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DIY SMT solder stencil making

David Slipper All Messages By This Member #36767 开云体育 Hi, I need a way to make small cheap SMT stencils at home - I do not have a CNC or have access to one so I would prefer the toner transfer and etching method that seems popular in some quarters. I loved the idea of using the thin aluminium of a drinks can but he uses a mixture of Muriatic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide and I have found Muriatic Acid rather hard to find in the UK. Has anyone used this technique ?? How good is it ?? Are there alternatives to Muriatic Acid?? or where can I get it in the UK ?? What other DIY methods work well ?? Best regards, Dave
Leon All Messages By This Member #36768 Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid, often called Spirits of Salt here. Amazon sells it, as do most hardware shops. Leon toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 25 January 2021, at 10:06, David Slipper <softfoot@...> wrote: Hi, I need a way to make small cheap SMT stencils at home - I do not have a CNC or have access to one so I would prefer the toner transfer and etching method that seems popular in some quarters. I loved the idea of using the thin aluminium of a drinks can but he uses a mixture of Muriatic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide and I have found Muriatic Acid rather hard to find in the UK. Has anyone used this technique ?? How good is it ?? Are there alternatives to Muriatic Acid?? or where can I get it in the UK ?? What other DIY methods work well ?? Best regards, Dave
Cornelis van Rensburg All Messages By This Member #36769 开云体育 I know you said you don’t have access to cnc, but highly consider buying a laser diode engraver from banggood or ebay or whatever. I have a 2.5w laser module connected to my ?desktop cnc mill. I spray a black spraypaint on my pcb, then laser away the paint. Etch and done. I also drill my pcbs with my mill in the same operation. For stencils I use kapton tape and the laser. Smear some solder paste onto the kapton and peel off, leaving the pads covered in solder paste. Works quite well. If you forgo the drilling, a laser engraver will do. toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 25 Jan 2021, at 12:28, Leon via groups.io <leon355@...> wrote: ? Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid, often called Spirits of Salt here. Amazon sells it, as do most hardware shops. Leon On 25 January 2021, at 10:06, David Slipper <softfoot@...> wrote: Hi, I need a way to make small cheap SMT stencils at home - I do not have a CNC or have access to one so I would prefer the toner transfer and etching method that seems popular in some quarters. I loved the idea of using the thin aluminium of a drinks can but he uses a mixture of Muriatic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide and I have found Muriatic Acid rather hard to find in the UK. Has anyone used this technique ?? How good is it ?? Are there alternatives to Muriatic Acid?? or where can I get it in the UK ?? What other DIY methods work well ?? Best regards, Dave
Steven Greenfield AE7HD All Messages By This Member #36830 If you can get your hands on an old pen plotter, you might be able to put an inexpensive Roland vinyl cutter head into it. Inkscape has offset drag compensation for at least some plotters. Then you could try cutting solder paste stencils from mylar sheets. This might also work with one of those relatively inexpensive laser diodes that are generally sold as add-ons to CNC machines. They are quite a bit heavier than a pen, so a pen plotter would likely need the acceleration and speed settings adjusted. Which is part of using a laser diode, anyway. -- Steven Greenfield AE7HD
Jim Pruitt WA7DUY All Messages By This Member #36833 开云体育 Steven, have you found a page with the various smt IC footprints shown?? I was in need of several temples but realized that if I can find some thin sheetmetal stock (like K&S and others sell) then grabbing the particular IC or part footprint could make a stainless steel stencil easily. The only trick and it is not much of a trick any more is that the footprint (assuming that toner transfer method is going to be used and not photo sensitive methods) would have to be converted to a negative since the pads are what get etched away to make holes in the stencil.? Anyway reversing the image and (toner) transferring the layout to the piece(s) of stainless steel stock and then etching using the hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide formula might work.? I ended up just buying some of the Proto-Advantage stencils but at $12 a pop for a tiny piece of thin stainless steel it adds up in a hurry. Thank you. Jim Pruitt WA7DUY ? On 10/9/2021 8:00 AM, Steven Greenfield AE7HD via groups.io wrote: toggle quoted message Show quoted text If you can get your hands on an old pen plotter, you might be able to put an inexpensive Roland vinyl cutter head into it. Inkscape has offset drag compensation for at least some plotters. Then you could try cutting solder paste stencils from mylar sheets. This might also work with one of those relatively inexpensive laser diodes that are generally sold as add-ons to CNC machines. They are quite a bit heavier than a pen, so a pen plotter would likely need the acceleration and speed settings adjusted. Which is part of using a laser diode, anyway. -- Steven Greenfield AE7HD
Steven Greenfield AE7HD All Messages By This Member #36835 Don't most PCB CAD programs include the ability to generate a solder mask? If not, I'd think you could generate an image of the PCB with nothing but the pads. -- Steven Greenfield AE7HD
Jim Higgins #36836 Received from Jim Pruitt at 10/10/2021 08:09 UTC: Anyway reversing the image and (toner) transferring the layout to the piece(s) of stainless steel stock and then etching using the hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide formula might work. I wouldn't count on hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide having much effect on most stainless steel. For sure I'd test it on a piece before going to the trouble of applying a toner transfer. JimH
Bertho All Messages By This Member #36837 开云体育 Normally the “Paste Layer” is part of the Gerber files so only turn on that layer. To avoid confusion, note that the Paste layer is different from the solder mask layer. Bertho ? toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Steven Greenfield AE7HD via groups.io Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2021 1:34 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [homebrewpcbs] DIY SMT solder stencil making ? Don't most PCB CAD programs include the ability to generate a solder mask? If not, I'd think you could generate an image of the PCB with nothing but the pads. -- Steven Greenfield AE7HD
Lee Studley All Messages By This Member #36838
Lee Studley All Messages By This Member #36839 Looked really interesting.
Chris Horne All Messages By This Member #36840 0.075 mm brass?????? use your toner transfer and etch using your normal pcb etching chemicals
Chris Horne All Messages By This Member #36841 You've got ferric Chloride or something similar, so use your toner transfer on thin copper or brass sheet the very first stencils I made were on 0.15mm brass sheet, but that is thicker than what is actually required. so I'd go for 0.075 or 0.1 at a push..?? that stencil made 18 years ago is still in use today? ! Chris
Lee Studley All Messages By This Member #36844 I like it !!!!!!
Lee Studley All Messages By This Member #36845 The idea of using brass...

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