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Vintage threads from the first ten years

making pcb´s

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4/6/2000 10:01 PM
anonymous	making pcb´s hello What is the best method to make i.e. 10 similar pcb´s? Can I use light sensitive pcb´s without any expensive equipments? Thanks

4/7/2000 8:30 AM

I made 10 identical boards recently from press'n'peel blue, which I think is the cheapest way for single sided boards. I've used half-weight board (single sided) for making double-sided prototypes befoir having them made commercially also.
Since most of the cost in getting boards made is the one-off setup charge, it may actually be cheaper to have 10 boards made commercially.
Or, get a silk-screen place to make a screen & actually screen on the resist (any kind of paint will do, but make sure it is soluble in acetone or something).
Why bugger around wiht the light sensitive stuff?

4/7/2000 5:19 PM

quote:
"Why bugger around wiht the light sensitive stuff?
"

Well..... in my case it works much better for me. I make double sided boards and I can crank out a board in less than an hour. The last board I prototyped I did a 'photo journal' if you will to show the process I go through (actually it was an excuse to try out my new Nikon Coolpix 800 digital camera). I'm in the process of generating a webpage for it so excuse the 'lack-o-sofistication'. ;^)

http://www.geocities.com/greene_pedals/Effects.html

--johng

4/7/2000 6:25 PM

John,

Apart from your permanent hardware, how much do you estimate the cost is per board? Do you think you could make a lash up of the UV by sellotaping the transparencies to the board and using a sun lamp which is normally used for skin tanning ? Just a thought as a lot of people perhaps won't have the light box, but may know somebody with a sun bed, who doesn't mind a few white skin patches of PCB shape.

Seriously though thanks for the info I'm sure its a great help to alot of beginners.

4/7/2000 6:49 PM

quote:
"Apart from your permanent hardware, how much do you estimate the cost is per board?"

The board material which is GC Electronics presensitised, Positive acting runs around $10.00 for a 6X9 board. The Ferric Chloride is around $14.00 a gallon, developer is $5.00 a bottle. That's enough chemicals to do a lot of boards.

quote:
"Do you think you could make a lash up of the UV by sellotaping the transparencies to the board and using a sun lamp which is normally used for skin tanning ?"

That should work. You can expose this stuff with regular old florescent lights if you wait long enough. I think a table of exposure times come with the material. You can also expose it to sunlight if it's not a cloudy day. It's the UV light that makes it work. You could also make your own exposure frame pretty easily with some small light fixtures and UV lights in a homemade enclosure. I calibrated the exposure time by covering the board material with another PC board and moving it 1/8 inch every 30 seconds or so. Then when you develop the board you can see which exposure time gives you the best results.

--johng

4/8/2000 9:57 AM
paul perry	Thanks John, that's a great tutorial demo!!

4/8/2000 11:30 PM
ED	Hi JOhn, very nice work and a great sounding unit! Are you selling these or packaging a kit, or are you willing to share some insight as to the design? I think I would like one of these. Ed

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