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How to Make
your own PCBs
The following is a brief instruction on making your own PCBs.
For a more detail see Make
you own PCBs on the Sounds Like Ben website.
Positive Acting pre-sensitized Printed Circuit
Board is one of the easiest and economical ways to produce a P.C.B.
circuit.
The process commences with a Kinsten Positive Acting Printed
Circuit Board. Next is the pre-sensitized layer which is
a green positive photo resist that features high sensitivity to UV
light source. The board is then coated for light protection
by a removable PVC Film. This allows the board a very
good shelf life if kept in a drawer or cupboard away from
daylight.
To produce a PCB you need to begin with a good
quality transparency with dense tracks (black-black)
as opposed to (grey-black) as the UV light will image through
(grey-black) and you will almost certainly not get a
result.
Your artwork may be produced by a computer
programme or even taken from a magazine.
The transparency is laid on top of the PCB
Material after removing the PVC protective film and exposed
for 60- 90 seconds in a UV
Exposure Unit.
After exposing, dissolve a 50g packet of Kinsten
developer in 1 litre of water at room temperature by agitating the
developing tray. The powder dissolves readily.
The next step is to immerse the exposed board
completely in devoloper solution and again agitate the developing
tray and within a few seconds all the unwanted resist comes away
leaving you with the tracks. Rinse well under running water
to stop developing.
Your next step is to Etch the board using an Kinsten
Etching Tank.
Etchant (Ammonium
persulphate) is most effective if the solution is kept at a
temperature of about 50-60oC. The board should
take around 15 mins or less to etch. Rinse board with plenty
of running water.
Now you are ready to drill and assemble components. Drill holes
with a Sakai High Speed PCB Drill.
A high speed drill press is essential for carbide drill bits
but good results can be obtained with HSS drill bits in a hand held
drill.
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