Need help with PCB layout work

[ggarms]

Gimp is great. I cannot believe it's free. I use it for loads of stuff and there is no shortage if info out there. Oh, and good luck with the project!

[LaceSensor]

As previously suggested, it would be far easier and quicker to scan the bottom of the board and make a layout for etching.  It looks to be a single sided board.

I wouldn't mind trying this however... could you link me to the tutorial about it. I looked but I could not find it.

As for the complexity.... I have done FAR... FAR more complex builds than this. Also, I do not plan on "transplanting" all of the components. Probably just the transistors and stand-up trimmers. All the rest I can replace with equivalent parts.

Also, the jacks and pots are all off-board mounted. Only the DC jack is board mounted (and was cut away from the PCB which is why I want to re-do it)

Thanks!

Go to a place with a high resolution scanner. Kinkos might have one. You need 600dpi or better.

Put the PCB copper side down onto the scanner.

Take the file home and put it in Photoshop, GIMP, or any other image editing program.

Convert to black and white.

The PCB should be a flat color. Select a bucket tool and dump white into it. Or, if the traces look particularly pale, dump black into it. Use the contrast and brightness to get the traces as close to a flat color as possible (you want the opposite of whatever you converted the PCB color to). Use a bucket tool on that now to fill it in as much as possible. The point is to get the traces the opposite color of the PCB material.

Now comes the time consuming part. There are going to be imperfect spots, places where the bucket tool didn't fill in. You have to go through with a pencil or paintbrush tool and smooth out all the traces.

Now you can etch the PCB. Just make the image whatever polarity it needs to be.

It will probably take about 3 hours.

for what its worth this is how the original Doppelganger ready-to-print was made, however, I did the touching up in MS paint! cos i am a loser and cant learn good softwares (!)

[stevie1556]

Just seen your PMs and replied to them. Had a fee problems at home and haven't been online, I explained in the PM. Nearly completed the layout for you, but due to the problems, I haven't managed to finish it just yet.

Sent from my thumbs using Tapatalk!

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Just seen your PMs and replied to them. Had a fee problems at home and haven't been online, I explained in the PM. Nearly completed the layout for you, but due to the problems, I haven't managed to finish it just yet.

Sent from my thumbs using Tapatalk!

Read the PMs Stevie and let me be the first to openly say that I apologize 

I honestly figured you saw the PCB and decided to bail. Not once thinking that issues may have come up!

Cannot wait to see what you come up with and good luck taking care of business and dealing with the other stuff 

[ross3030]

Try KiCad. It's free and fairly easy to use even for beginners. Watch some YouTube tutorials how to use the program.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Just seen your PMs and replied to them. Had a fee problems at home and haven't been online, I explained in the PM. Nearly completed the layout for you, but due to the problems, I haven't managed to finish it just yet.

Sent from my thumbs using Tapatalk!

Hey Stevie,

Any updates? 

Hope all is well!

[stevie1556]

Read the PMs Stevie and let me be the first to openly say that I apologize 

I honestly figured you saw the PCB and decided to bail. Not once thinking that issues may have come up!

Cannot wait to see what you come up with and good luck taking care of business and dealing with the other stuff 

No need to apolgise bud, but who the hell needs family. Give me a house in the middle of no where, a couple of dogs, and no contact with the outside would, and I'll be extremely happy at the moment! To top it off, I've just had some laptop problems, and I figured the easiest way was to reformat the whole thing, but it's all running smoothly now and should be done in the next few days, hopefully

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Hey Steve...

Any news? 

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Oooooookay.

I guess thats a NO then....   

[Govmnt_Lacky]

OK. So it looks like I am back to trying to find someone to attempt a layout for me 

I hope all is OK with stevie as I have not heard anything from you in a few weeks.

Anyone else interested in giving it a go?

[muddyfox]

Im out of town till tomorrow night due to easter family festivities but do shoot me a pm... Maybe I can help you out somehow...

sent from my mobile device

[LaceSensor]

OK. So it looks like I am back to trying to find someone to attempt a layout for me 

Look man you can easily do this yourself. What is stopping you really?

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Look man you can easily do this yourself. What is stopping you really?

In all honesty... I need to find someone who knows the software and can do it in somewhat of a hurry now. Wasting a month being told that it would be done and then not getting feedback or responses has now given me about 2 weeks to get this done and I do not have the time (now) to learn a program and do the job!

Bottom line is that I am in a bind now that the time was wasted and I can either find someone with experience to do it OR I can tell my nephew that I cant deliver 

I guess this will be a lesson in the future to just do it myself. 

[davent]

There is that saying... If you want it done right, you do it yourself.
dave

[fixxe]

I bet if you go and scan the PCB and put it up here, one of the guys would do the software work