Should I use .032" or .062" copper clad to make my own PCBs?
In all of the tutorials for making your own PCBs, I've never seen the thickness of the copper discussed. Does one work better than the other for home etchings? I plan to use muriatic acid.
Side note: does RadioShack still carry copper clad in stores? It's not on the website anymore, and I don't go to RS on a regular basis to check.
Side note: does RadioShack still carry copper clad in stores? It's not on the website anymore, and I don't go to RS on a regular basis to check.
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0.062 FR4 is pretty standard. 032 can flex a bit more, which can lead to breakages. due to mechanical strain. It's quite useful in certain situations, but for anyone who has to ask, I'd say stick with 062 FR4 until you actually need 032. The etching properties are mainly based on the thickness of the copper, not the thickness of the substrate
Jan 29, 2010. 7:35 AMRe-design
says:
I can still get blank boards at the three RS's that I have near me. They are double sided though.
Frys has a good selection of blank boards if you're near one.
Frys has a good selection of blank boards if you're near one.
BTW, 1/2oz or 1oz copper foil should be about right for home production. 2 oz and higher is more common in power circuitry (I've used 4 oz copper in the past, but was doing it with an milling operation inhouse for 28V battery pack PCBs I designed while at NASA back in the 1990s.. Externally mfg'd boards were 2oz or less. I think that board houses overplate when boosting the copper thickness, rather than etching the thicker material to start.
One nice thing about 032 is that you can make your own multilayered boards with careful forethought, precision, and a bit of ingenuity.
One nice thing about 032 is that you can make your own multilayered boards with careful forethought, precision, and a bit of ingenuity.
Thanks...I had assumed that it was referring to the thickness of the copper, and now that I think about it, .062" of copper would be ridiculously thick. I guess my real question is what thickness copper should be used, which you also answered. Thanks!
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