Upload your Gerber files, get a 3D-printable file in seconds.
Your Gerber ZIP file (KiCad, Eagle, Altium export…)
View the stencil in 3D and adjust settings if needed
Download the STL file and print it on your 3D printer
Barbatronic is a French maker and robotics creator. On Twitch since 2019, he publishes hardware tutorials on YouTube, runs an active Discord community, and is a member of the Karibous team, which competes every year at the French Robotics Cup. A community of curious hackers and hands-on makers shows up each week for his practical hardware insights.
Stenchill was actually born in one of his streams. A chat discussion convinced me the idea was worth building and that I had the skills to ship it.
In this video, he integrates Stenchill into his fabrication workflow and shares his first impressions.
A stencil is a thin plate with openings matching the solder pads on your PCB. Place it on the board, spread solder paste with a squeegee, then position your SMD components before reflow. The result: precise and uniform paste deposits, much faster than using a syringe.
3D-printed stencils work best with 0603+ passive components and large-pitch ICs. For finer components (0402, fine-pitch BGA), a laser-cut stencil is recommended. Use a 0.2mm nozzle for best results on small pads.
PLA works great, PETG offers slightly more rigidity
Glass, smooth PEI or mirror gives a flat face that spreads paste cleanly
Recommended for best results. A 0.4 mm nozzle is still acceptable
Essential for a smooth surface and good paste application
3 to 4 layers at 0.1 mm. Thinner = less paste, thicker = more deposit
Full infill ensures stencil rigidity
Variable-width walls for narrow pad openings
Slow speeds give cleaner pad edges and avoid skipped fine features
Previews recently published by users.
Stenchill is part of a small ecosystem of makers.
Source: Hacker News — This article was automatically imported from the source. Read full article at original source →
