[sdiy] PCB making

[Adam Schabtach]

> In practice your mileage may vary. And if you were thinking 
> of using SMD parts, forget it. The resultant resolution is 
> just about good enough for thru-hole. 

Um, meaning no disrespect, but the toner-transfer method of making PCBs has
evolved a bit and doing SMD parts is entirely viable. I just posted a photo
of my most recent board on my website, here:
http://studionebula.com/blog/2007/01/02/homebrew-printed-circuit-boards/
That board includes a number of SMD parts including a 64-pin Atmel
microcontroller. It soldered up nicely and the uP runs just fine.

If you're interested in making your own PCBs, I suggest spending some time
reading the message archives of the Homebrew PCB Yahoo group. The main
tricks are finding a paper that works well with your printer (I use Epson
Glossy Photo Paper) and using a laminator from an office-supply store rather
than a clothes iron. Also see
http://www.pulsar.gs/PCB/a_Pages/1_Menu/overview.html for a good description
of techniques and a source of specialized paper. 

--Adam