How to make a PCB

[Tyzonization]

helo, how to paint pcb to protect copper.

[shootbootleg]

great one. you can use a soap bar for the saw not to brake... you probably knew that...soap bar it now and then...

[javapda]

@shootbootleg good comment. thank you.

[vinsth]

really very nice and helpful video :)

thanks for sharing :)

[javapda]

@vinsth glad you liked it. thank you for the nice comment.

[WhatTheFeatherTV]

incredible how somebody would know how to do this, good work and thank you!

[javapda]

@WhatTheFeatherTV Thank you for the kind comment.

[kirtikumarkasat]

this video is good for students like me..wantd to know a little more..

[javapda]

@kirtikumarkasat thank you for the kind words.

[skaufhali]

Excellent video. I drill after etching for many reasons. 1. It is hard to clean all etching fluid out of the holes, what remains may corrode the component pins. 2. Holes in etched pads guide the drill so you don´t need to punch a guiding hole - saves time. For better guidance modify the pads/holes in the drawing software to have smaller holes, the original holes are full size for production. 3. Punching may damage bonding of copper to laminate. 4. Use sharp drills, a dull drill overheats pads.

[shivaniits]

pretty cool enjoyed it thanks so much sharing!wanna ask can i do this(transfer of circuit design to copper clad)using regular paper instead of peel n press paper?

[berkeliumk]

Can this make thin SMT tracks?

[jgshanahan]

Excellent video, well communicated. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Its been a great help.

[javapda]

@jgshanahan Glad you enjoyed it.

[MARKO97J]

Can you do that wight regular paper.

[SanFranciscoCircuits]

Pretty comprehensive video..well done!

As a design, fab and assembly boardhouse, we get a lot of questions that this video may not answer regarding board design

PCBfree has some good free design resources and the book "fabricating printed circuit boards" is also very clear and concise for those looking for further resources.

And a final shameless plug: we have a new section on our website entitled PCB school with some free monthly resources.

- VB

San Francisco Circuits

[fevimaster]

PCB: Perfect Cherry Blossom. *runs*

[saledigitalac]

Im a wrong, or the scheme of the pcb (the picture on the paper) is turned to iron, but not on to board, while transfering it? I do not want to desstroy that expensive paper.?? Many thanks, sory for english

[koeno100fx]

lol sims music at the beginning.... good old times

[javapda]

@koeno100fx :-)

[antonyr123]

@javapda program proper pissed me off :( only trying to make some dam LED boards!

[mageepaddy]

I dont think it's worth using etching methods anymore, the cost of professional prototypes has fell through the floor. Check either pcbcart or myropcb, plenty of others too.

[javapda]

@mageepaddy Thanks for the tip.

[saifpato]

than'x very much

[saifpato]

thanks

[javapda]

@saifpato you're welcome

[insanegeniuses]

for drilling, if you can get the drill bit farther into the chuck then it will wander less.

[orefat]

I don't want to be rude or insult you, but did you soaked your hands into the chemicals? They sure look like that.

[javapda]

@orefat LOL, thanks you made my day. No, sadly they look that way naturally. Again, thanks for making laugh.

[ConFuZeD1000]

This is going to seem like a really stupid question, but could I trace the schematic onto the board without having to buy the press n peel paper?

[javapda]

@ConFuZeD1000 Yes, you could trace out some etchant block on the copper clad board and then etch away. And for simple schematics that may be appropriate. But for more complex circuits, where there are many traces, and the traces are close together (very concentrated) you'll be happier you went with something like this process.

Good luck.

[KX36]

@ConFuZeD1000 pages from glossy magazines also work OK, just print on a relatively white part like a block of text, iron it onto the board and then soak in water to break up the paper while leaving the toner.

[lyczewskiand]

i use sodium persulfate Na2S2O8 for etching, and i use slick BOND PAPER for transfering the routes

[boywithadolphin]

When drilling the board use a bit of .1 inch matrix board as a quide for the drill. Board should also be drilled after etching as you could damage the transfer.

It is also better to make a transfer with wider tracks as this makes the feric cloride last longer.

[javapda]

@boywithadolphin Thank you for the tips!

[LightVendetta]

dude what kind of paper did you use?? i can't understand ur voice... thanks...

[H3ADSH0TER]

@LightVendetta My teacher advised me to use acetate paper, however im still building the circuit and im not sure of it ;)

[LightVendetta]

@H3ADSH0TER thanks, we used acetate for our pcb design it's fantastic :D

[ventureelect]

Use tin snips for cutting way faster. Also make your own etchant at home instead of buying it. .No steel wool , scotch brite is the best.

