Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Phil" <phil1960us@y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Mucha" <dave_mucha@y...>
> wrote:
> ....
> > When I got my T-TEch machine, it came with a couple sheets of 1oz 
dbl 
> > sided with a very white substrate.  the copper pealed off very 
> > easily.   So easy that it was easier to peal than to use the 
cutter 
> > to clear large sections of unused area.
> > 
> > The FR-4 I used next was next to impossible to peal and the CM-1 
I 
> > now use is very easy compared to FR4 but not quite as easy as the 
> > other stuff.
> 
> 
> Maybe this is a stupid question but why whould you want copper that
> peels off that easily?  I have enough trouble trying to AVOID 
lifting
> pads and traces that any gain from clearing large areas would be 
lost
> to damaged boards.  I want my copper to adhere very tightly. 
(there's
> a bad joke in there but I shall desist).   Wouldn't the large areas 
be
> better left as ground planes?
> 
> Phil


Check out the photos section, Daves Drill.  the third picture. 

Imagine if you wanted to remove all the copper with a mechanical 
etcher.  It would take hours and probably destroy the cutter in short 
order.

I get boards by mechanically etching the outlines and then pealing 
the excess copper.

The board in the foreground is partially pealed.

Imagine trying to only solder the pads around the excess copper.

This is the largest drawback with using mechanical etchers.

Dave