Semi-transparent PCB?

karbomusic · October 16, 2015, 06:32:42 PM

Anyone know the descriptive name for this type of copper clad board? Once etched it is semi-transparent and for some reason I've become drawn to it and like it.

I believe it came in the kit I got last year from Fab-In-A-Box and I think I can still get it from there but curious if this is a type of product or proprietary product.

stallik · October 16, 2015, 09:36:52 PM

I've made a few pcb said with fibre glass boards and they look translucent like that. Mine were only single sided but I presume double sided would look the same

Keppy · October 17, 2015, 12:22:11 AM

All the PCBs I get from Small Bear or Mouser are somewhat translucent. I think yours are the same material, but I know that supplier uses 1/32" boards instead of 1/16" so I think that's the difference.

J0K3RX · October 17, 2015, 01:23:23 AM

The seller ABCFAB on ebay has that type of copper clad but I can't remember which item it is? I ordered some a while back thinking it was just plain old average pcb laminate but to my surprise it was the same stuff you have in the pic... I have ordered from him many times and he is always fast and I get exactly what I order. I usually order the black pcb from him, stuff is super flexible and super strong and looks damn cool! His name is Bill Lesmerises and I think he prefers that you order from him directly to avoid ebay fees and I believe he will give you a better deal if you do as well.. but he will also sell to you through his ebay store. Anyway, he will answer your question and hook you up if you email him and you could send him the pic you posted so he can see exactly what you are wanting. His email is abcfab@yahoo.com

ebay store
http://stores.ebay.com/PCB-Laminates-Copper-Clad/_i.html

He should run specials and promotional stuff on this forum! Not that he doesn't already sell tons of the stuff anyway but I bet he would see a definite up swing in his sales if he did!

davent · October 17, 2015, 07:08:18 PM

I bought some photosensitive, one sided Kinston branded like that but i'm not sure whether it came from a store in Toronto or directly from China. Wish i'd been paying attention because it's the type i prefer and found hard to come by.

karbomusic · October 17, 2015, 07:51:19 PM

Quote from: davent on October 17, 2015, 07:08:18 PM
I bought some photosensitive, one sided Kinston branded like that but i'm not sure whether it came from a store in Toronto or directly from China. Wish i'd been paying attention because it's the type i prefer and found hard to come by.

Yup! That's the stuff. I can't seem to find a designation for it so doesn't appear like something I can search for via description. I'll also check out J0K3RX's link as well so thanks for the replies guys. I really like that stuff. I don't think it is thickness alone, it appears to be a completely different type of glass/substrate/whathaveyou.

Digital · December 19, 2020, 07:01:50 AM

Hello Everyone,

New to the forum and I've been on the look for those type of PCB's forever I used to make my boards back In the 90's and they would come up looking like that I really loved the look of them has anyone managed to find any ? I have some photos of some of my old boards that I made. Thanks !

Marcos - Munky · December 22, 2020, 08:56:18 AM

I believe those are just regular fiber glass boards.

Chillums · December 23, 2020, 07:35:14 AM

I'm pretty sure those boards are CEM-1.

Digital · December 24, 2020, 06:04:15 AM

Hello,

Thanks for the response Chillums I can confirm after looking at my old receipts from back In the day they are FR-4 has anyone bought some copper clad that looks translucent ? Marcos, Have you found any that looks like that ?

Thanks,

Digital.

garcho · December 24, 2020, 10:33:19 AM

Any F4 without a solder mask will look like that, no? Those are etched boards, not fabbed.

davent · December 24, 2020, 12:29:40 PM

I had a look through my stash and still have a bit of the board pictured above, is stamped with the KB but is not in it's original packaging. Pretty sure it came in Kirsten packaging, their coding for boards starts with GS for the glass boards and PP for the phenolic. Thing is i remember Kirsten glass boards being the light green/blue transluscent as pictured but also the puky brown/green /yellow solid i hated with no difference in the packaging/coding. Might have come from a store in Toronto or ebay order from the far east, i bought from whichever was more convenient at the moment.

I often painted the puky coloured pcbs to make them tolerable to look at, acrylic paints, don't use black and check paint for conductivity.
dave

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Semi-transparent PCB?