Homebrew PCBs

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
> [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Leslie Schwartz
> Sent: 15 June 2012 18:33
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Produce Quick & Cheap PCBs with 
> a CNC paper cutter
> 
> 
> Do you have any recommendations for a pen plotter machines?
> 
> I have seen a lot of large and some small format pen plotters 
> on ebay, for which I think it would be hard to find drivers, 
> even if they are comparatively inexpensive.

For Windows/XP there are Roland drivers that work with most of these
including the common HP7475A and the Hitachi Pen Plotters which are
extremely cheap. I don't know of any Windows/7 drivers but several progams
will output the neceassry HPGL without standalone. There is also a
commercial HPGL driver but as it costs about twice the typical cost of a
printer

> 
> I also have an old Epson 3000 stylus which is a medium size 
> flatbed inkspray printer which might work for a direct resist 
> print method, but not sure it would accommodate a pcb thickness.
> 
> We are sort of coming back around to the plotter / laser 
> method where a small size solid state laser is placed into 
> the pen holder and the software starts and stops the laser 
> and moves it through the production of a pcb.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
> [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of David Mitchell
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 12:06 PM
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Produce Quick & Cheap PCBs 
> with a CNC paper cutter
> 
> I have a number of cricuts that I got broken from ebay for 
> $20 or so, shipped, and repaired myself. Some are much easier 
> to fix than others, but if you're handy as I suspect most on 
> this list are, pretty much all are repairable.
> 
> I like the vinyl etch method, but had problems with it 
> floating off when I was using the "metal salt" etch on aluminum.
> 
> Not to get too far off the topic of PCBs, I got around the 
> edge leakage issue by cutting a positive mask from vinyl 
> (vinyl goes where you want the metal removed), transfer to 
> the metal, and spray-paint over it. Then peel off the vinyl. 
> The spray paint works as a much more effective etch resist.
> 
> The "pcb plotter" method using a ultra-fine tip industrial 
> sharpie works much better for PCBs IMHO since the ink makes 
> for a pretty effective etch resist, no weeding necessary, and 
> there's no "offset" problem using the pen instead of the 
> blade. In this case, the resolution is limited mostly by the 
> size of the pen point, but you do get some jaggies in 
> diagonal or curved lines which increases the minimum space 
> between traces in those areas.
> 
> I use the "Make the Cut" software to plot via the Cricut, but 
> you'll need the driver plugin to go this route, and its 
> gotten a bit difficult since ProvoCraft has repeatedly sued 
> MTC to eliminate support for the Cricut machine.
> 
> One other way to plot to the cricut from your PC is through 
> the Licut library at http://sourceforge.net/projects/licut/
> 
> 
> -David
> 
> 
> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 10:37 AM, Tony Smith 
> <ajsmith1968@...> wrote:
> 
> > **
> >
> >
> > > Interesting topic. Instead of cutting the copper 
> directly, how about
> > cutting some
> > > vinyl or maybe masking tape? Then transfer the cut vinyl 
> or tape to
> > > a
> > copper
> > > clad FR4 board. Or maybe better yet, bond the tape or vinyl to the
> > > copper
> > clad
> > > FR4 and then cut. Remove the unwanted vinyl or tape and etch the
> > > board. I have not tried this technique exactly, but have 
> done a few 
> > > boards with
> > hand cut
> > > tape. If the etchant doesn't leak under the tape or dissolve the
> > > tape, it
> > works
> > > fairly well. The trick might be to find the right tape, perhaps
> > > Kapton
> > tape, or
> > > wide electrical tape?
> >
> > Ordinary sign vinyl would work for the usual through hole 
> size stuff,
> > you'd have trouble on really fine tracks.
> >
> > That's how a lot of etching (on glass etc) is done, cut the pattern,
> > stick it on whatever you're etching, and then apply the 
> etchant or sand
> blast it.
> > (The sign vinyl is quite thin, the stuff used for sand 
> blasting tends
> > to be
> > thicker.)
> >
> > It'd be a bit easier than toner transfer, apart from picking out all
> > the unwanted bits.
> >
> > Tony
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
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