Homebrew PCBs

Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad 
material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.

What kind of basematerial?
To what radius do you want to bend?
Bengt

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wheedal99" <wheedal@h...> 
wrote:
> Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad 
> material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.

I'm not really certain what materials are even available.  I've read 
about some of the kapton and pyrolux stuff.  The bends arent hugely 
agressive.  1" radius bends?  

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "bsjoelund" <tecnoconsult@t...> 
wrote:
> What kind of basematerial?
> To what radius do you want to bend?
> Bengt
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wheedal99" <wheedal@h...> 
> wrote:
> > Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad 
> > material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with 
it.

Below a link to Swedish friend offering pcb-clad
http://w1.121.telia.com/~u12103129/
Maybe you can find something from the list that will suite your 
needs? Give me as reference :)
Bengt

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wheedal99" <wheedal@h...> 
wrote:
> I'm not really certain what materials are even available.  I've 
read 
> about some of the kapton and pyrolux stuff.  The bends arent hugely 
> agressive.  1" radius bends?  
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "bsjoelund" 
<tecnoconsult@t...> 

> wrote:
> > What kind of basematerial?
> > To what radius do you want to bend?
> > Bengt
> > 
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wheedal99" <wheedal@h...> 
> > wrote:
> > > Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad 
> > > material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with 
> it.

On Thursday 19 August 2004 12:23 pm, wheedal99 wrote:
> Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad
> material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.

First thing that comes to mind for me is those "craft stores",  where you 
might find some fairly thin copper foil.  Getting a hold of some of that,  
you would need to laminate it yourself to some kind of a flexible substrate.

Never saw any actual flexible laminate available,  though,  myself.

That might be an idea...  Added bonus of maybe using the case as the 
substrate...  I'll look at that.  Anyone used homebrew techniques to 
etch that stuff?  

This kind of thing may make the inkjet direct printing easier --if we 
could come up with a reasonable etch resist ink.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Roy J. Tellason" 
<rtellason@b...> wrote:
> On Thursday 19 August 2004 12:23 pm, wheedal99 wrote:
> > Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad
> > material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with 
it.
> 
> First thing that comes to mind for me is those "craft stores",  
where you 
> might find some fairly thin copper foil.  Getting a hold of some of 
that,  
> you would need to laminate it yourself to some kind of a flexible 
substrate.
> 
> Never saw any actual flexible laminate available,  though,  myself.

On Thursday 19 August 2004 02:18 pm, wheedal99 wrote:
> That might be an idea...  Added bonus of maybe using the case as the
> substrate...  I'll look at that.  Anyone used homebrew techniques to
> etch that stuff?

If you use the case as substrate are you restricting your designs to SMT only?  
Or are you planning on soldering to it somehow and then putting it in there?

> This kind of thing may make the inkjet direct printing easier --if we
> could come up with a reasonable etch resist ink.
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Roy J. Tellason"
>
> <rtellason@b...> wrote:
> > On Thursday 19 August 2004 12:23 pm, wheedal99 wrote:
> > > Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad
> > > material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with
>
> it.
>
> > First thing that comes to mind for me is those "craft stores",
>
> where you
>
> > might find some fairly thin copper foil.  Getting a hold of some of
>
> that,
>
> > you would need to laminate it yourself to some kind of a flexible
>
> substrate.
>
> > Never saw any actual flexible laminate available,  though,  myself.
>
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Bookmarks and files:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Most of the stuff I do is smt any more...  There are an increasing 
number of parts out there that don't even offer a through hole 
package.  SMT is actually easier a lot of the time (if you get off 
the caffine! :) ).  Most through hole packages can be structurally 
soldered into place as an SMT.  Who likes drilling holes anyway?  If 
I could only get rid of vias as well....

I'm not sure if the glue on the copper laminates will even hold up to 
heat.  It may be that stuff will only work with conductive glues.  
I'm not sure if I want to go there yet.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Roy J. Tellason" 
> If you use the case as substrate are you restricting your designs 
to SMT only?  
> Or are you planning on soldering to it somehow and then putting it 
in there?

> First thing that comes to mind for me is those
> "craft stores",  where you 
> might find some fairly thin copper foil.  Getting a
> hold of some of that,  
> you would need to laminate it yourself to some kind
> of a flexible substrate.
> 
A lot depends on static or dynamic bending. In a
dynamic situation, you are limited to fairly large
radius' with Kapton. If the bend is static, I've seen
kaption boards with a 0.062" radius.

Kapton is fairly easy to obtain, the big question
would be how to reliably laminate the copper and
photomask without causing problems.

Ron


		
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I believe you can get the laminated copper that they use for stained 
glass in sheets.  That is made for soldering, so I would think it 
would hold up to heat.  But I have no experience with it.

Ben Englund

>    Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 16:23:17 -0000
>    From: "wheedal99" <wheedal@...>
> Subject: flexible pcb material
> 
> Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad 
> material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.

I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, but I did notice that they offer blank pcbs with thicknesses of 0.005 inch and 0.01 inch, here:

http://www.injectorall.com/FR4uncoatedboards.htm

They're pretty pricey, even for their standard types of boards.  So there are probably cheaper sources, elsewhere.

Regards,

Tom Gootee

http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg

-----------------------------------



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Thursday 19 August 2004 09:23 am, wheedal99 wrote:
> Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad
> material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.

you might try these guys for a sample sheet
http://www.allflexinc.com/

Brian

Here is another reference to check:
<http://www.dupont.com/fcm/products/H-73244.pdf >
cheers,
john g

Brian Pitt wrote:

> On Thursday 19 August 2004 09:23 am, wheedal99 wrote:
> > Has anyone used or know where to get some flexible copper clad
> > material.  I've got a few experiments that I'd like to try with it.
>
> you might try these guys for a sample sheet
> http://www.allflexinc.com/
>
> Brian
>
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Bookmarks and files:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

A big public "Thank you" to grantfair for the pcb's that he shipped 
me.  Thanks!  I'll give it a go, it looks like it might just work for 
what I have in mind.

-Dal

Glad it got there Dal. I thought that 12 thou thick double-sided I
sent was thin, but apparently there is stuff as thin as 5 thou
available, according to Frank at Pulsar. 

Can you say what you hope to make with it? Good luck with it.

Grant


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wheedal99" <wheedal@h...> wrote:

> A big public "Thank you" to grantfair for the pcb's that he shipped 
> me.  Thanks!  I'll give it a go, it looks like it might just work for 
> what I have in mind.
> 
> -Dal

Well, I was looking for some kapton type materials, but this is thin 
enough it might just do the trick if I wire a cable to in instead of 
coming off with a printed harness like I was thinking.  Its for a 
printed sensor/electonics that need to be rolled into a cylinder.  
I'll do pictures if it pans out.

---"grantfair2001" wrote:

> Glad it got there Dal. I thought that 12 thou thick double-sided I
> sent was thin, but apparently there is stuff as thin as 5 thou
> available, according to Frank at Pulsar. 
> 
> Can you say what you hope to make with it? Good luck with it.