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Build Your Own PCB Milling Machine

Posted by timothy on from the for-large-values-of-it dept.

mwandel writes "It used to be that one off amateur printed circuit boards were all etched in acid. A lot of companies nowadays use a special form of milling machine to mill them out of solid copper clad circuit boards. This guy Jonathan Westhues built his own PCB milling machine out of various parts, with a laminate trimmer as the milling head. Lots of other neat hacks on his Webpage as well."

1 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Isn't it a salt? by Paul+Neubauer · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, it is a salt. Copper is more reactive than iron, so the etch works by the chlorine trading iron for copper. The "filings" left after etching are the iron that was freed in the reaction.

    Some folks see it anything that 'eats' away at something as being caused by an acid, even if no acid is really involved. Wouldn't it be nice if chemistry was taught? And taught in a way that was effective?

    --
    I don't subscribe to RMS's GNUtopian vision.