Opinions sought on cheap desktop PCB milling machine

[HankMcSpank]

Another nice thing about milling has just ocured to me: there's a big price difference between plain copper boards and pre-sprayed photo-sensitive boards (NB to anybody thinking of doing it: use Fotoboard 2. Don't even think about spraying your own photo-sensitive stuff on. You've got to spray it evenly with no missed bits, bake it dry at the right temperature, and never let it see daylight until you use it. You really don't want to go there).

I use from SRBP copper boards (not so much nasty glass fibre dust in the air, they're easier on the tools & they're fine for protos)...

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equ...f-e2e6ffd711d1

....for 100pcs it works out about 36p inc vat & delivery for a 6" x 4 board" (cheapest I know of but I'm happy to be corrected!) ....the cheapest fotoboard of the same size I was ever able to source worked out at about £2.00 delivered per board, so yes a lot cheaper! (and the board I'm milling with are so cheap that it doesn't ruin your day if you screw up!)

re your comment...

2. Don't even think about spraying your own photo-sensitive stuff on. You've got to spray it evenly with no missed bits, bake it dry at the right temperature, and never let it see daylight until you use it. You really don't want to go there).

been there done that...bought some foto spray from Farnell & was appalled that they could even sell this stuff - complained to Farnell "This stuff truly sucks & you should remove it from your product range asap" ...they re-credited me for it!

Still got the can - doub't I'll ever use it....it's twatful stuff.