Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: airman00 on July 13, 2009, 08:39:44 PM
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http://hackaday.com/2009/07/13/etch-pcbs-with-ferric-chloride-and-a-sponge/ (http://hackaday.com/2009/07/13/etch-pcbs-with-ferric-chloride-and-a-sponge/)
(http://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/f7z9jttfx23v5vv.jpg?w=450&h=243)
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heh, word of this finally got out.
there is instructions for this listed somewhere on the net.
i can see how it would work much faster but i like to let my etchant sit there on my desk... away from my skin...
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The sponge works great and I find it cleaner. I use latex gloves and I dont spill a drop on me.
I use this system and it's ingenious:
http://www.pulsarprofx.com/pcbfx/main_site/pages/
Even if you dont want the product, read the info he has on his site (he originated the sponge idea), and many other great ideas. Using the laminator also produces way better results than the iron.
Colin
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Hi,
If you're in a hurry, just use foam etching (or the 30 seconds acid bath that I won't go in details about here since it's dangerous and lots of kids might get hurt or breathe it and drown!).
If you plan ahead, you don't need to be in a hurry though ;) Just etch while you eg. solder something else.
Using a sponge, which is age old (I did that around 4 decades ago), might be ok for large tracks, but you could hurt narrow fine pitch tracks, by scratching the photo laquer layer in a way that either cut the track (invisibly perhaps) or just narrow it more than it can handle.
Personally, I hate ferric chloride, as it stains like crazy - an agitated box of one of the clear solutions in a boxed up bath suits me so much more.