What did you do in your garage today?

[jnrdavo]

Jesus I wish I had time to do all of this kind of things... Maybe I should semi retire!

[Tas_Audi]

Jesus I wish I had time to do all of this kind of things... Maybe I should semi retire!

I've been trying for ages to semi retire, goal posts keep changing.

[broke90]

Ok, a poor choice a words by me, "made" should be "designed". I went though years of making my own boards, chemicals, plotting artwork, getting photo negatives made etc etc. These days the way to do it, there is an online design package, search EasyEda. It is a great package, you do your online schematic of your circuit pulling in components from the onboard libraries and then you export the schematic into a PCB. Generally it just cobbles all the parts grouped together, you basically move the parts around to suit your proposed board layout and then follow up with either running the auto routing feature or you manually place the tracks.

Once your happy with the layout and the design is finalised you can order the boards online. Job done. I have been using this service for quite some time and it is not even worth thinking about physically making your own boards. The boards via the EasyEda site are professional boards and cheaper than doing it yourself, they can be single or multi layer, silk screen and you can also order a solder mask if using surface mount components.

Hope this answers your question.

Just to give me an idea, how much was that board and does that include the components?

I haven't made a board in a LONG time and I've only ever done it oldskool way (dalo pen and 1mm drill bit oldskool) so I'd love to be able to make small boards like that accurately and hopefully cheaply.

[Tas_Audi]

Just to give me an idea, how much was that board and does that include the components?

I haven't made a board in a LONG time and I've only ever done it oldskool way (dalo pen and 1mm drill bit oldskool) so I'd love to be able to make small boards like that accurately and hopefully cheaply.

The stop light board cost $25 for 10 boards including freight. It is not worth considering making boards any other way. Even small boards I use the same process.
Parts are generally cheap and the EasyEda app is setup so you can order parts online as it generates a BOM as you put together the circuit.
Stop/Start defeat for the Amarok
Stop:Start.jpg

[broke90]

The stop light board cost $25 for 10 boards including freight. It is not worth considering making boards any other way. Even small boards I use the same process.
Parts are generally cheap and the EasyEda app is setup so you can order parts online as it generates a BOM as you put together the circuit.
Stop/Start defeat for the Amarok

That price is truly incredible value for money. Even the material alone (boards, etchant, etc.) is more than $25 to make one board, not that you're going to need the other nine boards. Plus you get the accuracy of a machine drilled board vs hand drilled.

[Muckman]

Finally got a grinder and some argon.
Gonna attempt some pipe cutting and welding soon.
Haven’t been in the garage in a month or so though I’d give it a tidy up

[Muckman]

First cut

[broke90]

That's a very impressive support stand for the work piece.