap... the muriatic doesn't suffer from that?
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

Some Bozo wrote:dogs represent the qualities we like to see in a friend, and cats represent the qualites we'd like to be able to get away with in ourselves :D
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by ash »

rocklander wrote:
sean k wrote:but I do love using muriatic acid (hydrochloric) and hydrogen peroxide...
so it doesn't go off? I mean, the ferric chloride eventually (after maybe 20 odd uses IME?) fills with black crap... the muriatic doesn't suffer from that?
Muriatic acid goes through some freaky two-stage process where at first the hydrochloric acid eats the copper and turns into cupric chloride, which is actually better at eating copper. Once that is all turned in to some other copper chloride (cuprous?) form you can regenerate it by electrolysis. Or soething liek that. I can't remember the exact story, but it all sounded a little bit magical and perpetual.
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by jeremyb »

How do you cut your pcbs Rocky?
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by rocklander »

jeremyb wrote:How do you cut your pcbs Rocky?
depends on where on the blank it is..
if it can be done, I use a metal ruler and a box cutter to score through the copper, then a few times through both sides of the fibreglass - bang it into the vice (wood either side to protect it) and just break along the score..

if it's like a cut 'out' of a blank then I use one of those hand held single ended hacksaw blade holder thingies down one edge, then back to the scoring, or hacksaw the other one depending on how I feel on the day.

filing down the edges makes for a 'flatter' pcb (no burrs sticking up) so the ironing process is more effective (if there's a burred edge or whatever the iron and toner don't make as good of a contact and usually makes for a transfer rail).

the hacksaw thingy:

Image
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Re: how to make your own PCBs

Post by Ears »

rocklander wrote: +find the layout you want and print it to normal a4 paper using a laserjet printer (not inkjet).
+take one musicworks pamphlet.. the paper they use is glossy (the toner will come away more easily), but disintegrates easily; cut out some pamphlet paper larger than the pcb on the white page and use magic tape (that invisible stuff like scotch - it goes through the printer again without getting stuck to the insides usually - can handle the heat) to tape it over the layout on that original piece of paper, then use the laserjet again to print over the top.. this will put the layout onto the musicworks pamphlet.
Thanks for this post rocklander, I read this a while back and wondered why you need to print twice, first time onto plain paper. Is it just to provide a waytemplete to place the glossy paper accurately or is it for another reason.?
Is there any reason you can't just run a full sheet of glossy through the printer without the first step, and cut to size later after printing. I'm a little confused on the reason for cutting it and sellotaping it to the a4 etc.
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