Homebrew PCBs

I truly enjoyed your message as it gave me an opportunity to look at 
their web site and here is what I learned:

"Our pricing for Bare PCBs is based on Total square inches of all 
your boards. There is a lot charge of $40 PLUS 60 cents per square 
inch. Example: for 30 pieces of a 1 inch X 3 inch PCB, the total area 
is (1X3)X30 = 90 sq inches. The calculated price for this particular 
order is $40 + $0.60*90 = $94 (that is, a low price of only $3.13 per 
PCB). 

Traditionally, PCBs with no soldermask or legend have been offered by 
companies that are based in Canada- often resulting in transit delays 
and paperwork-hassles due to US Customs. Now PCBFABEXPRESS provides 
you these boards faster, easier, and cheaper-- straight from Silicon 
Valley!"

What they are saying is that you have to order so many boards to fit 
a 100sq in panel and in their example you would pay $90 for 30 PCBs 
of 1"x3" size. My cost for 8"x12" board is $4 for material (that's 
what I paid), $1 for chemicals and $0.50 for a transparency. Granted 
I have build up my 'lab' to be able to do that. But that lab will be 
with me until I'll buy a conductive ink printer on ebay in the year 
2020.

Then they don't do the silk screen nor solder mask. I can do it if I 
wanted to but they don't do it?!

"So what's the big deal with multiple parts? Why DON'T you accept my 
design files that has multiple PCBs in it?" - they comment. It 
appears that you have to fill up 100sq in with the same PCB multiples 
and if you need the second PCB you need to prepare another $94.

Does the 5 day turn around include shipping from CA to NY? Is the 
cost of shipping included? I doubt. I am not sure if their FAQ 
portion matches the pricing on the front page and I need to ask my 
lawyer to give them a call.

Aside from all the issues listed above the biggest issue is that one 
has to commit himself to an expense not being even sure if the design 
works and most of the time it doesn't. Then I have to wait 5 days and 
pay. I can have protoypes with 9 mills lines using a heat transfer 
tonght and 7 mils or better in a day or two using photochemical 
method which I am currently tuning. It actually helped me to see the 
limit of my quest for PCB resolution: if they offer 7 mils then I 
guess it should be the limit for me too. 

Question to the team: does 7 mills cover all SMDs, liek SOT23 or SOT 
223?

Thank you for pointing that link to us because I might need it once I 
have a solid prototype in mind. But even then, all it takes is jsut 
skillful panelization and a larger cuvette... and more laundry powder.
This would be the time where the direct transfer method would 
probably fail due to a size of the panel.

Mike





--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "kingsettler2002" 
<jamesjain2003@n...> wrote:
> Josh,
> I think getting professional circuit boards made is so cheap now, i 
> don't bother with making them myself..seriously when you can get 
$13 
> per double sided board..professional looking and nicely done, why 
> bother doing it yourself?
> 
> I go to companies like www.pcbFABexpress.com or to AP circuits in 
> canada.
> but I like the quality of pcbFABexpress a lot and also they are a 
US 
> company so no customs hassles.
> 
> Also check out their "2layer BARE pcb", basically PCBs with no 
solder 
> mask or silk screen..and it is at even lower prices..$40 lot charge 
> plus 60 cents per square inch..
> 
> hope that helps.
> 
> james
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Stefan Trethan 
> <stefan_trethan@g...> wrote:
> > Hi!
> > Very nice to see a new member.
> > 
> > Please read in the group archives and in the links provided.
> > There is TonerTransfer which we are VERY fond of.
> > It is similar to press-n-peel but without the high costs.
> > 
> > We will be very happy to help you but you have do do a little bit 
> of 
> > homework.
> > 
> > The archives are here:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/
> > 
> > one guide is here:
> > 
> > http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm
> > 
> > there are others, better, from group members.
> > i don't know where the links are, i hope in the groups link 
section.
> > if not the authors OWE TO PLACE THEM THERE!
> > (Have you all heared me? you lazy ......) ;-)
> > 
> > Well, most likely nobody has placed them in the link section ;-).
> > So you will find them with a search in the archives for Toner 
> Transfer
> > or a google search.
> > 
> > As a contribution to the group it would be nice of you to place 
all 
> Toner 
> > Transfer
> > links you find in the folder in the Link section of the group.
> > 
> > When you have done some reading, write again and you will be 
helped 
> with 
> > any questions.
> > 
> > You must understand, it is not target-oriented to write 
everything 
> again.
> > If you invest a hour looking through the stuff you will take up 
> more than i 
> > could
> > write here.
> > 
> > You are just right here, be assured.
> > There are some great helpful people here which i owe a lot...
> > welcome.
> > 
> > 
> > Stefan
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 20:45:09 -0000, joshdewinter 
> <joshdewinter@y...> 
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > Hi everyone.
> > > I'm so glad to have found a forum like this.  I have been 
> experimenting, 
> > > trying to make my own boards for the longest time.  I'm always 
on 
> the 
> > > hunt for new, easy, do-it-at-home methods that provide clean, 
> repeatable 
> > > results.  The two I've ever put any faith in are the Press-n-
Peel 
> stuff 
> > > for your laser printer, which seems to be damn cost 
restrictive, 
> and the 
> > > pre-sensitized develop-by-light boards you can develop with a 
> piece of 
> > > overhead transparency and a laser printer, which takes some 
time 
> and you 
> > > have to order.
> > > Tell me, are there other methods people are getting good 
results 
> with 
> > > that might be simpler?  I'm new, and I'm guessing there must be 
> better 
> > > ways I haven't heard of.
> > > I primarily use Mentor or Protel DXP for routing, and mainly 
have 
> been 
> > > using a proto machine at the company I work for to cut 
> (literally) my 
> > > boards out.  But, I'd really like to not have to rely on those 
> high-tech, 
> > > high-$$$ tools, and be able to do something myself at home, 
using 
> > > EagleCad and some cheap tools and/or chemicals that I can get 
> locally, if 
> > > possible.  What's the current homebrew cutting edge stuff?
> > > Thanks very much for your ideas.
> > >
> > > -Josh D
> > > Pullman, WA
> > >
> > >
> > >