[Noisebridge-discuss] We can make fine PCB with CNC machine in NB now

[Jake]

Hao,

this is excellent!  Although I think it will be better if it can be done 
without cutting into the fiberglass.  I know that it is possible to cut 
away only the copper, which makes less noise and importantly, does not 
dull the blade nearly as fast.  The fiberglass is very hard on the cutting 
blade.

I think that we should have an event where we make circuitboards using 
both your method and my method (laser printer and etching) and have people 
video-documenting both processes the entire time, like a party.

Afterward, we can build the two boards using two different methods, such 
as soldering parts by hand and heating the board up on the hotplate.

For the hotplate method, that person Boz should help with creating a 
stencil using the laser etcher.

Once again, great work!

what method did you use to create the paths for the machine to cut?
Is it listed in your previous post?

-jake

Hao wrote:
If you can't see the attached picture (which I shouldn't send as an
attachment, I'm aware now), there's the link to it.
https://plus.google.com/photos/107551270196060330293/albums/5760692588554622657

The reason why I want you guys to see the original pic is that so you can
check out the details in each isolation track.

have fun.

On Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 12:24 PM, Hao <hao at dorabot.com> wrote:

> Checkout this PCB I  made last night, without height probing. Second 
try.
>  It's only one side, but it's good enough for me. So I might just stop
> digging here. People who're interested can surely dig deeper, say double
> side, or with height probing.
>
> What you need on your computer:
>
>
>    -  Any CAD tool that can output Gerber file. (I use and recommend
>    KiCad)
>    - pcb2gcode software, a POST software that takes in Gerber and 
outputs
>    Gcode.
>
>  How you do that:
>
> Generate Gerber file from CAD tool.
>
> copy millproject file from pcb2gcode's path to your gerber file's path.
>
> Modify the millproject file as you need, set z mill to 0.001 inch or 
0.002
> inch. Test for yourself.
>
> run pcb2gcode under the gerber file's path, generate gcode.
>
> Copy gcode file to CNC control PC. Load it with LinuxCNC (EMC2) 
software.
>
> you're good to go! Remember homing 3 axis before you mill, and remember:
> get z axis 0.05 inches above copper board before your final homing of z
> axis. Because the homing of z on the Control PC is going to set z axis 
to
> 0.05 inches above copper, not 0 inch.
>
> Always use protection beneath copper board. *Read Wiki about 
MAXNC<https://noisebridge.net/wiki/MaxNCMill>before doing anything with 
it.
> *
>
>
>
>
> --
> DORA = DORA Opensource Robotic Assistant
> dorabot.com
>
>
>