Newsgroups: sci.electronics.misc
Subject: Re: Home made PCB
References: 
"Dan Messenger"  writes:

> Hi,
> I've been making electronic circuits for a while, mostly using Vero 
> Board / Strip Board for final construction. I really wanna move on 
> and start making my own PCBs.

For information on this field take a look at 
http://www.epanorama.net/links/basics.html#pcb

> How expensive is the equipment for this? My boards will probably be 
> no bigger than a few inches square.

This depends on the process you plan to use, how good equipment 
you want etc.. 

Tou can start making simple circuit boards with tools 
that cost less than 100 Euros. But using those you can't 
get best quality, there is lots of hand work and slow process..

For best quality you need much more expensive tools. 

> What is the cheapest way to get me started in this? Can anybody 
> recommend any UK suppliers of equipment? What equipment do I need?

I do not have a recommendation for cheap UK supply. 
You can get all the needed thigns from RS Components 
http://www.rs-components.com/index.html but this is not 
a cheap place to buy many things. But they have 
a very good selection of all kinds of electronics items.

For ideas what tools you need read article links on circuit 
board making at http://www.epanorama.net/links/basics.html#pcb

Tools for normal "photocopy" method are the following:

- photo sensitive circuit board material
- suitable UV light source for transfering image from "film" to
  the cirucit board
- suitable development solution (typically NaOH) and suitable 
  thigns where you can do the development and store chemicals
- suitable etchant (Ferricloride, etc..) and suitable container 
  where you ca do the etching
- small drill with sutiable bits to drill tho holes to circuit board 
  (a suitable drill holder is a good idea to have)

Those are the basic tools. 
And the "film" can be for example a cirucit board layout on 
maghazine page, circuit board image printed to paper, 
printed/photocopied to transparency film etc..

 

-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/