Hello all..I think I have yet another new PCB making "twist"! Many may not know this but I was the FIRST to suggest the idea for using glossy magazine "stock" for the direct toner method. I did extensive searching on this group and the rest of the net prior to making the post a couple of years ago to confirm no one else had suggested it before (No point in suggesting "old news" ). Here's an idea for a "twist" (Pun intended) on a different method. The scratch and etch idea has been tossed around, experimented, and succcesfully tried by others. All have relied on dragging a sharp point across a "Blued" or coated circuit board. The biggest problem was finding a suitable "Resist" that scratched CLEANLY yet still gave protection from the etchant. Another idea was the possibility of modifying a plotter somehow to become a PCB etching machine. I don't think anyone succeeded in this method because plotters are not strong enough to carry the drill head or Dremel Flexi-Shaft (not to mention all the other problems). How about combining the two methods !!! Pager vibrating motors are VERY small...VERY light... and require VERY little power to drive them. How about removing the offset weight, sharpening the shaft to a point, and using the power that drives the up/down solonoid of the plotter (thru a resistor since little power is needed) to drive the motor. It'll fit EASILY into the pen holder (in fact it's probably TOO small and will need an adapter) and will give a clean "Scratch" thru even the THICKEST of Etch resist coating. The biggest obstacle will be sharpening the tip. A little inginuity could figure a mount idea to fix a PCB drill bit snapped short onto the shaft of the motor (using Epoxy or a small piece of plastic as a coupler). The critical point will keeping the bit balanced so it doesn't wobble with relation to the motor. On the flip side the spinning of the motor should have a gyroscopic effect to stabalize the motor in relation to the Pen mount to reduce wobble in that regard. I'm going to grab some motors Monday and try to fit in some experiments next week. I don't have any suitable software for PCB designs but for the purpose of the tests I'll use Corel to plot some fine detailed text and lines. At least it'll confirm (or deny) the concept. There you go...more food for thought. Thoughts.. ideas...other people's success or failures !!! Cheers....Dean.
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"Twist" on an old method of PCB making.
2005-03-19 by Dean Batute
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