What is a solder paste stencil?

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.

How much does a 3D-printed PCB stencil cost?

With Stenchill, generating your stencil file is completely free. You only need PLA or PETG filament and a 3D printer. A professional stencil costs $15-30 per side, while a 3D-printed one costs just a few cents of filament.

What 3D printer settings should I use for a solder paste stencil?

Use 0.1mm layer height, 100% infill, PLA or PETG material, and a 0.2mm nozzle for best results (0.4mm nozzle is acceptable). The stencil thickness should be 0.3-0.4mm (3-4 layers).

Which EDA tools are compatible with Stenchill?

Stenchill works with Gerber files from KiCad, Eagle, Altium Designer, and any other tool that exports standard Gerber files.

Are my Gerber files stored on the server?

When a generation succeeds, your Gerber file is processed and discarded immediately. When a generation fails, only the Paste and Edge Cuts layers are kept temporarily so the bug can be investigated and fixed; copper layers, silkscreen, drill files, BOM and schematics are never stored. In individual file mode, only the Paste and Edge Cuts layers are uploaded in the first place; your other layers stay on your machine.

The other side of the upload button

This one is not about a new feature. It is about money, and I would rather say it plainly than hint at it in a banner.

If you are reading this, there is a good chance you have already generated a stencil here. Maybe several. Maybe the first one worked on the first try and you came back for your next board. That is exactly why I built Stenchill, and it makes me happy every time.

And yet, it has been a while since anyone made a donation. I see stencils being generated every day, all over the world. The tool is used, and it works. It is just that lately, nobody supports it anymore.

Who is behind Stenchill

I think I know why, and it is not ill will. Most people picture a big company behind it: a team, investors, a budget somewhere. And nobody thinks of donating to a company.

I do have a company, that part is true. I did not create it only for Stenchill, it was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but Stenchill sped up my decision. Still, it is a one-person company: me. No team, no investors, no budget somewhere. I work on Stenchill in the evenings and on weekends. I write the generator, the website, the KiCad plugin and the EasyEDA extension. I answer the support emails. I look at the boards that fail and fix the engine so that the next one works. If your last stencil came out clean when the previous one did not, there is a good chance that is why.

What it costs

The site is free, with no account, no ads and no subscription, and I want to keep it that way. But the server it runs on is not free, and neither is the time. The monthly goal you can see on the site is 80 euros, and it only covers the hosting. For Stenchill to also pay for part of the time I put into it, it would take three to four times that every month. Today, even the 80 euros are not reached.

And there is a detail few people imagine: I live in France. Out of every euro Stenchill brings in, about 45% goes to taxes and social contributions. A 10 euro donation through PayPal leaves 5.50 euros that actually reach the project. I am not complaining too much, it is the country I live in, but it explains why even a goal that looks modest is actually hard to reach.

Partnerships

I am also trying to find partners, so that Stenchill does not depend on donations alone. JLCPCB plays along: Stenchill is part of their Advocate program, and in return I am allowed to order a few boards. It helps, but it is not money that pays for the server, or for the time I spend. And to be honest, I have not even had the time to use it yet: I spend most of my time refining the site and adding features.

With EasyEDA, it is a link exchange, with no money in either direction. It brings visibility, which Stenchill needs, but no income.

What you can do

I am not asking you to pay for every stencil. I am just offering you one question: how many stencils have you generated here? If the answer is "more than one", and the last one did its job, you already know what Stenchill is worth to you. It is not up to me to put a number on it.

If you feel like giving back a little of what the tool saved you, a small donation really makes a difference, preferably through PayPal, which takes no fee (Ko-fi works too). Once is enough, even months after your last stencil.
If you order your boards at JLCPCB, creating your account through the banner on this site helps too, and it costs you nothing.
If you cannot give money, tell people about it. A post on a forum or a word to a colleague is worth more than you think.

Thank you to the four

To this day, four people have donated to Stenchill. Four, out of everyone who has generated a stencil here. To the four of you: thank you. Your donations did not just help pay for the server. They are what gives me hope that the idea is worth it, and the drive to keep going. It is partly thanks to you that the site is still running today, for you and for everyone else.

This is not a threat to shut anything down, and it is not a reproach. But now you know who is on the other side of the upload button.