Single PCB Production

[pyrohaz]

Hey guys,

Does anybody know any websites that can create PCB's cheaply? I use PCB wizard to create my PCB's and i only want to make the odd PCB but most sites I have looked at cost LOADS just for the one PCB!

Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

[Hero999]

If you just want to one PCB, then it will cost a lot more per unit than if you wanted a large quantity.

If the PCB is fairly simple, i.e. no solder resist or through hole plating and just single/double sided, you can make it yourself which is much cheaper than having it custom made for you.

I've always made my own PCBs for home projects, I got some made at at work, but I just handed the Gerber files and drawings to the purchasing department, who found a supplier and did the rest.

[gogo2520]

Hello pyrohaz

  To bad the sever on this site crashed a few months ago because there was a lot of threads on how to make your own PCBs. Its not really that hard and only takes a small investment. I make all my own PCB, maybe not the best compared to the commercial ones but I am getting better. I guess the whole idea of electronics as a hobby is to do it the cheapest way possible and to learn as much as you can. So if your into the hobby for the long run learning how to make them now would be the ideal time.
  Like i said it doesn't take much of a investment. A piece of copper clad some etchant like Ferric Chloride, a Tupperware bowl and a sharpie pen. All for around 20 bucks or less. With a little practice and a few add ons your boards are only limited by your imagination. 
                                            Have fun
                                                gogo

[karthikeid]

hi
why dont u do ur own pcb it is very simple process only. for one pcb it will cost very high...

[Hero999]

A piece of copper clad some etchant like Ferric Chloride, a Tupperware bowl and a sharpie pen. All for around 20 bucks or less. With a little practice and a few add ons your boards are only limited by your imagination. 

Whilst the sharpie pen will work, I wouldn't recommend it because it's very time consuming and doesn't give very good quality boards.

I would recommend toner transfer. Print the artwork using a laser printer, iron it to the board using an ordinary clothes iron, soak in water and remove the paper, leaving behind the toner which is stuck to the board, and etch in the usual manner.

Many people swear by special propriety papers, normal printer paper will work and clay coated magazine paper is best, in my opinion.

Note that, you need to use a laser printer, don't even bother with inkjet because it won't work. If you don't have a laser printer then you could get it photocopied at the local library.

[gogo2520]

Hello
    Ya using sharpies dose take a little time but they work for simple boards, just have to let the lacquer set for a few hours before you etch the board. thats how I started out, now I do it the same way Hero999 dose. I like to use office gloss paper. After going to the library a few times  I bought a cheap laser printer from tigerdirect. over the years I learned a few tricks. Its been fun and I still use a sharpie once and a while for the easy ones.
                                            gogo 

[tonyuk100]

hi, i have just joined and noticed you are having the same problem i had, eventually i found a guy in grease and im very pleased with the boards he made me. I had 4 different Boards made including holes drilled & it cost me

[tonyuk100]

Hi Alex, I thought he was based in Grease, maybe he is based in germany, the person who gave me his details lives in Grease so maybe thats why I assumed he was also in grease. I was going to attempt to make my own, I am building a Motion Simulator that can be used with Flight Sims and Car racing Sims, I posted questions about how to make my own on the Motion sim forum site I am a member of, Someone on there gave me his details. When i emailed him what i wanted his English was really bad and the quote was actually in german, i used this site to translate it,
http://translation2.paralink.com
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th order i used that site to translate it from english to german, then when he emailed me the quote i used it to translate it from german to english. Just a little tip for anyone who orders from him.
As I said, i have have 4 orders from him now, and they are really good quality, if you want holes drilled make sure you tell him that. I can take some pics of the boards he made me if someone can tell me how i can put them on here.
Regards Tony.

[Hero999]

Hi Alex, I thought he was based in Grease, maybe he is based in germany, the person who gave me his details lives in Grease so maybe thats why I assumed he was also in grease.

He's making fun of your spelling, it's  Greece not Grease.

[Hero999]

He's got no right to criticise someone else's English when he can't even spell Greece.

[tonyuk100]

Kinda sad that you have nothing better to do than take the piss, I was browsing this site and having seen someone I thought I could help with getting cheap PCB's made I joined to answer there question.
If the mentality of the members on here is to simply take the piss out of someone, i'll not bother to try help in th future.