DIY Customized Circuit Board (PCB Making)

Today I'm going to show you how to make your very own customized PCB (printed circuit board). All you need are some materials and tools like a: PCB board, A bottle of Ferric Chloride, A mini drill, A small container, A bottle of thinner and Some plastic tweezers. Making your own circuit board only takes a snap, what you need is 30-45 minutes of time. I thought of posting this Instructable since there are only few articles out here in the site about making a customized circuit board

It is so easy even a 13 year old kid can make one !!!! ^_^ !!!!!

P.C.B. (Printed Circuit Board)

What are PCBs ?

PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive board. Components are connected through the conductive material below a non conductive board, the common conductive material used in packaged PCBs are usually copper, since copper is cheap and common.

Why Use Customized PCBs Instead of Ready Made Project Board?
First, because the board will be more compact because your design as well is made to be compact. Second, it's more convenient to use, since you can decide where to put space on your board. And last, the board will be stronger unlike those ready made project boards are full of holes everywhere, making ready made boards weaker.

How Do We Make Them ?

Usually you print your circuit design indirectly to your board, you print it on a glossy paper, photo paper or magazine paper. Let me remind you that before you print you should use a laser printer or a photocopying machine, using of inkjet printer will not work. After you had printed your circuit board design you will iron the printed design over the copper side of the PCB, ironing it above the copper side of the board will transfer the ink, from the glossy paper to the PCB board. The ink serves as the protective layer to cover the copper part that shouldn't be etched. Then after transferring the ink to the PCB board you will have to dip the PCB board to a etching solution like Ferric Chloride for 15 minutes. After etching it you might have to rinse the PCB board with water to remove the etching solution. After rinsing it you should remove the remaining ink with thinner, to uncover the uneched copper part. After removing the ink you will need to dill holes for your components to be soldered on the board. And last but not least just solder your components of your customized board and your done!!!

How does the procedure work?

Since the etching solution only works with metal and not with ink, you transfer ink to the copper side of the PCB be so that a certain pattern on your PCB board gets etched and the inked part doesn't
Notice:

The video below is not mine!!

Its the courtesy of javapda.
The Peel n Press paper mention can be substituted with a magazine paper or photo paper.

 

Step 1: Tools & Materials

Here are the tools and material that you are going to need.

Tools:
- Mini Drill (Dremel)
- Flat Iron
- Laser Printer / Photocopying Machine
- Latex Gloves
- Eye Protection

Materials:
- Etching Solution (Ferric Chloride)
- PCB Board
- Fine Tipped Marker
- Ruler (optional)
- Magazine Paper / Glossy Paper
- Plastic Tweezers / Plastic Straws 
- Small Piece of Cloth
- Sanding Paper

Where To Buy: (click on the material to see where to buy)
- PCB Board
- Ferric Chloride 
- Sanding Paper
- Dremel
- Plastic Tweezers
- Latex Gloves
- Eye Protection
- Laser Printer

Comments

[icekid]

Nice Job !!!! Works great :)))

[simbu.rm]

Very good work.....

[Mr. Scruff]

great. just what i needed. Thx!

[dex3844]

Was looking for an instructable just like this one - Thanks big time
:)

[matt.e.jenkins]

I always wanted to try this. Thanks for the step-by-step. Great Job!

[profpat]

nice ible! hope people out there will like it too!

[lourens01]

Just what I've been looking for. Great for once-off projects.
Good job. :)

[agis68]

thanx for this instructable...

[mrmerino]

Ok, look....
I don't mind taking directions from a kid. I'm 15 myself.
But... emoticons? Declaring your age in big red text?
Ok.

[mrmerino]

I'm really sorry about what i said. I just get weird about kids declaring their age on the internet. It's not a paranoia thing, it's just... it's complicated. Whatever. Great job! Would read again!

[ASCAS]

I've started this when i was 10 years old, thats why my username is "angelo10" I already startedto solder circuits when i was 7-8 years old :))

[joespicnictables]

I think I might try this! Never tried etching a PCB board...

[cyberviper42]

Good instructable. You've got the right blend of pictures and text.

Just from a principals point of view i would use a glass container for the etching process rather than a plastic one. Glass is less likely to react with chemicals. Even if Ferric Chloride doesn't react with plastic, having a good glass container is useful for other projects.

[ASCAS]

Thank! I'l use glass instead.

[ASCAS]

Try it, its fun!

[ndela roca]

Can i buy ferric chloride and pcb board (copper board) here in philippines ???

