How to get started making PCBs?

[gjsmo]

I'd like to start making my own PCBs, as opposed to using protoboards, but I'm not sure where to start/where to get supplies/what method to use.

What method is most viable - laser printer or UV resist? I can make UV resists out of a transparency (I think) or if need be, my dad has photo lab supplies (enlarger, film, paper etc.). Which one would give better results? I'd also like to be able to apply this to digital electronics, if that makes a difference.

Where's the best place to get PCB supplies? What do I need for each of the methods? I saw that 1 part muriatic acid and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide will make a good "self-replenishing" echant.

Any other tips would be helpful.

[smallbearelec]

Here is my tutorial:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

It has been vetted by numerous satisfied customers. The shopping cart starts here:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/StoreFront.bok

I know that Muriatic acid/Peroxide will work. However, that stuff is nasty! Sodium persulfate offers a good combination of stability and ease of use.

Regards
Steve Daniels

[MmmPedals]

I bought the kit from smallbear and have been etching ever since. (Although i found magazine paper to work better than the blue pnp. But that is a matter of preference)

[bean]

Here is my tutorial:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

It has been vetted by numerous satisfied customers. The shopping cart starts here:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/StoreFront.bok

I know that Muriatic acid/Peroxide will work. However, that stuff is nasty! Sodium persulfate offers a good combination of stability and ease of use.

Regards
Steve Daniels

The caveat being that Sodium Persulfate is a bit more expensive. For the Muratic Acid/Peroxide I actually do about half and half. In my experience, you can get some more life out of it as Cupric Chloride (once you have used the original solution to etch some copper) but it is always weaker. A fresh batch takes less than five minutes to etch a board.

[diydave]

my 2 cents:
- toner transfer method.
Use glossy paper - cover of a magazine. The front- and backcover a glamorous magazines work great.
Or photo-paper, but you have to test what works best for you.

- etchant: muratic acid / peroxide 1:1.
Some use other combinations of muratic acid / peroxide or add some water to it. But it slows down the etching process.
It's also quite easy to acquire. Just go to you local hard-ware store or paint-shop.

- PCB suppliers: take your pic. There are a number of suppliers. I get mine from newtone-online.nl, but that's because I live in Europe.

[diemilchmann]

i personally dont like to mess with your own PCBs. Theres some sites that will make small quantities of boards for a decent price. I use these guys.

http://www.dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order

[cloudscapes]

I had started with the smallbear tutorial. took me two projects reading it step-by-step and after that I could do it from memory (and even improvise). it's really simple!

[gjsmo]

For the magazine paper method, is this just regular (already printed) paper? Like torn out of an actual magazine? Or do I buy the stuff that they used?

My local UPS store (I happen to be very friendly with one of the managers) carries semi-glossy stock, which is usually what is in the color copier. Would that work?

I'd rather use something cheap and readily available, as opposed to photo paper (which most people seem to need to experiment with, anyways).
I have muriatic acid (I'm going to use it to do the multi-color etching mentioned here, but obviously I can't use that solution for PCBs since it will have aluminum/steel inside) and peroxide, so that's good.
I can go buy a magazine I don't care about...
I have a pyrex dish for etching, and I can just agitate it myself.
I need PCBs (smallbear seems to have a good reputation), just wondering, what are the tan prototype boards made out of? Is that any better/worse than FR-4 (which I presume is the standard green stuff)?
How is the silkscreening done? Could I just do a toner transfer and take off the paper? Or should I not worry about that?

On a completely unrelated note, is it worth getting a temperature controlled soldering iron? I have an ANTEX 18W iron, with (I think) 5/16 and 3/16 angle tips. What's the best brand for a temperature controlled iron?

[diydave]

With my last etching I used the back-cover of Humo, a Belgian Magazine. I just ripped it from the magazine.
And I used the back-cover, because it didn't had to much dark colors printed on it. That way, I could still see the pcb-circuit after printing.
Worked like a charm.

My pcb-boards have a brown-yellow color. But than again, I don't care about what color they have. As long as it works.

Silkscreening with the toner transfer is not going to work I think. Chances are it the toner won't stick to the 'plastic', as with the copper-side off the board. It's been asked before on this forum. Maybe if you do a search?

[Laen]

When I started etching PCBs, I used:
  - An HP LaserJet 1006 Printer.  This will accept magazine paper in the paper feeder tray, which is nice.  HP also has "microfine" toner, for doing high DPI prints.  It seems to make a difference when doing smaller features.
  - A bunch of copper clad off of ebay.  It was two sided, but I've never successfully etched a two-sided board.   I just couldn't get the top and bottom layers to line up enough.
  - A laminator.  I started with a clothes iron, but that smears the traces so badly.
  - Muriatic acid + Hydrogen peroxide.  This stuff works _great_ for etching copper.
  - A dremel tool and dremel drill press stand.  It works pretty well, but the carbide tips that you need for drilling PCBs are really fragile and I ended up going through a LOT of drill bits.

I recommend etching a test pattern a few times to see what your capabilities are.
Here's mine: http://dorkbotpdx.org/blog/laen/adventures_in_etching_the_test_pattern

My problems with drilling the boards combined with my inability to do two sides very effectively ended up pushing me towards getting my boards professionally fabbed, since I would spend so long trying to get my designs to transfer and etch right.  Still, it was a really rewarding experience, and I still do it occasionally for breakout boards and the line.

[fpaul]

I just made my first boards using the photoresist method.  I've been using PNP blue but I had to make some bigger boards for a PA amplifier.  The only boards big enough sold locally were the photo type.

I've gotten good at doing the heat transfer but I think the photo method is much easier to get a perfect trace transfered to the board.  I did have to flip the horizontal when I printed the get the print side next to the copper.  I used a 250w halogen shop light 10minutes exposure about 7 inches from the board and it worked really well.  I'll probably use this method most of the time because I'm almost out of PNP blue. 

Both methods work well with a little practice.

[blooze_man]

I also used the smallbear kit with great results. One of the main things to keep in mind is patience when ironing the pnp to the board.

[fpaul]

I did have to flip the horizontal when I printed the get the print side next to the copper.

I forgot to add that I printed two copies and taped them together.  I just followed someones directions in another thread and it worked very well.