[javapda]

@ventureelect Make your own etchant...interesting

[ventureelect]

Use tin snips for cutting way faster. Also make your own etchant at home instead of buying it. .

[o0oD4n1so0o]

ur soldering skills are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zzmook]

@o0oD4n1so0o - I was going to say, he was doing so well then OMG!!!! 

[rainbowsalads]

hello is there a special layer or print version from eagle for this type of pcb work? i have just made a simple led circuit in eagle but mine has component symbols instead of drill holes like yours ; ./

great video by the way nice and smooth .: )

[javapda]

@rainbowsalads Not sure about what you are asking.

Thank you.

[rainbowsalads]

@javapda its o.k, i had the silk screen layer enabled , ( the silk screen is a combination of component symbols and values to help guide whilst soldering onto the pcb) All i had to do was disable all layers but the pads/drill holes and and also the bottom routing wires/lines.

[LinkwitzRiley]

@rainbowsalads I think you just have to view the right layers. TOP or BOTTOM, instead of torigin borigin tposition bposition and so on...

[Yodarius]

@rainbowsalads

Are you sure you switched to board from the schematic?

In the board layout you can disable layers at Vieuw, only vieuw the layers you need to print.

[rainbowsalads]

@Yodarius

its o.k , i had not yet found the panel that highlights the various layers, top , bottom, vias, pads etc...

seems fine now, : )

[Elcosmicstar1]

Love your intro music, reminds me of a Sims game. However, if you etch the board first, the components pin hole would be etched out, this eliminate the need for the nail punch and the bit shifting when starting to drill and will greatly increase the life span of the bit. Running the drill at a slower speed or just fast enough to drill the board (copper is already etch away) also prevents drill bit tip from burning hence added longer life for the drill bit.

[javapda]

@Elcosmicstar1 good point, thanks

[sparky3489]

Ah! DO NOT use steel wool to clean copper clad. The thin green Scotch-Brite scouring pads made by 3M is a better solution. Steel wool will embed steel into the copper. You should really etch first then drill holes. The etched holes will be a guide for the drill. You can also heat the etchant in the microwave and use a bubbler & tank for excellent results.

[javapda]

@sparky3489 So true! Thanks for the great comments.

[wickedpenguinbox]

Thats for the instruction video. But your soldering is pretty shocking and you have the drilling around the wrong way. Etching is first

[alvagoldbook2]

wow! I didn't realize this was so easy to do! So where can you buy the raw copper material?

[javapda]

@alvagoldbook2 You can get copper clad material from most electronics stores.

[veryfuck]

i dont really understand this technique. can someone please clarrify and explain:

if you make this circuit on the board to protect it from the ferric chloride, how do you prevent the tracks to be conducting with eachother? i mean the copper plate is conducting in itself right? meaning short circuiting everything!

im fimiliar with circuit boards: being green nonconducting boards with copper tracks on it to make connections. so i dont understand this...

please someone help. i feel very stupid

[MrGrumpyGinger]

@veryfuck after you use the chemicals after heatsetting the board design. the blue printed sheet thing protects the copper from the chemical cleaning process.

[Elcosmicstar1]

@veryfuck Don't feel stupid, everyone of us at sometime did not understand anything in the world. I don't quite understand your question so I will explain the process.

1) The press-n-peel paper has a coating that does not stick strongly to the plastic backing .

2) When you use a program to create a layout pattern (in this case Eagle) set the program to print a "mirror" image of your pattern.

3) Laser printer toner has plastic in it, so when it is printed on the press-n-peel paper, the plastic

[Elcosmicstar1]

@veryfuck is melted onto the press-n-peel surface.

4)By using a hot iron to transfer the pattern to the board, what you are doing is heating the plastic until it melts. The molten plastic then sticks to the copper along with the paper. Because it bonds much stronger to the copper than to the coating of the press-n-peel surface, when pulled apart,the pattern leaves the plastic.

5) Etching acid does not dissolve plastic so all unprinted areas are dissolved leaving only the pattern.

Hope this help.

[thunderboympm]

what is that blue paper?

is there any special in that paper?

help me anyone.

[jaykeymen]

what go you make?

[simarp1955]

Dude, first etching then drilling!

[electriengineer]

@simarp1955 I was wondering the same thing. To each his own, I guess.

[DoNotuseEbid]

I bet hes Ginger!

[happygamestvfun1]

@DoNotuseEbid case his hands?

