Make your own PCB with a sharpie!

Рет қаралды 25,967

2 жыл бұрын

Make your own PCB with a sharpie!
You do not need a fancy milling machine, laser etcher or to send of your CAD designs to the far east. Yes you! YOU! Can make your own PCBs with the aid of a sharpie! (and a few more bits - like ferric chloride and a drill!). But that's it, no fancy CAD, just a steady hand.
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Thanks you lovely people, and keep on tinkering!
KZfaq Chapters
0:00 Introduction

Пікірлер: 65

@brianterry8512 Жыл бұрын

Now here is a man not afraid to make a mistake. Actually kind of refreshing to watch. Not in the sense of getting joy from other people's mistakes, but just the honesty and the "no f's given" attitude. This was my first video to watch from this channel, but I will be back. It'll give me somebody to watch beside that big-handed bloke out on the Isle of Man.

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for the comment Brian. Honestly, I think anyone afraid to make a mistake is someone who isn't going to learn 😂

@BurkenProductions 5 күн бұрын

You should use a punch and hammer to punch where the hole should be drilled, that way the drill won't slip and drill somewhere else on the board

@schneidp20 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for not reshooting to make it perfect. We all benefited more from seeing the mistakes. I'm sure the mirror image problem has bitten a few people. You made this look so simple that I now HAVE to do it on my next project. Thanks!

@backofficeshow 2 ай бұрын

That's awesome! You definitely need to do it!

@minecraftbssshorts4893 10 ай бұрын

16:10, I learnt it a difficult way. Once when I was carrying ferric chloride in my back pack, it spell all over and stained me books, my dress and everything in my bag.

@backofficeshow 10 ай бұрын

Oh no!

@sjm4306 2 жыл бұрын

Used to do this ages ago but it's been quite a few years since I broke out the home etch box. Not particularly useful for most of what I do nowadays though with how small and tightly packed components have gotten, but still have good memories of drawing and etching my own boards at home.

@BSOE3058 2 жыл бұрын

Fancy seeing ya here!

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I guess it's more of a novelty as you progress, but hopefully it's useful for people coming into it. I think it can all seem a bit mysterious at first. I quite like the idea of still using this technique to make buses or DIY flexible circuits. I do have some copper tape somewhere.

@sjm4306 2 жыл бұрын

@@backofficeshow now that's an interesting idea, copper tape and kapton to make your own flex pcbs!

@ianmorris8534 2 жыл бұрын

I used this technique to make a cube like the one from the "Hellraiser" film, but yeah, wouldn't fancy my chances with a board for smd components!

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I think with plotter assistance you have a chance for sure, with I've of those super fine pens but you definitely need a super clean PCB.

@Musicmaddnes Жыл бұрын

That's more than a sharpie! I've been bamboozled.

@pileofstuff 2 жыл бұрын

It's been a while. Back in the day I went through a couple of Radio Shack PCB kits. They had a felt tip pen, but I preferred to use the dry transfers that came in the kit - pre-drawn IC footprints and nice smooth radius curved traces.

@juanmacias5922 2 жыл бұрын

This was so cool, had no idea you could hand make a PCB like that!

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! and there are a fair few more electronic board technologies to be around even before PCBs 👍

@imnotbeluga007 Жыл бұрын

Literally what we just did in our electronics class.

@JayJay-ki4mi Жыл бұрын

Use a calliper and a ruler and you will get very neat finishes. Get different size tipped markers too. Use a Dremel to drill holes (a cheaper dremel will do, or make one with a motor). Apply UV solder mask to finish. I've had to do this to create breakouts and converters for some expensive PCB's that used exotic connectors impossible to find anywhere. Sometimes you have to do these things to save the customer from spending thousands on a new PCB.

@Dukefazon Ай бұрын

Pro tip: don't use 9V battery in these testers, the wiring and PCBs inside the joysticks might not like this high of a voltage and heat up causing damage to it. Get 3V LEDs and 2 AA batteries instead.

@agnelomascarenhas8990 Жыл бұрын

Long long ago I used electrical insulation tape (soft plastic and adhesive) and cut thin strips with surgical blade and ruler. Ferric chloride is a nasty chemical. The junction of tapes would be eroded away. It was fun, frustration and lot of learning.

@RoySATX Жыл бұрын

Yeah, back in the 70s almost every PCB I remember seeing were hand drawn. Granted I didn't see a whole lot of them. Occasionally even today I find one every now and then, a bike light I bought last year came with a hand drawn PCB.

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

Maybe they should start offering artisinal electronics, hand crafted phones with hands drawn PCBs 🤣

@the_runofff 6 ай бұрын

awesome video! I'm about to start making my first pcbs and this was really helpful

@backofficeshow 6 ай бұрын

Good luck!!

@ot4kon Жыл бұрын

i done that, with simple circuits, I did a DOD250 Preamp guitar pedal.

@Dj-Jon-E-C Ай бұрын

My dad done this but he passed away recently. I gave it a try but it kept copper on board maybe I did not leave long enough I have watch this vid few times. I not sure if me dad used nail polish to remove the ink. I watch this few times lol. mind you that rubber thing you used works good think me dad got somewhere in shed. I say rubber cause it erase like rubber lol

@FloatingFatMan 2 жыл бұрын

Back in college we used to kinda do it this way, but we had a Wyse workstation running some CAD software, a plotter to print directly to the PCB sheets, and a proper tank for the chemical bath...

