http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

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License:   Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Intro:   PCB etching machine from scratch -- VERY VERY VERY easy to build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1:   stuff material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2:   motor shaft modification - trick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3:   Plastic / silicon pipe making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 4:   IN ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

License:   Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro:  PCB etching machine from scratch -- VERY VERY VERY easy to buildThis is the easy ways and cheapest way to make your own etching machine for PCB / electronic hobbies, lots of DIY machine I have build for my home made project butI thing this one is the EASYest and the CHEApest way, or even will cost you not even $10 to build if you have the material wasted at your home and you not use it.

now I am going to describe the making process step by step

step 1: stuff materialThe material used to build this machine is basicly simple, only a few part crutial for the main item

so ...... lets Make it ....

Material use :

1. Plastic container to hold the unit (pump and etching liquid) -- Please make sure you only using the PLASTIC / RESIN / FIBER GLASS material otherwise if you use themetal thinging will cause you a disaster (since the plastic is corotion proof)

2. Mini DC pump -- this is the main unit to make this machine operated.Basicly you can use any type of the pump, but again MAKE SURE the material is PLastic, NOT METAL. --- WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT STEP

3.PLASTIC PIPE TO DISTRIBUTED THE LIQUID ECTHAN

4. OFF COUSE YOU WILL NEED A 12V POWER SUPLY (OR DEPENDING YOUR MOTOR SPECIFICATION)  TO MEKE  YOUR MOTOR RUNING AND PUMPINGAND DISTRIBUTED THE ETCHAN LIQUID FOR YOU

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

step 2: motor shaft modification - trickTHIS THE DETAIL FOR THIS STEP :

USING THE WIPER MOTOR SAME AS YOUR CAR USE

if you have your old car sitting in your garage maybe you can knock down this part :)

but you will found the dificulty and will have a great headace to find such as type of DC pump which is entirely build from plastic, especialy for the MOTOR,

To do this we need a trick to make the METAL part is COROTION proof and as much as possible remove the dirrect contact with the ETCHAN liquid.

after complete covering the metal shaft with heatsrink tube, you need to reasamble again as before

First Step you need to detach the motor body so you can get acces to the motor shaft which is this part is linked to the propeller to circulated / pumping the water

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

The point here is : YOU NEED TO COVER THE METAL SHAFT AT THE MOTOR USING MATERIAL WHICH IS MADE FROM RUBER / PLASTIC (IN MY CASE, I AMUSING THE HEATSHIRK TUBE) COVER THE METAL PART ENTIERLY COROTIONLESS (THERE IS NO DIRRECT CONTACT WITH THE ETCHAN)

I don have a good picture for this steep but I am attaching my Hand Sketch and I am sure this will be easily understand.

EDIT :

I am re attching the process of the deasembling the motor and clearly shown which part need to covered with heatshrink tube.

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

step 3: Plastic / silicon pipe makingusing the plastic pipe to deliver the liquid from the pumping motor :

using your sharp blade, slice the platic tube so the etchan pumping from motor is distributed

the size of the sliced is depending on your needed and your motor capacity (biger motor meaning the long sliced needed to make the liquid distribution more efective)

again I am attaching the hand sketch to be more clear

after you done, glued this pipe to your container so when operated the water flow is dirrected, also make sure you facing the SLICED side down to the floor of yourcontainer, so the water will flow nicely

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

step 4: IN ACTION

after done with the step prefiously, this machine is ready to GO

this is the vidio how this stuf working

http://s408.photobucket.com/albums/pp163/delokaver/?action=view&current=MOV101003001.mp4

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

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AdvertisementsComments8 comments Add Comment

 ob1knowb says:  Oct 10, 2010. 8:52 AM  REPLYGuys....guys....why not:

Use thin aquarium tank as the chamber; use 1 of the pumps to circulate the FeCl through the tank (and for that matter through a reheater trough to maintaintemperature and stabilize the rate of etch). Also, the aquarium tank would allow you to see more of the result as it happens for either single or double sidedboards...a thermocouple on the tank could show a digital readout of the temperature...and the same circuit could have a settable etch timer to countdownand play a sound when the etch is finished. (No standing over it to wait).

And if you really wanted to automate it...place the whole assembly on a slide frame and have an upper safety frame lower and raise the board in and out ofthe tank...no standing near fumes...no accidental proximity splash hazard.

I'd draw this...but it's essentially been done before...somewhere....anybody remember where? Your idea is cheaper, sure..but what about the result?

 delokaver says:  Oct 10, 2010. 5:53 PM  REPLYwelcome to all of your though to make an improvement for this.

AQUARIUM tank will be a good idea too, as you are wrote, we can add a such as an aquarium heater to keep the temperature of the liquid warm and thiswill be slightly improve the process,as mentioned you dont have to sit and wait in front of this working process, you can just leave it and came back later to see whether the process is doneor not,

but you can get a freee for this methode, just do the process under the blazing sun :) and you will got the cheap and cheerfull way :)

as I wrote bellow, will need less than 5 minutes if you have a brand new FeCl combine with warm water, but if you have an old mixing liquid (with regualr/ cold water) this can be more than 10 minutes.

back to the original idea, we keep the cost as low as possible and big possibility to use a recycled material that not use in your place, but if you maydisobedient this idea than up to you to get your crazy idea and spent more money to build this.

just use a masker if you are prety close with the working liquid , this will guaranty your safety.

http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-machine-from-scratch-VERY-easy-to-b/

 mickgoth says:  Oct 9, 2010. 1:07 PM  REPLYidea... what about a timer and 2 pumps.. so you would put your board in the tank, hit 1 button, the first pump pumps in your fluid and stops, then after yourpre determined time length the pcp should be in the tank the second pump pumps the fluid back into your storage container?

i have a few little pumps laying around i might try to put something together later

 delokaver says:  Oct 10, 2010. 2:48 AM  REPLYbriliant idea ...but to keep it as simple as possible i did not adding such as other timer / automation circuit to handle how long should it take / operation (MANUALLY),but actually is you positioning the tank a bit sideways, you will see clearly whether the process is done or not, as my attached movie above.

second pump to the storage container is absolutely great idea, so we don't have do this manually, if you have a spare motor pump will be no problem atall.

in my case, if i use the brand new FeCL mixed with warm water, will be take not more than 5 minutes to do the clean copper etch.

just give a try for your though, this will improve this instructable.

cheers

 sonogo says:  Oct 6, 2010. 6:28 AM  REPLYThank you for the instructable. But I don't understand what is the use of this machine?

 delokaver says:  Oct 6, 2010. 6:35 AM  REPLYhi dude,if you are going to make your electronic project from zero, you will understang this machine function.this machine saving your time and money to develop a pcb and make you more productive

just gogle about pcb making process and you will understand

cheers

 sonogo says:  Oct 6, 2010. 10:04 AM  REPLYI get it know. this will help those of us how make the green electronic boards.

because when I saw it the first I said something like holy ............But know it's clear.

Thanks and keep the god job!

 delokaver says:  Oct 6, 2010. 6:13 PM  REPLYyeahhh... you got it mate. ...