[aashima91]

aha!! awesome!!beautiful PCB!

[bebelica]

This guy is not a pro... can't even cut the pcb straight :P

[altium1]

Stupid guy with not sharpened drill, who NOT explain some important: what is kind of paper, what is printer, etc.

[altium1]

Stupid guy, who not explain important: what is kind of paper (very important!), what is printer, etc.

[pedro800m]

hmm . so how did your wife feel about you using ferric chloride in her kitchen ? lol . you wouldnt want to screw that one up = P

[javapda]

@pedro800m Definitely be careful with the Ferric Chloride - it stains most surfaces.

[veryfuck]

@javapda you are right. my gold bar i keep in the kitchen is completly corroded by this awfull stuff, really to be carefull with.

[stefke72yamaha]

might be a dumb question, but how do you get multiple pcb's on one page?

[javapda]

@stefke72yamaha Remember that you are effectively printing a picture to the blue paper. So if you have some software (like photoshop) you should be able to simply make a large canvas and make multiple copies - then print to the paper.

Hope that helps.

[vishekshahi]

yo u dumbo jst copy paste d image

[vishekshahi]

yo u dumbo jst cpy pste d imge

[geoper2]

use a dremel tool for the cutting its really easier and faster ;P

[MEDiumInc]

Including the drill bits, copper sheets, press n peel, the Feric chloride How much did this cost? Just wondering because i want to give this a try but i dont have any of the materials on hand. Hope you look at my reply. Thanks for the comprehensive video, i understand so much better now!

[MrJANTJE123]

@MEDiumInc i want to know that to!!

[Viniter24]

@MEDiumInc I looked in my local e-shop and I estimate cost up to 7€ (8,5$) excluding drill bits and any tools.

100 x 75 mm copper circuit board - 0,58€ (it's generally cheap, may be better buy bigger piece and then cut it)

Press-n-Peel foil - 2,08€ for a single A4 sheet (I haven't found paper like his, that one may be cheaper, that foil is really overpriced I think)

Ferric Chloride - 3,93€ one liter (not cheap, but you can use it several times)

[fabioguarin]

olle somo se llama esa segueta men me podrías pasar el nombre

[gir489]

Your fingers are REALLY close to that drill.

[javapda]

@gir489 I guess it might look that way from the angle of the camera. But by maintaining pressure on the top of the PCB material the process is pretty safe. :-)

[megalomania345]

I'm trying Kicad - you can do with it what you want cause it's open source...

[javapda]

@megalomania345 How does kicad work for you? Thanks for letting me know about it. :-)

[yrkreddy10]

very nice vedio

[javapda]

@yrkreddy10 Thank you very much.

[Sally1287]

Thank u !!

This video helped me n my frnd a lot!!! :D

[javapda]

@Sally1287 I am pleased it helped you and your friend.

[eviltwinzzz]

I know Digikey is one vendor to pick up these types of materials

[barfpoocom]

If you etch the board before drilling, you won't need to punch each hole. The pad will guide the drill bit

[javapda]

@barfpoocom Good point. Thanks.

[savkekg]

Copper conducts electricity, so how will electricity follow the path thath we have made on PCP???

can somebody explain that to me????

[spookymcfuzzy]

@savkekg I'm not sure if you watched the whole video. The blue paper is where the copper is going to be, after he put the ferric chloride on it, he got rid of the blue paper trail and and was left with the trail of copper where the electricity flows through.

[chickenpoper]

could you reuse the ferric chloride ? cuase it looks expensive

[javapda]

@chickenpoper Yes you can. I usually run my leftovers through a coffee filter and reuse it. Hope that helps.

[TheaterGeek2007]

Sorry, I'm not judging, but I'm an inspector for an electronic assembly plant, and dude, I'm sorry, but I would send back your board for multiple solder defects. Also, you should have used flux for a better connection and to guarantee that there was no contamination. Again, I'm sorry, but years of trainingand experience, things like that sort of irk me.

[javapda]

@TheaterGeek2007 Actually you are judging :-) and that's ok. I appreciate the advice.

One thing I have learned is that there are some great technicians who do far superior soldering work. I have since improved, hopefully. The biggest lesson, for me, is the value of a clean tip!

Thanks again for watching.

[TheaterGeek2007]

I didn't mean to judge, I just observe. I guess that's why they made me an inspector.

[javapda]

@TheaterGeek2007 No problem. :-)

[GRACEOVERGRACE]

theatergeek i messed up one of my trace on a convergence board, do you know how to wire jump the trace, i dont feel like using that conductive pen, do you have less expensive way?

