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Subject: RE: 3-D printer resist application? (was: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Anyone milling PCBs?)

From: "Tony Smith" <ajsmith1968@...>
Date: 2016-01-19

I’ll give it a try with a 2” lens as that’s then most common size in these hobby lasers.  I do have a 1.5” one (somewhere) and might order a 1” if things look ok.

 

Mixed up a new batch of CuCl last night and it turned brown…  Hmmm.   Etches slow too.  Newly purchased peroxide might not be all it’s cracked up to be, bonus compound other than water?

 

Dang.  Anyone seen that before?

 

Tony

 

 

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Sunday, 17 January 2016 7:12 AM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: 3-D printer resist application? (was: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Anyone milling PCBs?)

 




I’m interested in results from a CO2 laser. In particular minimum trace width and width spacing.  Can you post some pictures when you get around to it? 

 

Jeff

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2016 9:29 AM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: 3-D printer resist application? (was: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Anyone milling PCBs?)

 

 

That’s encouraging, I should get around to trying it.

 

The CO2  lasers most people own (the ‘eBay lasers’) have a spot size of 0.1mm – 0.3mm depending on the lens (and power).  They typically ship with a 50mm lens that has a spot of around 0.15mm.  So that’s your ‘kerf’ or the isolation around the tracks.

 

Could always play around with defocussing to vary the line width I suppose.

 

Tony

 

 

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2016 9:03 AM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: 3-D printer resist application? (was: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Anyone milling PCBs?)

 




I have used this technique with spray cans of paint, and it works fine. The biggest problem I had was the lines cut were a bit narrow. At the time I had access to a big CNC system with a Q-switched YAG laser, but since I retired that is no longer the case.

 

Bob