Homebrew PCBs

This has been a favorite problem of mine for a long time. 

 

It is standard practice to engrave the outside diameter of a cylinder with
tick marks and numbers in order to make a graduated dial. I have done this
by laser printing, mirror image, to clear plastic and then bolting it on the
OD with the toner on the inside:

 

http://rick.sparber.org/Articles/CD/CDM/d.pdf

 

It is fairly rugged but not as nice as engraving. I've always thought that
chemical etching would be idea. 

 

I'm not interested in super expensive methods or ones requiring more than
average skill. Sure CNC can do this task, so can a laser cutter. Maybe
Wal-Mart sells them. No fun there.

 

One idea that I just thought of uses a previously engraved dial. I would
turn a cylinder with the same OD as the dial. Then I would fill the grooves
in the dial with softened paraffin wax and strike off so the rest of the
surface is wax free. Then I would chill this dial while heating the cylinder
to be etched. By rolling them together, I hope to transfer the wax from dial
to cylinder. If that works, the etching process should be easy. I realize
this generates raised features rather than recesses but that might actually
be better. Since something like this works for printing, maybe there is
reason for hope here.

 

Has anyone tried this? Any warnings or suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Rick



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