This is a library of perfboard and single-sided PCB effect layouts for guitar and bass. I'm not an electrical engineer by any stretch of the imagination, just a DIY'er who likes drawing layouts. It is meant for the hobbyist (so commercial use of any of these layout is not allowed without permission) and as a way to give back to the online DIY community.

PCB Etching



There are a lot of methods to etch your own circuit boards, and with that comes a lot of different tutorials. I'm not going to try and reinvent the wheel here, and this probably won't be a comprehensive list, but I thought it might be helpful to some to have some examples of DIY etching.

First is the Press 'n Peel method. Steve Daniels of Small Bear Electronics has written a great tutorial on this method, and it's the method I typically use when etching my own boards.

How to Make a PC Board by Direct Etching

Steve also wrote another tutorial for making a PCB using the Positive Photo Method.

How to Make a PC Board by the Positive Photo Process

Lastly (for now anyway), is a tutorial by my friend Cody Deschenes. The method is similar to the first tutorial link, but instead of Press 'n Peel paper (which can get pricey), Cody uses much more affordable photo paper for transferring the toner to the copper clad board.

Photopaper Transfer PCB Etching

And if you don't like reading (which probably means, you haven't made it to the end of this post and won't be reading the following anyway) there are numerous tutorials on YouTube using these and other methods to etch your own boards.


June 18, 2015 Update:

I've watched a ton of YouTube tutorials and here are a couple that I liked a lot. The first is from The Ben Heck Show (you should watch some of his other videos, this guy is awesome). He shows how to etch using a method like Cody's photo paper method, as well as using a laser to create the etchant mask or hand drawing it with a marker.


The second video is from another cool YouTube channel, Make. This tutorial shows how to make a PCB using the positive photo method.





Update March 8, 2017:
Here's a quick little tutorial I did a while ago on Instagram showing how I use yellow heat transfer paper to transfer toner.




16 comments:

  1. Thanks bro!
    The best way to do at home is the photopaper (glossy paper) laser printed. The result is fantastic. I'll post a photo.

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  2. The PCB etching process is an exothermic reaction, it generates heat.

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  3. I use the press and peel sheets and etch using the peroxide/vinegar/salt method. Works great

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  4. Robotmeister, do you have the portions for that peroxide/vinegar/salt method? Its very interesting.

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    1. 100 ml of peroxide
      30 grams of citric acid
      5 grams of salt

      The best method is to heat the peroxide first, then add acid and salt and mix it well.

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    2. Hi, how long do you leave the PCB in the solution?

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    3. I use such method (peroxide+salt+citric acid) for about a year. Works perfectly.
      Time may differ depending on amount of traces and circuit size. Usually not longer than 15-20 minutes

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  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVhSCEPINpM

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  6. I don't have a laser printer :'(

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  7. yo no tengo ni papel especial ,,ni impresora x lo pronto dibujo todo el circuito a mano con plumon indeleble y luego el conducto regular ,,vierto el acido ferrico a la placa y listo ,,esto mientras mas adelante compre impresora laser y otros, hay que ingeniarsela nomas.

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  8. Hi there I was just wondering how easy is it to convert the PDF plans to work with a CNC machine

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  9. A bit late to the game here, sorry. I've bypassed the transfer/etching process completely and have made a few PCBs using the images on this blog and a desktop CNC. You just need to flip the image and convert it to a vector. The CNC software does most of the rest.

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