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

Hi All,

Stefan and Bengt were interested in my attempts to configure an EDM
PCB milling machine. Since my machine was built using surplus from my
lab's research efforts into nano-optical circuits the cost of
recapitulating it would be out of the range of most experimenters ( ie
the base is 3/8 inch ground plate, the ways are Thomson linear ball
bearing slides and the controller is a Philips LPC2138 programmed in
Pygmy Forth ).

While I will happily buy a digital camera and post pictures of my
system, I wonder if there would be more interest in a system built
from the "ground up" out of:

1) Channel and angle iron available from "Home
Despot" ( or the like! );

2) Teflon linear bearing and air hardening
drill rod for ways, acme threaded rod and nuts ( from Enco );

3) A3967SLB stepper drivers ( Newark online
)

4) ( most of all! ) An old Pentium or 486
running EMC or the like for a controller.

Such a system would cost under $100 US and not need a lathe or mill to
construct.

I eagerly await your comments.

Curt