Newbie- Buying a new cnc machine just for making pcbs

[Dark-Angel]

this is my copy of my other thread "http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67248" , not sure where is best to get my answers so here it is


Like every one i have a limited bugget, im not putting any price to see how much lowest cost would be or the avrage of the cost would be. I dont have the ressorces to cut, pierce metal or wood. So i dont mind building a premade kit "comes in parts to assemble". Dont minde ordering from diffrent places to build it. It can be new or used it doesnt mather if it can do the job perfectly.

Here are what i would like it to do.

-Be precice enough to mill pads and traces for FPGAs
-Surface of milling around the size of an avrage size of paper
-time to mill isnt a factor
-Vacume "i live in an appartment and i wish to save my lungs"

if any one have a good book to suggest on pcb routing i would be happy to. "I know how to route its easy, but i want to know the rules to follow like no 90 degres angles, where to put the ground and vcc planes stuff like that, high speed designes..."

im also open to other suggestions, but i can use chemicals because small appartment and i hate chemicals.

[valmet58]

instead of doing pcb's that way why d'ont you look into making it the usual
way which is drawing a positive pcb..you print it on a transparent sheet of plastic and then you expose your sensitized pcboard to UV light for a few minutes..then wash the photoresist and your ready to etch your board..
i am an electronic technician and I would not use cnc to make boards..D'ont read me wrong ..I cnc'ied my lathe and i am in the process of building a cnc router..

[Dark-Angel]

i dont like chemical that why i want a cnc machine. Was also thinking of making it pierce the holes and cut the boards. Going to hvae to find a good clamping system. Still looking around to a good table top frame. i was thinking of giving a resolution of 0.0001 or better for it. I think should be good enough for the small spacing fpga pins have.

[warrenb]

There are some great deals on ebay for small machines in the 12" x 12" range perfect for PCBs. It may be tough to get .0001" resolution but in my experience you never need that kind of tolerancing (If anyone asks for tolerances that tight ask them "At what temperature?."

Have fun and once you get started I'm sure you'll start building your 'more perfect' machine in no time. Good luck

Warren
Edit to add...

For clamping you may not have to worry about it. You might be able to use double sided tape . Hot gun glue and "crazy glue" are great too. I use that all the time facing materials and holding down flat plates. There are also some fixture waxes but I've never used them.

[martinw]

Dear Dark-Angel,

I threw my ferric chloride etch tank into the trash bin about ten years ago, and the artwork transfers, tapes etc went with them.

I spent about £100 ($140) on a pcb lay-out software package. You simply send the files to the pcb manufacturers and they make a really good job of it.

IMVVHO, you should consider this alternative rather than the router solution.

Here is a typical (UK) pcb house.

http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk/

I do not wish to be a party-pooper, BTW.

Best wishes,

Martin