[HH] vinyl resist PCB etch

[Tom Metro]

@connors934, a local hardware hacker I follow on Twitter, mentioned he
uses a vinyl sign cutting machine to print out PCB resist patterns in
self-adhesive vinyl, which are then stuck on copper clad boards and etched.

He has a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPc5XRjGyic&feature=youtu.be

and photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157632265516174/

I've used the older technique (which was new at the time I tried it) of
laser printing onto clear plastic sheets, then heat transferring the
toner to the PCB. That worked OK, but I never got perfect transfers. I'm
sure it could be achieved with practice and an ideal setup (right amount
of heat and pressure).

This approach seems less variable, and from the pictures of his etched
boards, the copper looks good and solid - free of pits and edge bleed.

Of course the down side is you need a vinyl cutting machine, or you need
to go to a local sign making shop and pay them to print your design.

Still, a vinyl cutting machine is probably cheaper and less maintenance
than a board router that uses a tiny milling bit to route away the copper.

I wonder how fine a pitch this technique can reliably handle.

 -Tom