[sdiy] making PCB's with PNP blue

[Matthew Smith]

Quoth Dan Snazelle at 02/11/11 14:06...
> Not to mention the eventual variable of drilling skill

Where does drilling come into it? ;-)

But that's exactly what persuaded me to try my hand at SMD work - and 
I'm glad I did, as I really wouldn't want to go back. I find SMD 
assembly much, much, faster.

The only place I still use through-hole - other than when only 
through-hole parts exist, or I have the parts and don't want to fork out 
again for SMD - is for connectors, or any other parts that will see 
mechanical strain.  Having them soldered on two layers, with a nice, 
solid, pin going through the substrate, gives me the confidence they 
won't be falling off any time soon. Like the power connector on my 
wife's laptop :-( [And did I ever have fun reflowing THAT lead-free joint?]

Note that I rarely make my own PCBs any more. I've found that Laen's 
service (http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order) is so cheap and such good 
quality, that there is no benefit to me doing the dirty work myself 
unless I need to make something big and low-density. Something like a 6" 
x 6" board would just be too expensive.

I certainly wouldn't want to produce my own boards for use with 0.5mm 
pitch ICs. (Especially since I can't do soldermask or through-hole plating.)

I think, however, that having a go at homebrew is a valuable exercise.

My etching tank still sees service, but for producing etched art pieces, 
rather than PCBs.


-- 
Matthew Smith

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