Homebrew PCBs

I've been making PCB's for quite some time for projects at work.  I 
use Protel.  Whenever I had to make a PCB for myself, I would always 
go with $33 special from 4PCB.  I recently figured I would give this 
whole - make your own PCB a try - would make prototyping circuits much 
easier, especially since most of ICs nowadays are SMD.  My question is 
this - are the home-made PCBs any good?  I saw some pictures, and it 
looks pretty good when it comes to DIPs, and big power traces, but I 
haven't really seen many SMT parts (apart from a few SOIC).  I'm 
working with DSP's, and flash memories, so we're talking mostly TSOPs 
here, and LQFPs.  Has anyone tried making LQFP-176 with these things?  
How about TSOP-48?  I use 8mil traces, and 26mil (pad) vias, with a 10 
mil diameter holes.  Is there any home method that would give me 
acceptable results, and is less than what I currently pay?

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 04:44:54 +0200, microprose21 <microprose21@...>  
wrote:

> I've been making PCB's for quite some time for projects at work.  I
> use Protel.  Whenever I had to make a PCB for myself, I would always
> go with $33 special from 4PCB.  I recently figured I would give this
> whole - make your own PCB a try - would make prototyping circuits much
> easier, especially since most of ICs nowadays are SMD.  My question is
> this - are the home-made PCBs any good?  I saw some pictures, and it
> looks pretty good when it comes to DIPs, and big power traces, but I
> haven't really seen many SMT parts (apart from a few SOIC).  I'm
> working with DSP's, and flash memories, so we're talking mostly TSOPs
> here, and LQFPs.  Has anyone tried making LQFP-176 with these things?
> How about TSOP-48?  I use 8mil traces, and 26mil (pad) vias, with a 10
> mil diameter holes.  Is there any home method that would give me
> acceptable results, and is less than what I currently pay?


other than the 10 mil holes there shouldn't be problems.
Of course you don't get throughhole plating, so vias are some work to  
solder.

ST