Board Selection

Cut a sheet of single-sided copper-clad circuit board to the proper dimensions, as needed. You can cut larger sheets with a hacksaw, or by scribing heavily on both sides and snapping, or with a heavy-duty industrial sheet-metal shear if you have access to one. Sheets in standard sizes like 4 x 6 inches are available from All Electronics, Jameco, or some Radio Shack stores.

The industry-standard board material is "1 oz. FR-4 Epoxy" or words to that effect. The "1 oz." refers to the weight of copper per square inch of board surface. Don't get 2 oz, since it takes just about forever to etch and is hard to solder because it is such a good heat sink.

The "FR-4" is the designation for the Fire Retardant standard, and "Epoxy" or "Epoxy-Glass", etc, indicates that the board itself is made from fiberglass mat laminated with epoxy resin. You might also find "Phenolic" instead of epoxy. This is OK for small low-voltage circuits, and is gentler on drill bits, but it is prone to warping... usually not an issue on small boards (a couple of inches on a side), especially with the direct-draw method.

The board thickness will typically be 1/16 inch (0.062), but ths is rarely critical for small projects.

See also Printed Circuit Construction