Making your own copper clad?

[SonicVI]

Anybody have any ideas about how to properly adhere copper to a substrate for etching?  I have some old brown paper phenolic that I'd really like to be able to use as pcb stock.   

[JasonG]

I would suggest you get some brass rivets and build some pedals maestro fuzz-tone style. There are some things you can't diy. We all hit that wall around here, my thing is tools and jigs. I have waisted whole days making them only to realize when I am done that I should not have bothered . I have stepped up the diy projects I work on over the last three years but, what I am coming into now is finding a balance between making stuff and using it.

[John Lyons]

I just use thin copper clad and epoxy (5 minute) it to the phenolic board.
Even if you use the usual thickness it works fine. Just a little
thicker overall.

John

[Mick Bailey]

A lot depends on the track width and pad size. If they are generous because you wish to make a truly vintage looking pcb, an epoxy adhesive with a high temperature rating could be used to bond the cleaned and degreased surfaces.

Normal epoxies begin to lose strength at about 120 degrees centigrade and unless you use a low melting point solder and soldered the components very quickly, it is easily possible to overcook the bonded copper, causing it to lift.

One thing to consider is how you intend to spread the adhesive and eliminate air bubbles. Mixing two-part adhesives introduces lots of air bubbles which would be detrimental in seriously weakening the adhesion. You might consider squeezing the adhesive and hardener into a plastic bag (a ziplock would be ideal) then press out the air and knead the two components together.

The epoxy potting mixes I used to buy came in a bag with a rupturable separator in order to allow you to mix the contents without bubbles.

Also, think about the time you need to mix, coat, and assemble the board if it is fairly large - a standard curing epoxy will give you more time and generally produces a stronger bond.  If you can get a 3" rubber coated roller from an art shop you could roller the copper from the centre outwards to eliminate bubbles and ensure close contact by squeezing out surplus adhesive. Then leave the board overnight under some weights.

Methylated spirit dissolves unset epoxy, so use this to clean up the board before leaving it to cure.

If you use a PnP or iron-on transfer technique for your solder resist, then you may run into difficulties with the high temperature required. You could use something like
http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/466664  but this may not be available in small quantities, though it's worth asking the supplier for a sample - it's surprising sometimes what you can get.

You must have a special reason for wanting to do this, given the low cost of SRBP board. Otherwise, I'm with John on bonding some thin copper clad board to your phenolic to give a more predictable and reliable result.

[sean k]

I've thought about this 'cause at some stage I'd like to build shaped boards and have thought of making the base board and then having it covered in copper in the electroless plating process but the other one is to, as above just glue the two together, well, build the shaped glass board then take a mold off of it then one coating of epoxy and lay on some copper sheet then clamp it up.

[Taylor]

Seems like cutting pre-made clad with a bandsaw or similar would be simpler. I would be pretty irritated if my copper started delaminating while populating a board.

[juse]

McMaster-Carr sells clad phenolic - 8521K33 (1/32" Thick) & 8521K35 (1/16" Thick). It's not cheap, though.