PCBs for Dummies

a. I live every aspect of my life with the presumption that I can do what the next guy can do with no tools or experience as long as I try really hard. To put it bluntly, I can’t. As the result of this predisposition, I usually try a new build, effort, or idea with none of the right equipment, and then I sequentially buy equipment piece by piece until I achieve my goal. This way, I spend relatively little on tools and materials, and rarely buy things I don’t really need.
b. Things you need based on my cheapskate efforts

i. Chemical Safety Goggles – the full wrap around kind. They’re like $3. If you’re not willing to buy these, move on to another hobby
ii. Thick rubber gloves that fit - $3 or 4
iii. PCB – I buy off eBay. There a fellow in NH that will sell you his leftovers by the pound. I bought 4 lbs of 2oz double sided PCB for $10 shipped! 4 lbs of PCB is a lot of PCB!
iv. HCl – I get this at the local hardware store for $4 a quart. It can be had a lot cheaper, but I live in Manhattan.
v. H2O2 – local drug store, buy by the quart - $2
vi. Toner transfer paper – Staples item 633215. I bought an open ream for $8. That’s more transfer paper than I can use in a lifetime.
vii. Acetone – Local hardware store ~$4
viii. Isopropyl Alcohol (NOT rubbing alcohol) ~$2
ix. A home iron – I had this already
x. A sharpie pen – I had this already
xi. Oven mitt – I had this
xii. Drill Press or Dremel (I had a Dremel, then bought a drill press)
xiii. 1500 grit sandpaper
xiv. Harbor Freight Micro Carbide drill bits - $4 with coupon
xv. Possibly Green TRF foil (I’m trying it for the first time this week) - $8.50 for a bunch of it

c. The design. Basically you need a pattern for printing your PCB. I was able to pull most of what I needed off the web. My first PCB was a Borbely pre-amp. Erno actually publishes the PCB patterns in his papers. In the case of the F5, Juma gave me a one sided PCB pattern and I was able to modify it in MS Paint to the pattern I wanted.

i. As I mentioned, I use Paint to make new traces, or erase traces, etc. If you want to get fancy, you can design from scratch with many of the free PCB design programs.
ii. After I save the pattern from Paint, I import it to Photoshop. In Photoshop, I set the image to 2400DPI and shrink or enlarge to the size I want (you need to match the distances of the legs of Mosfets, trimmers, etc. I then flip the image and print to the toner transfer paper (Staples item 633215)
d. Once I have the image on paper, I iron it to the PCB.
i. I first rough up the surface with the 1500 grit sandpaper
ii. Clean the surface with acetone until all dirt is off
iii. Place PCB on a stack of regular paper (20 or so sheets as a cushion underneath the PCB.
iv. Center the pattern where I want it on the PCBN (toner side to copper)
v. Hold the pattern in place with a oven mitted hand
vi. Iron the pattern in place, gently at first until it starts to stick to the copper, then I put my full body weight on the iron as I hold it in one place over the transfer paper.
vii. With the oven mitted hand, drop the PCB into HOT water
viii. Let sit for 30 min, and then gently rub the paper away with a finger tip.
ix. Use a toothbrush (soft) to get the last bits of paper off.
x. Let the board dry, fill in any defects with a Sharpie marker.
xi. (I may add Green TRF at this point)

e. Etching (wear goggles and gloves, perform in a well ventilated area)

i. Mix HCl with H2O2 (only add acid to H2O2, NEVER the other way round – I like living). The proportion I use is 2 parts H2O2 to one part HCl.
ii. I use a plastic coated 12 gauge copper Romex wire to make a PCB holder. I bend a loop in each end and use that to hold the PCB as I handle the board into the etchant. Put the PCB into the etchant.
iii. I jostle it around now and again.
iv. When the mixture turns dark black, you need to pour out the etchant and make a new batch. Some save the etchant and rejuvant it, I have not had luck with that method.
v. Eventually, you’ll be done etching

f. Take out your board, rinse in H2O
g. Dry
h. Use acetone to remove the toner from the copper
i. Use the Micro carbide bits to drill the PCB – I use a drill press, but before I had a drill press, I used a Dremel with the flexible shaft – both work well.
j. Now, I’d mentioned I bought two sided PCBs. I have made two sided boards. To do so I put holes in each pattern as fiducials to line up the patterns on the opposing sides of the board. Mostly, I make one sided patterns, and use the second side to write something decorative, like “Balanced F5”. As long as the decoration is not over important traces on the other side, you’re OK.