PCB Mask

[Lance]

What's an easy way to make PCB patterns? Im thinking of using my inkjet to print on a transparency. Has anyone tried that, how opaque was the mask? Also, can I get away with exposing using a regular lamp as opposed to a UV lamp? As for etching solution are there any good alternatives to ferric chloride?

[TheDirty]

You should do some basic research on this first.  You can google "Toner Transfer PCB" or "photo pcb" to get basic guides for these methods.

Popular etching solutions are ferric chloride, ammonium persulfate, or muriatic acid/peroxide.

You can also try the homebrew PCB mailing list, which is very popular.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/

[VIPR]

What's an easy way to make PCB patterns? Im thinking of using my inkjet to print on a transparency. Has anyone tried that, how opaque was the mask? Also, can I get away with exposing using a regular lamp as opposed to a UV lamp? As for etching solution are there any good alternatives to ferric chloride?

You might give this a shot: http://www.techniks.com/how_to.htm back in the day when I was still making my own PCBs I had really good luck with this stuff. Fairly easy to use after just a little bit of trial and error.

Ahh, just thinking about those early PCB days brings back memories. Every electronics enthusiast should at least make one PCB in their life just for the experience of it all--and bragging rights if it still means anything. 

[Lance]

What's an easy way to make PCB patterns? Im thinking of using my inkjet to print on a transparency. Has anyone tried that, how opaque was the mask? Also, can I get away with exposing using a regular lamp as opposed to a UV lamp? As for etching solution are there any good alternatives to ferric chloride?

You might give this a shot: http://www.techniks.com/how_to.htm back in the day when I was still making my own PCBs I had really good luck with this stuff. Fairly easy to use after just a little bit of trial and error.

Ahh, just thinking about those early PCB days brings back memories. Every electronics enthusiast should at least make one PCB in their life just for the experience of it all--and bragging rights if it still means anything. 

I made a bunch back in high school, but I graduated a few years ago. 

My teacher had a bunch of premade patterns. I tried making a few of my own (done manually in i visio) using one of those machine that tattoo parlours use to transfer patterns. I had issues with bits of paper sticking, and sometimes stuff wouldn't transfer properly.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

[Lance]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

Nice guide. I'm gonna call up the local shop tomorrow and see what they have. I know they have pre-coated boards available. I'm not too sure about UV lamps though. We had a nice tanning bulb at school, but I don't have that here. Can I get away with a regular incandescent bulb?

I remember in the live show someone mentioned an alternative to ferric chloride. Does anyone know what it is? I'm re-watching it to find the name.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

Nice guide. I'm gonna call up the local shop tomorrow and see what they have. I know they have pre-coated boards available. I'm not too sure about UV lamps though. We had a nice tanning bulb at school, but I don't have that here. Can I get away with a regular incandescent bulb?

No - what you want are the tubes used in insect killers, which are fairly widely available.
 

[Lance]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

Nice guide. I'm gonna call up the local shop tomorrow and see what they have. I know they have pre-coated boards available. I'm not too sure about UV lamps though. We had a nice tanning bulb at school, but I don't have that here. Can I get away with a regular incandescent bulb?

No - what you want are the tubes used in insect killers, which are fairly widely available.
 

Sounds fairly doable. I guess I'll head to the hardware store and look up some prices. I already have a simple project in mind. Dave gave me some high res images of the article in a magazine of his which was about a path following car. I'll try laying the board out with GEDA once I figure out how to use it. If worse comes to worse I can just straighten out and scale the pattern in the article.

[armandas]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

Nice guide. I'm gonna call up the local shop tomorrow and see what they have. I know they have pre-coated boards available. I'm not too sure about UV lamps though. We had a nice tanning bulb at school, but I don't have that here. Can I get away with a regular incandescent bulb?

No - what you want are the tubes used in insect killers, which are fairly widely available.

I'm making my boards using a regular fluorescent light. The exposure time is around 5 minutes.

BTW, thanks for the guide, Mike. It helped me a lot when I was preparing to make my first PCB

[Lance]

Laser print on tracing paper. See my guide www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

Nice guide. I'm gonna call up the local shop tomorrow and see what they have. I know they have pre-coated boards available. I'm not too sure about UV lamps though. We had a nice tanning bulb at school, but I don't have that here. Can I get away with a regular incandescent bulb?

No - what you want are the tubes used in insect killers, which are fairly widely available.

I'm making my boards using a regular fluorescent light. The exposure time is around 5 minutes.

BTW, thanks for the guide, Mike. It helped me a lot when I was preparing to make my first PCB

That does work. Regular light is fine, you just need to wait a while longer.

[jtv4k]

I came across this guide a while ago:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/

No UV light required, can be made with stuff you find at ACE Hardware (cheapest with typical concentrations -- don't both with Home Depot), works relatively fast.

Also, the toner you use does make a difference. If you have cheap toner (or a cheap printer) you'll have uneven transfer lines.

[jtv4k]

Btw, you'll make cupric chloride acid pretty fast (the by product after you've added copper) with even a small sized PCB. It aerates so I recommend trying it outside (if you go this route). And it stains concrete 

[TheDirty]

Popular etching solutions are ferric chloride, ammonium persulfate, or muriatic acid/peroxide.

[neoone]

My friend made once a "machine" to make pcb photo method easier. It was based on old phonograph that helped equal speeding of photo sensitive paint (POSTIV 20) and a normal incandescent 200W light. It was all put in a wooden box. The light besides putting the pattern on the PCB also helped drying the paint. My other friends used UV lamp, they speed up drying of the paint by putting PCB to the oven for few minutes ;-) The were using two layers of print on transparent foil and a piece of glass to make it better fit the surface of PCB. The last step was to put PCB in NaOH (a simple cheap pipe plumber).

I personally prefer the termotransfer method because it requires less effort with similar effects. I use paper a bit slicker than a regular one with laser printer and then I simply iron the image to the PCB. After that I put PCB under water and gently take away the paper with a toothbrush. For etching long time ago I've used FeCl3 but now I use (well, when I really need to make PCB myself which is not so often fortunately) much better Na2S2O8 better known as B327. The instruction says not to exceed 50 degrees C but often i have higher temperature (I put this stuff in plastic dish and that in old pan filled with water which I put on gas-stove). My friends sometimes even boiled B327 and it still was fine. Higher the temperature faster the process but it can be distractive for thiner tracks. For washing the toner one can use methyl-ethyl-ketone (stinky stuff for professional laser printer service)  or much easier to get acetone.   

[Lance]

Btw, you'll make cupric chloride acid pretty fast (the by product after you've added copper) with even a small sized PCB. It aerates so I recommend trying it outside (if you go this route). And it stains concrete 

Good to know. Thanks!

[Zero999]

Normal fluorescents will work but not as well as UV. Last time I checked insect killer tubes were the same price as normal tubes or not much more expensive so are worth getting.

I know Simon used UV LEDs for his exposure and I'm sure blue/violet LEDs will work to some extent but UV is best.