[Chrls5]

he should've

[KittyRokher]

What kind of paper did he put the design on?

[umairwahid1]

magzine paper is best i use

[KittyRokher]

but how do you get it on there? i dont wanna spedn $30 dollars for that press-n-peel crap, but i dont know how to get magazine paper on there.

[CharlieMoher]

Great video and thanks for sharing. Three questions though:

Where do we get Eagle Board Layout and how much does it cost ?

I don't have a laser printer. Will it work with inkjet ?

Many have asked, what is this press and peel paper and where do we get it ? Thanks again.

[smrp1984]

Eagle basic version is free, there is a limit on the size of board you can make, I think it is about 2X4". If you want a board larger then you can purchase the full version for a reasonable price. Also, no ink jet will now work, there is plastic in the toner for a laser printer and that is what works as the resist. You can go to a copy store and have it printed there for about $0.10 a page.

[CharlieMoher]

Ya... I got that all sorted out thanks. Unfortunately that Eagle program took a schematic and made one hell of of a rat's nest board requiring all kinds of "air wires". The exact same schematic as board artwork was offered in the web article and only required one "air wire" or alternatively top side trace. What I mean to say is that Eagles "Rat's Nest" function and Autoroute don't seem to come up with an optimized board trace at all.

[RealRicko]

Nice, thanks for sharing....

I will try it in a few weeks, hopefully i'll be sucessfull.

as "ptlraven" asked: What's a "press n peel" paper?

[javapda]

@RealRicko Press-n-Peel is an emultion paper.

[RealRicko]

Aaah, Thanks a lot :)

Got it, i'm trying my first boards these days.

Bye, Ricko

(Germany)

[circuitdotlt]

The drilling part should be done AFTER the etching, not before. You may want to look at my way of doing it (please use automatic translation):

circuit lt/?section=patarimai&page=pcb

[phector2004]

im new to this, so im wondering, what difference does it make?

[circuitdotlt]

1. drilling next to fragile coating will damage it and you will be unable to get a quality trace.

2. It is a lot easier to drill to etched "hole"

[ptlraven]

What a kind of paper is "press n peel"? I'm not familiarized with english terms. Tanks.

[johnghadlington]

great video bit too much drilling and cutttting footage and er ,,your soldering sucks a little or at least i hope you cleaned up the excess

[javapda]

@johnghadlington So true...so sadly true :-). Thanks for watching.

[atomicboy222]

this is a "how to make a pcb video" so yeah he tells you/shows you how to do it

[dercebe]

Great vid and explanation. One small improvement could be to drill the holes after etching. This has two advantages. First, no chance to scratch your toner coating accidantially, second you then can use the eagle's "drill aid" feature , which works great to center the drillbit without the need of a center punch.... but requires etching of course.

Thanks for uploading this!

[javapda]

@dercebe Great points! Thank you.

[hockey14822]

It look like an expensive procedure. What I mean is, this video is showing that you have to buy a drill, and an iron, ect. I thought it would be more practical, I guess not.

[hockey14822]

*looks

[javapda]

@hockey14822 Yes, I could see how it might look that way. But the individual pieces can be acquired pretty economically.

[riffraff60]

If you'r just starting, there is a bit of an outlay. But really, most people have an iron and anyone with a workshop will have a drill or Dremel. The drill press is nice but not vital.

[andrei128]

You don't have an iron and access to a laser printer ? Geez ...

[danrulz555]

what you can do is use a Daylo pen(circuit marker) to draw out thr copper parts then etch, of course it wont look nice but it works

[floatncoffee]

i didnt know black n decker made an iron!!

[javapda]

@floatncoffee LOL, me too.

[lapulapu12345]

nice

[javapda]

@lapulapu12345  Thank you very much.

[moh199702]

does it have to be an laser printer

[javapda]

It has to be a printer with a drum, like those in a laser printer.

[DANNYTOPDOG]

i like making stuff with leds has anyone got any ideas?

[unicyclst]

well i dont know how much you know but make a blinking led circuit with a 555 timer... sorry if thats way to basic for you...

[campbellhyde08]

this paper broke my laser printer

[ajatkinson2004]

lol

[xxDoubLePedaLxx]

yeah it is.

Thanks again man :D

[amza4u]

hi,everyone I would like to know what I set the printer paper type for Press n peel ?

Like is it glossy 160g/m2 or what?

[javapda]

I usually use a setting like "other high-quality papers"

[xxDoubLePedaLxx]

a radio. but the design i use is from my teacher

[javapda]

Sounds like a good project.

