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CNC Circuit Boards for My CNC Router Table Mad Mod

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madjackghengis:
Hi Bernd, you mentioned making your own board, and deciding against it, because of the acids and such, I used to work at a burglar alarm factory and we made all our own boards for proto-types, and it was pretty easy, not too messy, and not much danger.  We got a positive film image done by a photo shop, used black double sided copper board, sprayed photo etch resist on it, laid the film image on the board in a glass faced frame to hold it steady, took it out and left it in the sun for a minute or two, then etched it using ferric cloride, which doesn't work as fast as sulfuric acid, but with an air pump from a home aquarium, bubbling through the solution, it would etch and eight by twelve sheet of boards in a couple of hours at most.  The hardest part was drilling out the hundreds of holes using carbide drills, as they are all that will live through fiberglass board material for very long.  On some of our boards, we went as far as dip tinning them in a solder pot before assembly for higher current capacity and easier soldering.  I'll admit, I haven't done it since 1982, but for one off circuits, it's still a good way to go cheaply. :headbang: mad jack

Bernd:
Mad Jack,

What you just desribed I have done when my interest in making circuit boards was high on my list of things to learn how to do at home. I still have some of the chemicals around to do boards. I think I'll design them but have a board house do them. There's a place in CA. that you send your board design via e-mail and in a couple of days you have your boards. More on this once I get a bit more info.

On a side note and a bit  :offtopic: I've noticed that I have more projects started than I'll probably have time to finish in the next several years. Guy's like you and Don Squire will keep me on my toes and honest about my forgotten projects that I need to get done.  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Regards,
Bernd

madjackghengis:
Bernd, that very problem is one of the reasons I'm on this forum, as I have a "Tiny Power" Ajax steam engine partially started, two different Stirling engines partially completed, a radial engine which only got proper attention once I got on this forum, an 18 seventy something shaper to rebuild and put back on line, a similarly aged LeBlonde lathe needing a rebuild, and a few other projects needing me to get a kick in the pants to get back on, so I expect some pressure from you as well.  I appreciate the info about the board service, I haven't made a board since the internet came into existence, I think the last one I made was in 82 or so.  I want to get into casting some things, but I'm not going to get that going until I get some of these other projects done.  This is particularly important since all too often, what I need to do next is fix a machine or some problem on a machine, to move forward on projects on hold.  The cam for the radial engine is on a rotary table indicated in, and waiting for a milling cutter to arrive, to cut the cam lobes.  Anyhow, we can kick each other from time to time, and maybe get half of what we started, done before that last call. :lol: mad jack

Bernd:
Ok Mad Jack I'm in. We'll kick each other to keep those projects going.

Let me gather that info for you the circuit boards. Ah, just found it on my other computer. Here's the link. Express PCB Free PC layout software
You download their software, design the board, send the finished design to them via e-mail and they send you the boards in a few days.

I started the Gingery charcoal furnace many years ago. Then I converted it to a propane fired one with a Ron Reil burner. Here's Ron's foundry page. Foundry Page

I'm afraid to add up all my projects I've started.

Bernd

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