I found this group a few days ago and have been poking around -- thanks for the tremendous resource! The information here has already helped me to make my most recent PCB. I was not trying for anything too difficult -- the smallest trace is .025" -- and it did come out with a little pitting in the larger traces. But all in all I am very pleased indeed. Here are some pics, first of the copper side and then of the component side (not yet drilled): http://home.earthlink.net/~a_wake/PCB1.JPG http://home.earthlink.net/~a_wake/PCB2.JPG Here's what I used to make the board: * Kicad to develop the schematic and generate the artwork; * Toner transfer -- printed on an HP P2015dn laser onto pages from an old Harbor Freight catalog, then ironed onto the board * Cupric chloride to etch (well, really hydrochloric acid + hydrogen peroxide; NOW I have cupric chloride!) This is the second board I have made in the last couple of weeks, both using toner transfer, but the first using CuCl. The first time I used the cover pages from the HF catalog, and it was very easy to soak the paper off (but I also lifted a bit of the toner -- don't know if I didn't iron enough, or hurried too much to get the paper off, or ??? This time I used "inside" pages from the HF catalog, which are a little less slick, and it was much, much harder to soak the paper off -- but the toner really seemed to be stuck down well, and overall the result appears to be better. FWIW, before the last couple of weeks, it had been 25+ years since I made a PCB, and then I used just a resist ink pen. So not quite a complete novice, but pretty close! Finally -- if you have stuck with this lengthy intro this long! -- a question: On the previous board that I made using TT, I drilled it and then ironed on the "silk screen" toner -- which interfered a bit with soldering on the component side. I'm thinking it would be better to tin all the traces before ironing on the "silk screen" toner -- yes? no? But I don't have a way to add tinning other than using the soldering iron and solder. Is this an acceptable (though tedious) way to tin a board? Thanks again for all the helpful information! Andy
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New member checking in
2009-02-20 by awakephd
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