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Hells yeah! Just like in my CDT days at school 😂 I still have my Roland plotter in the loft. It's probably wrecked now, I really should fetch it. Never had a bubble etch tank, they are not really up to the task these days with tiny QFN surface mount 😂

@FloatingFatMan 2 жыл бұрын

@@backofficeshow You could probably build one with a plastic tub, a fish tank bubbler, and some 3d printing for board mounts... Sounds like another project for the channel! :p

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I might get the t8 mill out again and do a circuit with that 😂

@xxbongobazookaxx7170 2 ай бұрын

Neat, feel like rigging the plotting process onto a 3d printer could make this a bit more effective. Call me a wuss but I think I might reach for some gloves for the chems and clamps + sacrificial blocks for the drilling before trying this, I don't trust myself that much

@backofficeshow 2 ай бұрын

I still have a Roland XY plotter and The loft that I used to use that was the equivalent of the 3D printer part in its day. However, I wouldn't really think it's an amazingly effective way to make a PCB compared to the alternative methods available these days, But for a bit of fun, it's worth a go!

@philipboggs3372 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video! Glad to see I'm not the only one that makes mistakes on the plugs though. I wired up a 7800 controller a week or so ago and had it wired completely backwards at first since I was looking at the pinout wrong.

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Its not the first time I have made the mistake on a plug, and 100% not going to be the last time. Some of the simplest ones as well have been known to get me. For example a DE9 or DE25 serial port. You only really need 3 pins, but get the whole gender wrong or confuse the pinout and you are done for 😀

@philipboggs3372 2 жыл бұрын

On the bright side, getting the 7800 backwards didn't seem to hurt anything. Would have been a shame to kill it after finding it full of water and resurrecting it.

@MrDarchangelomni Жыл бұрын

you could have just cut traces and demonstrated bodge wire fixing of mistakes for prototypes and first releases in the pcb revision process ;)

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

Always leaving them wanting more.... I am the master of a disappointing conclusion

@inhisnameislay3401 Жыл бұрын

I really really like your video I thought it was a perfect demonstration of how it works and I like your personality so thank you so much

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

Thats very kind of you, I am glad it was useful!

@adeleyeayodeji1032 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for educating us, please let us know the name of the marker and other things you use. How does the cooper plate you draw the lines turn to Ferroboard

@davidtams1218 Жыл бұрын

As I don't have a laser printer or a UV light this might be the way for me to go. I've got the printed circuit so I'm now thinking of making a stencil from it. This is to be an ignition circuit for a model engine I've made.

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

It's definitely worth a try!

@jobbydude 10 ай бұрын

Same with me, making a stencil is a good idea never thought of it..

@Trix0ne 20 күн бұрын

can you make an update video with liks to the object that you used

@nynexman4464 2 жыл бұрын

This is cool, didn't think just a sharpie would be enough to resist the etching. I imagine with a sharpie ultra fine you could have gotten all the tracks without jumpers. What did you use to cut the board itself?

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I just used some aviation shears and a bit of sandpaper to chomp it

@MrDarchangelomni Жыл бұрын

@13:05 I was reminded that I had Taco Salad 6 hours ago, and have not went to the bathroom yet...

@backofficeshow Жыл бұрын

You are not wrong 😂 it does look very suspicious!

@AndrewHelgeCox 2 жыл бұрын

Sharpie do fine tip pens and pens with fine and thick ends.

@6581punk 2 жыл бұрын

One way I heard for doing PCBs was to print onto glossy magazine paper with a laser printer then iron it onto the PCB. Seems to be documented online.

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I just traded in my laser printer for an inkjet. I might regret this as I used the laser for silk screen stuff 🤦

@6581punk 2 жыл бұрын

@@backofficeshow I still have a cheap Brother laser I bought around 2007/2008. Still on the original toner cartridge. No idea if it still works.

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I binned a few recently. Unfortunately just not using them seemed to kill them whereas the inkjet printers we have are chugging along. I guess more to go wrong in a laser

@ingog.8424 2 жыл бұрын

The most confusing test device in the world. 😂️

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I have a migraine right now and I solely blame it on making and operating that thing this morning, by brain just couldn't take it.

@Ratchet_effect 2 жыл бұрын

This video is sponsored by B.O.S Wayyyyy old school PCB design, create, make & test 😁 I don't have the shed to store the chemicals any-more so no home made for me sadly.

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah! Move over big brand far east PCB companies (who all have tried to sponsor me in the past 😂)! Keeping it real over here! TBOS branded Sharpies for the win!

@custardo 2 жыл бұрын

Well as long as all the LEDs do light up in the end, down? (sorry, right)

@backofficeshow 2 жыл бұрын

I had to Chuck this in the box of despair. I'm going to give it to you next time we meet up. It hurts my brain 😂

@firstgear11382 11 ай бұрын

Hello, what is the brand of the marker you used?

@imnotbeluga007 5 ай бұрын

Sharpie? It doesn't matter, though. As long as the marker is water resistant or permanent (acetone or isopropyl alcohol gets it off), it shouldn't lift off while etching.