HOW TO – Make a PC board with a dremel

Technology
HOW TO – Make a PC board with a dremel

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Botronics writes –

This is not an Instructable for a particular device or circuit. I’m using the circuit I made for an Artbot project as an example. If you need a quick and dirty way to fashion a pc board, you can cut out the copper clad with a Dremel tool. Just plan you circuit and cut away copper to form your paths. No etchent, photo plotting or even drilling needed in some cases. Of course, you can’t do any real fancy and do complex circuits, but for something simple, this does the trick.

HOW TO – Make a PC board with a dremel – Link.

10 thoughts on “HOW TO – Make a PC board with a dremel

  1. mrChew says:

    this is common sense, but if you cut too deeply you’ll seriously weaken the circuit board.

  2. Tek465m says:

    The ARRL had some good articles a number of years ago, about how to use this technique to work with surface mount parts. You can look those up from here:

    http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/surface.html

  3. durin says:

    I haven’t tried before, but is it difficult to just scratch the copper away by hand with an awl or even a screwdriver?

  4. Angstrom says:

    as I dont have a laser printer I just draw my circuits on using an etch resist pen. pop it in the etching liquid for 15 minutes and bobs yer uncle. I use a dremel in my rough and ready circuit board method, but only as a finishing step.

    the whole process takes about 20 minutes, often I find there is a track or two touching and do a nasty separation with a cutting disk.

    pretty quick and kinda arty. :)

  5. tms10000 says:

    “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”

    is being replaced by

    “When all you have is a Dremel, everything looks like too much fun. Save a frown from your loving wife”

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