Creating circuits can be as simple as an online simulation or doing connections "floating" style like old radios, but electronics don't have to ignore aesthetics. Some circuits are truly beautiful to look at, and with a simple change of substrate, the effect multiplies. A French YouTuber named Heliox recently explained how to create electronic circuits on glass, and the only major element we need is a cutting plotter.
If you've made it this far, it's because you want to create your own circuits. Admittedly, it's not a bad idea to start by studying the methods professionals use, but sooner or later you'll need some software solution, and an effective way to transfer your final design to a substrate. The simplest to follow at home is the iron-on method, which we covered in great detail several years ago. However, there's another option that doesn't involve staining chemicals or hot objects.
How to Create Electronic Circuits on Glass
The French YouTuber Heliox takes us out of our comfort zone with a glass-based design. First, she uses the program EasyEDA to create her circuit ( a dice roller simulator ), but nothing stops us from replacing it with KiCAD or another similar program. It's essential that the circuit traces be thick, 1.5 millimeters or more if possible. The circuit is then exported to PDF and loaded into a cutting plotter. If my eyes don't deceive me, the plotter is a Silhouette Cameo 4 (averaging around 300 euros), although other models should work just as well.
The material to cut is nothing less than self-adhesive copper. This point requires a bit of trial and error to determine factors like cutting depth and number of passes (this varies depending on the type of copper and the machine we use). When removing the excess copper, the circuit traces remain intact on the cutting surface. Although it seems unbelievable, the most complicated part is preparing the glass. Heliox had two failures during cutting and had to smooth the edges to avoid accidents.
https://old.neoteo.com/impresora-3d-hogarena-fabricar-placas-circuitos/Finally, the traces are transferred to the glass (with great care), and the rest is a matter of soldering the components (as long as they are SMT or "surface mount"), closely controlling heat and the amount of solder. Personally, I would apply an acrylic layer to better protect the copper and preserve its shine, but the final result is excellent and definitely worth reproducing.
