Homebrew PCBs

I was using a plotter for direct draw to PCB for many years with limited 
success using a roland DXY-800 flat bed plotter, staedler ink and 
carbide tipped pens.  To get decent traces, I had to half the crystal 
frequency (to half the pen speed)  as well as use thin short tracks and 
needed to write a program which after a pre-determine period of pen down 
time inserted a series on pen-up, move a small amount, pen down, move a 
small amout  repeats to shake the pen and attempt to reflow the ink.  
(The pen shaking created a back stich affect if any of you have sewing 
experience)
  Still had problems with ink flow and cleaning the pens after use, so 
eventually gave up.  Especially once I needed to go to double sided 
patterns - now I use photoresist for nearly all my PCBs.

  Hope this helps

  Trev

Steve wrote:

> Longer behind than that! I started Homebrew_PCBs in late 2001, and the
> plotter pen thing was already old then. But to be fair, an article
> like that can find someone who wouldn't even know to search for it on
> the internet.
>
> I think it was discussions about plotter pens drawing etch resist that
> spurred the scratch 'n etch idea. Wasn't that your idea, John?
>
> BTW, links:
> <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/links/Plotter_method_001007656445/ 
> <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/links/Plotter_method_001007656445/>>
>
> Steve Greenfield
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
> <mailto:Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>, "crankorgan" <john@...> wrote:
> >
> > Just another ripped from the Internet article. Magazines run six
> > months to a year behind.
> >
> > One of the original guys.
> >
> > http://www.qsl.net/ve2emm/pcb/pcbe.html 
> <http://www.qsl.net/ve2emm/pcb/pcbe.html>
> >
> >
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
> <mailto:Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>, Victor Fraenckel <victorf@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Here is an interesting article in the May issue of Circuit Cellar
> > > magazine. This is the article's banner:
> > >
> > > "Circuit Board Plotting 101. Curt describes how to draw PCB traces
> onto
> > > copper-clad with a
> > > Hewlett-Packard 7440A ColorPro pen plotter and a Sharpie Ultra Fine
> > > Point permanent
> > > marker."
> > >
>
>  



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]