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Can you make printed circuits by filling the ink cartridge with acid? I know it does not happen rightaway, put if you keep plotting same pattern and occasionall

Can you make printed circuits by filling the ink cartridge with acid? I know it does not happen rightaway, put if you keep plotting same pattern and occasionally wipe the board clean. Eventually it would work for sure, but how long would it take? It would be slow but much easier than any other method.

NegativeLatency 6y ago
Probably some kind of photo resist would work
Animats 6y ago
There's conductive ink. There are pens that dispense an etchant. There's making printed circuit boards by iron-on toner transfer. There are little CNC routers for making boards. All these approaches are worse than the standard photolithography process with plated through holes. It's so cheap and easy to get boards made now. Upload files, pay a few dollars, boards come back.
- craftinator 6y ago
  I've heard this so many times, but making your own is just a strong learning experience you don't get when you purchase them. You get exposure to mistakes!
  - Animats 6y ago
    Most of the alternative techniques are not precise enough for modern surface mount pin spacing. At 2.5mm pin spacing (0.10 inch, DIPs) they work. At 0.5mm spacing, not so much. It's mostly for retro projects that use through-hole components.
    - xyzzy_plugh 6y ago
      > It's mostly for retro projects that use through-hole components. Welp now I feel very old.
      - aidenn0 6y ago
        > Welp now I feel very old. Your username is a reference to colossal cave adventure; I'd be disappointed if you were younger than me (40).
        xyzzy_plugh 6y ago
        You raise a good point, but alas you are less than a decade my senior.
IgorPartola 6y ago
I looked into making my own PCBs and came out with the impression that unless you need truly rapid prototyping JLCPCB is just better on all other accounts.
- StavrosK 6y ago
  JLCPCB is excellent, but there's nothing rapid about them. Sometimes you just want to iterate on a board, and 4-6 weeks per iteration is loooong. Admittedly, 5.5 out of the 6 weeks is postage, but still.

NegativeLatency 6y ago

Probably some kind of photo resist would work

Animats 6y ago

There's conductive ink. There are pens that dispense an etchant. There's making printed circuit boards by iron-on toner transfer. There are little CNC routers for making boards. All these approaches are worse than the standard photolithography process with plated through holes. It's so cheap and easy to get boards made now. Upload files, pay a few dollars, boards come back.

craftinator 6y ago
I've heard this so many times, but making your own is just a strong learning experience you don't get when you purchase them. You get exposure to mistakes!
- Animats 6y ago
  Most of the alternative techniques are not precise enough for modern surface mount pin spacing. At 2.5mm pin spacing (0.10 inch, DIPs) they work. At 0.5mm spacing, not so much. It's mostly for retro projects that use through-hole components.
  - xyzzy_plugh 6y ago
    > It's mostly for retro projects that use through-hole components. Welp now I feel very old.
    - aidenn0 6y ago
      > Welp now I feel very old. Your username is a reference to colossal cave adventure; I'd be disappointed if you were younger than me (40).
      - xyzzy_plugh 6y ago
        You raise a good point, but alas you are less than a decade my senior.

IgorPartola 6y ago

I looked into making my own PCBs and came out with the impression that unless you need truly rapid prototyping JLCPCB is just better on all other accounts.

StavrosK 6y ago
JLCPCB is excellent, but there's nothing rapid about them. Sometimes you just want to iterate on a board, and 4-6 weeks per iteration is loooong. Admittedly, 5.5 out of the 6 weeks is postage, but still.