Making a PCB with a cheap 20 W laser CNC (Part I)

Here are all the steps you need to etch a PCB from scratch, using the budget 20 W laser CNC JL4 and common household chemicals you can find in your favorite grocery/drug store.

*** WARNING ***
Always wear adequate protection when operating with lasers and chemicals. The JL4 laser CNC uses a Class IV blue laser, use proper protection glasses. The hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetone are dangerous chemicals, always use proper gloves and other protections when handling.

Design your PCB project with your favorite software, export the negative of the routes as a lossless image, and load it in the JL4 engraving tool.

Prepare the copper board by cleaning it with hydrochloric acid and spray-painting it with matte black enamel.

After the laser engraving, dip the board into a 1:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide 36 vol. for etching away the exposed copper.

Finally, clean the board by removing the spray paint with pure acetone.

The next video will show how to apply the solder mask and silkscreen.