Philip Pemberton wrote:
>> After a very long break, we decided to experiment with making in-house 
>> PCBs.
>> Normally we design PCBs for production, and get protos from places like
>> 4pcb.com.
>
> ... "only problem is, it takes too frickin' long!"

Exactly! :) Plus, what's the fun in that?

It can also be more cost effective, as long as you don't have four people 
just standing there watching the fishtank for 15 minutes. ;)))


>> Last night we set up a makeshift lab, but ran into a small hiccup. This
>> morning, after a trip to Fry's Electronics to get the correct type of
>> developer, we developed & etched our first PCBs:
>>
>> http://maksimov.org/piclist/pcb_etching/pcb_etching.jpg
>
> Hm. Is that ammonium persulphate etchant? Not a fan of ferric chloride
> then, I guess?

Used probably more than a bathtubful of that nasty brown stuff back in the 
day.. Ammonium persulphate is so much nicer: you can see the PCB, it doesn't 
stain hands, clothes, or furniture, doesn't require the use of CLR after you 
dump it in the sink..


>> http://maksimov.org/piclist/pcb_etching/overcurrent_alarm.jpg
>
> Nice board. Did you immersion-tin it as well, or is that just the way
> the light's reflecting off the copper?

That's the green resist. The mfr said you can leave it on and solder through 
it, so we did.


>> I think the part that made it sound less attractive before, was the 
>> thought
>> of having to do all the drilling and the associated noise/dust/extra 
>> time.
>
> Which is why you go SMD. "Holes, what holes? For components? Why would I
> need those?"

:)


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