[spikec]

Awesome Instructable, thanks!

[andrea biffi]

Are you sure about Powerpoint? I think it's only to make presentations...

[Aperture Laboratories]

will this work with an ink-jet printer?

[WWC]

Would the layout have to be inverted for it to come out correctly on the board?

[diy_bloke]

depends on yr program. Fritzing in one layer mode prints a PCB layout that is suitable for direct transfer.
However, if you realize that the printed side will be directly making contact with the cover, then you know that what is printed, will be mirrorred on the cover

[sokamiwohali]

what size drill bit did you use?

[ASCAS]

I think its a 1-2 mm drill bit.

[njrajgelani]

From where did you get this tiny drill machine??
Can i make one for me???

[ASCAS]

I used a rotary tool. Like a Dremel, although mine is a generic one, it has no brand.

[fahadshihab]

Dear Author,
If you are free please take a look at my Instructable.
"NEW PCB-CHECK IT OUT"

[Darkwisdom]

I've got plastic pipes, like a push pipe system, the solution wouldn't ruin plastic pipes?

[jborgne]

Im 30 and just got into this, Im gonna try this with your instruct,


thanks,

[ASCAS]

Good luck !!! Hope this works for you :))

[orangetj]

Before you Start, Let me remind you
I am a 13 year old kid !!!! ^_^ !!!!!
teenagers ftw

[ajinkyadixit]

hey congrats........nice project.............
i m from india & i m BE student in IT
try his upgradation ........
never use the magazine paper or any similer kind. use only TRANSPERENT OHP(OverHeadProjector) SHEETS which r available everywhere. it produces u r pcb of high quality with highest degree of fineness & sharpness it DOSEN'T needs the marker to repaint the artwork again on ckt board because OHP sheet completely transfers all & all the toner on ckt board either it contains tiny & smallest artwork or biggest artwork but it works very very better than magazine paper.it will save u r laser printer from damaging,saves time,saves money & gives highest quality pcb. for more details visit to link :
[SUHAS'S BLOG]--http://iamsuhasm.wordpress.com/tutsproj/making-pcbs/

also see homemade PCB driller on same link

[ewilliams13]

which way round does the template go on the board, ink side down or paper side down cos one will be the negative of the board you initially wanted and could be a problem. Nice ible though

[ASCAS]

the ink side should be facing the paper :)))

[ewilliams13]

Thanks

[shakespeare1212]

Um, you think, maybe there's a chance this will ruin your metal drain pipes? Yes, I think so. I would rinse it in a large tub of water, and then pour the substance into a large plastic jug, and take it to a hazardous waste round up. OR pour a lot of baking soda into the ferric acid to nutralize it. I am not a chemist, but I think these points are valid, an lab techs / chemists want to chime in here?

[ASCAS]

yeah it ruins it :))) well since our tubings on our bathrooms in our 1st floor is made out of plastic, it wont be ruined, but the only problem is how do i dispose ferric chloride properly ?? probably it will disintegrate when dumped on the ground :)) still researching on that. hope i find new solution :)) well nice point of yours

[osgeld]

I don't think the chemicals are nearly as bad as the copper dissolved in it, a lot of people let it dry out and properly dispose of the dried crud.

as far as drains, this stuff takes up to an hour to eat away a thin copper foil, its not going to do much to your pipes, which are usually lined up with a layer of goo anyway unless its brand new construction.

[blinkyblinky]

I would be very much obligued to you if you could tell me if the peel and press paper REALLY be replaced with photo paper/glossy paper? I happen to own a diy pcb kit but it uses photoresist which is much more annoying because you work only under red lights.

[osgeld]

I find it to be a major pain in the butt, not all glossy paper is the same, not all laser printers are the same, not all irons are the same

every time I set out to make a new board I usually have to do it a few different times, oh this paper is not releasing the toner, that paper is plastic coated and just wrinkles up and melts, this copier is sorta light and the toner does not remelt that great, this laser printer lays down a nice thick layer that instantly smudged when I put an iron on it

then you gotta soak it which never releases all the paper and tarnishes the copper so now its got to etch though copper AND a funky layer of oxide, and of course every speck stuck is now a trace on your board

ARG!

UV is the way to go if you make more than a couple PCB's a year, if its less than that I just use a sharpie ... if you can hand solder it you can use a ultra fine point sharpie to plot it

[ASCAS]

well, I gotta post my own video on how i make them