Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

Hi Gang,
My goal is to come up with a way to make
circuit boards fast and cheap! There are PCB
houses out there that supply a program and fast
turnaround. For under $30 you can have a board
in your hands in several days. So I reasoned that
$30 was the price to beat!
While I was making and designing simple
CNC machines for people to learn on, someone
asked me if my machine could mill circuit boards.
My first attempt was using a Dremel steel ball mill. It
became dull after 12" of copper. I then used a No.50
carbide drill bit. Using just the tip of the drill
I was able to mill a circuit board for a power
supply. One of my customers told me about Think and
Tinker's Mechanical Etching bits. I bought ten bits
and the fun began.
That was a year and a half ago. Since that time
I have made and sold over 200 PCBs. I use a Dremel
MultiPro and Think and Tinker 60 degree bits. I
sell my boards for $30 each. I would like to see that
price come down! I will try ball mills again. This
time they will be carbide. If I can get carbide ball
mills in the $5 range, this will reduce my costs.
At the moment I am working on a machine that can
be built for under $100 in just a few days. I am shooting
for a machine made with 90 percent hardware store parts.
Less is more! The machine will mill circuit boards-draw
circuit boards or cut vinyl letters. It is built and designed
like a plotter. Instead of a belt or piano wire I am using
that cheap 1/4-20 rod people say is no good!
I repaired and retro-ed a Bridgeport Boss.
That's how I got into this hobby. I know all about large
over powered machines. Very little power is needed to mill
circuit boards. Even with a sloppy machine a usable board
emerges. Think FUN! Think CHEAP! It's only a hobby!

John