[viniciusguedes03]

someone could tell me what was the paper used, I have great urgency... thanks!!

[javapda]

look at the papers offered by techniks com

[xxDoubLePedaLxx]

thanks!

I finally finished my project :DD

[javapda]

Way to go! What did you make?

[Y22DTH]

Nice Work Man. Thank´s!

[javapda]

You're welcome.

[lightningbolt33]

ty man it worked!!!!

[javapda]

Glad to hear it! Congratulations.

[TheCJSM]

Soder Its pronounced -Sowlder- not Sawrder

[JVBKing]

i dont think it would be a good idea to wash something that small in a sink without that strainer thingy

[javapda]

Good point :-)

[JVBKing]

i mean you don't want drop it in there or you haft to start again

[javapda]

:-) That would not be good.  And the PCB in this video would have fit in the sink hole.

Again, good point. Thanks.

[starlino]

- Steel wool would leave some oxidation residue , so brillo green pads are better (according to Pulsar transfer paper instructions)

- The toner can be cleaned from the etched board with acetone

- To hold parts in place while soldering I use blue-tack , it's a sticky gummy substance, but cleans nicely with a bigger piece, the one used to mount posters on wall , Elmers has it in red-orange color wich is great, avoid Staples brand it doesn't work. Ace Hardware brand is so-so.

[javapda]

Blue-tack...hmmm. I'll have to see what that is all about.

Thank you for the great tips.

[starlino]

- you can save etchant solution (and the environment), by mixing it with 1/2 hot watter use a glass/plastic (not metal!) container with a lid so you can agitate better without the risk of spilling anything. Some people even place the pcb in zip-lock bags and then rub it with their fingers (make the zip-lock double to be safe), round-off the cornes of pcb to avoid puncture of the bag

[javapda]

Thanks again.

[starlino]

Very nice tutorial I would like to sugget the following:

- cutting PCB is so much easier with aviator snips, does a cleaner job too

- instead of iron try a laminator GBC brands work great

- try the pulsar transfer paper instead of tekniks I have both pulsar is better

[javapda]

Great comments!  Thank you.

[dealmister11]

wow thats awesome stuff, where did you get the drill from?

[javapda]

Thank you. The drill is a dremel on a dremel drill-press mount.

[Emfanever]

very nice video! good work

[javapda]

Thank you

[moheyelbaz]

good work ;)

the pest

[javapda]

Thank you very much.

[startercable]

hello javapda ..it is realy nice work u did..i like to say that im using a little paint prush to remove a solder from old PCBs.

[javapda]

Thank you.

[omglolfart]

Hey thanks for the really clear video. I have just discovered eagle tonight, what a wonderful piece of software.

[javapda]

Happy to hear it was helpful! Yes, Eagle is a terrific piece of software!

[dragons2k100]

why cant i steam my copper paper iron thing? i have no clue what you made but its well made sir congrats! stay away from alquida btw. lol.

[javapda]

Not sure what you mean by 'steam'-ing your copper paper iron?

Thanks for the kind comments.

[weylin6]

That looks like a lot of work!

How do you secure components for soldering? I've always had trouble with that.

Also, when extracting components from a discarded device, such as one from a junkyard, what method would you recommend for removing them from the board?

I like to salvage stuff :P

[javapda]

Securing the components can be done by slightly bending the leads on the solder-side of the pcb. Or even by using some glue stick or tape.

For removing / salvaging (I like it too :-)) I use a combination of solder-iron and solder wick. You put the wick on the solder and then the iron on top of the wick. It usually comes off cleanly.

Another option is just an iron and a solder-sucker.

If you find some other useful techniques, please let me know.

Thanks.

[weylin6]

Well, I was thinking, if there was an attachment, like a large metal block you could press against the pins of, say, a 14 pin IC, to simultaneously melt the solder so you can pull it straight out, that would be handy to have. It would mean you wouldn't have to mess with removing the solder, and just get the component out.

I've never actually made a PCB board before (Never really had anything I wanted or needed to make)

Btw, what kind of circuit did you make? I can't identify the parts

[javapda]

Nice concept! You may have an invention in your mind there.

The circuit in the video was a controller for a remote controlled (R/C) car.

[jrcboy]

Dirty iron, makes for hard work trying to solder. also a separate source of flux makes it much faster and easier.

[TucsonSystems]

Thank you for the tips. You are so right :-)

[oqla2000]

thanks for posting this , now i will buy the stuff and fix my motor control pcb thanks another time