In a message dated 11/7/2006 3:20:44 P.M. Central Standard Time,
scp2000@... writes:
I tried to build my own PCB with the radio shack kit but the traces are
terrible. They aren't smooth, they are jagged. The traces are thick then too
thin. I used a sharpie, didn't work well. Used the radio shack black traces that
you press on to the copper clad board. Very cumbersome and results weren't
good.<<
A little patience and experience will enable you do to do quite fine PCB's
with the RS stuff! Their pressure-sensitive resist patters work FINE! You
must clean the board of all goop and film and boogers and water, and then rub
the patterns down good, and use the wax-paper like stuff between the sheets of
patterns over the pattern on the copper as a shield, and rub down hard with
a ball-point pen, so there are NO lifted corners, etc.
Drill your holes FIRST so you can do double-sided! You must de-burr and
clean after drilling! Use only carbide PCB drill-bits in a DRILL-PRESS (a good
one!). Those bits ALL have 1/8" shanks. There are places you can buy boxes
of 50 of a size reasonably ("re-grinds"). Look in the "want-ad pages" of
magazines like Radio-Electronics or Popular Electronics or catalogs of Jameco
and JDR Microdevices, etc. NEVER attempt to use a carbide PCB drill-bit in a
Dremel in your hand! It just will NOT work! And busted carbide bits cost
$money very, very fast! If you need to know a "size" when thinking about
ordering a box of fifty, #56 is a good size. (one or two numbers smaller or
larger would be useful). Some vendors offer assortments of sizes, but you WILL
bust the one or two "most needed" diameters the first day, so only buy those
assortments after you become a skilled expert! Jan Rowland
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