Homebrew PCBs

I just joined this group, as I have had the need lately to make quick
concept proto PCB's for clients, where there simply wasn't time to send them
out to a fab house to have made.

At first I tried perfboard, the kind with copper strips one way, ala
veroboard - that works, but if the circuit is not quite cast in stone and
needs fiddling with, you quickly end up with an intolerable christmas tree
mess.

I had some pres n peel blue sheets lying around, but for some reason my
laser printer decided to chew them up - didn't bother it a few years ago
when I first used the stuff. The actual PCB layout took maybe 2 hours.

In desperation, I printed the layouts on plain laser printer paper, ironed
that onto copperclad board and washed off the paper - not perfect, but quick
and in the same time it would take me to build up a circuit on perfboard, I
had workable etched boards. I'll never use perfboard ever again, unless it's
for a simple, known circuit.

My 2 cents.........

If I have to do this kind of sudden death construction much more often, I
will probably build a small milling/drilling machine, it will be worth the
trouble. In the distant past I bought on of those Neuractor kits, the frame
is a total and absolute waste of time, so I gave up on it. The motors,
leadscrews and bearings should be usable, so I just have to come up with a
simple to construct frame  - one day..........

Lukas Louw


> Hi John,
>
> Actually I DO use pref board.  I use it to try out new wire-wrap board
> layouts.  Press the wire-wrap sockets into the board anywhere, then when
> the sockets and other components all fit, it's quite simple to draw it
> into whatever CAD you need.  This guarentees that the parts needed will
> fit.  However, I'm always trying to cram N+1 parts onto a board!
>
> Alan  KM6VV