Homebrew PCBs

--- sml_caerus <sml.caerus@...> wrote:

> I am looking for a CNC / Milling machine to mill my own 
> prototype PCB's 
> I have seen kits, and pricing ranging from $500 and up for various 
> machines.

Got any links for these?  


> $4,000 to me is just way to expensive for a hobbyist, though 
> something over or around $1,000 is something I would consider.

I use a QuickCircuit at work, and the precision and repeatability
is fantastic.  I think it was in the neighborhood of $15K though.
The downside is that a complex board can take a terribly long 
time to mill, and you're guaranteed to go through a couple of 
milling bits at $30 apiece.  I concluded a long time ago that
for the money, you can't beat toner transfer for *hobby* PCB
fabrication.  I have a feeling that for a $500 kit you're not
going to get the precision or repeatability that you're going
to want for fine pitch SMT.  The overhead of an expensive mill
is probably not worth it to most hobbyists, unless money isn't
an object.  Even at the rates I charge for PCB's I layout and
fabricate for customers I couldn't justify the cost of the time
and overhead of a mill, and in a commercial environment by the
time you buy the machine, tooling and pay a tech $20 an hour
to run it, those PCB's will cost you hundreds apiece.  So,
consider a mill only if it gives you a capability that another
process can't give you, and be prepared to pay the price.



Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM