PCB CNC ABLATED WITH LASER: why send outside if you can do at home

A long waited fab for PCB, etched in house using a 5W visible laser (450nm), diy chemicals. The process is straightforwarding and really precise.

I started with black spray paint, then lasered with FlatCam and GRBL, then etched with hydrochloride (33%) and hydrogen peroxide (130 volumes, difficult to find).

Videos at the end of the post.

A great result: total time approximately 30 minutes.

Blank one side PCB

Tried two spray paint. The right one is the best, matte black acrylic paint

Just sprayed

Cutted and ready to be ablated with 5W laser

Ablation in progress (previous photo without support). Air assist is really necessary.

The 5W laser is ablating spray paint @ 100% duty cycle - feed: 700 mm/min, but i tried also 30% duty cycle and it worked. 

Ablated pc, design from kicad with FlatCam

Ablated pcb. Before etching, i cleaned it with peroxide @ 3%

Etching, only ten seconds

Before etching, I've heated @ 40 degrees Celsius

 

Etched and rinsed in tap cold water

Cleaned with acetone (nail solvent) to clean residual paint

Close Up

Cutted (by hand this time) and drilled with 0.9

Next steps: soldermask and white text and double sided pcb.