Homebrew PCBs

You can get from circuit board manufacturers just one layer of board 
that they make into multi layer boards.  We use a Xerox Phasor 840 to 
print on these directly, and then etch them.  They work wonderfully for 
soldering surface mount components to.

Rob
On Feb 11, 2005, at 1:37 PM, Stefan Trethan wrote:

>
> On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 20:32:39 -0000, rwferr1 <ferrron@...> wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi, I've been a member awhile but haven't posted before.  I've
>> reviewed the previous posts on flex circuits and have a few questions.
>>  Can surface mount components be soldered (by hand) without destroying
>> the components or the laminate?  Or would it be better to use a
>> conductive epoxy?  Is there some other bonding method that could be
>> done at home?
>> I don't need to flex the circuit, am interested in its thinness to fit
>> inside a scale model railroad signal head with tight clearances.  Feed
>> wires running up a 1/16" mast need to be attached to the laminate as
>> well as the LEDs.
>> The assembly has to fit inside a space .090" wide x .400" high x .058"
>> deep.
>> The "board" would have 4 traces on it, one to each of 3 LEDs plus a
>> common ground.  I'm sure I'll have to develop a means of handling
>> these tiny parts, one sneeze and its start over.  I'd expect I'd need
>> to assemble the components and cut the "board" away from a larger
>> sheet afterward.
>> I'd really appreciate any help you can provide on this project.
>> Thank you,
>> Ron Ferrel
>
> Maybe you get away by peeling a single glass layer with copper from
> standard board, it works quite well. I think the one i tried with is no
> real FR4 but some cheaper stuff.
>
> It can be handled like normal PCB and is very thin.
>
> I have never tried, but i'd assume you can hand-solder flex boards ok.
> If you want i fetch some scrap flex-stuff from the bin and
> desolder/resolder component to see how it goes.
>
> Also consider building the circuit without any board and bonding it 
> solid
> with epoxy or ca. after soldering. with very few components this works
> quite well.
> It might even be possible to glue it to the case of the signal itself.
>
> ST
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--
Rob Frohne, Ph.D., P.E.
E.F. Cross School of Engineering
Walla Walla College
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/