First pcb etching success!

[miter53]

Took me a dozen or so tries to get the transfer right, but I finally got a good one. Trying to get ready for the impending etcher's library...

[selfdestroyer]

miter53, Great job on that etch. One thing I would recommend is wet sanding it with some 1000 grit and it will get rid of the tiny spotting you are getting.

Cody

[icecycle66]

Oh momma, good etch.

[rullywowr]

Nice job!  I would add that you should get some "liquid tin" by mg chemicals.

[davent]

Excellent etch!

I find a coat of spray lacquer works better then Liquid Tin for ease of soldering if the board's going to be sitting for any length of time.

[selfdestroyer]

Excellent etch!

I find a coat of spray lacquer works better then Liquid Tin for ease of soldering if the board's going to be sitting for any length of time.

Do you spray your board before you populate it with components? If so, do you get any discoloration or residuals from the lacquer after soldiering? I have shot some of my PCBs with clear coat when I am done populating them but never before.

Cody

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I spray my etched PCBs with Clear Coat Enamel. Basically, it just allows the traces to maintain their bright copper shine and there is no discoloration or oxidation ugliness.

Still have to clean off flux residue (which I hardly ever do anyways)

[Leevibe]

Great etch! +1 on liquid tin.

I haven't tried lacquer. Do you have to scrape the pads before soldering or do you solder it up and then spray it?

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Do you have to scrape the pads before soldering or do you solder it up and then spray it?

Dont know about lacquer but, with enamel I spray BEFORE populating. When I solder, the iron melts the enamel on the pad and allows the solder to flow pretty easily.

[alanp]

That is a really clean etch! Keefe, look out!

You're going to love that cosmo, too -- I had best results with a MP38A germanium.

[davent]

Excellent etch!

I find a coat of spray lacquer works better then Liquid Tin for ease of soldering if the board's going to be sitting for any length of time.

Do you spray your board before you populate it with components? If so, do you get any discoloration or residuals from the lacquer after soldiering? I have shot some of my PCBs with clear coat when I am done populating them but never before.

Cody

Do you have to scrape the pads before soldering or do you solder it up and then spray it?

Dont know about lacquer but, with enamel I spray BEFORE populating. When I solder, the iron melts the enamel on the pad and allows the solder to flow pretty easily.

Ditto for the lacquer, spray immediately after cleaning the the etch resist from the traces. Prevents them from oxidizing, so soldering is easy at any given interval after they've been sprayed and preserves the nice shiny look. I found with liquid tin if there was a long interval between coating and soldering, soldering became far more difficult. And then if was a partially populated board it was a major pain to try to rehab the unsoldered pads.

Solder directly thru the lacquer, touch the iron to pad and lead, pffft and the solders flowing. Cleaning flux you can't use nasty solvents because the lacquer won't stand up to those, but if you need to clean a dental pick will pop the cooled flux off.



Testor's has/had(?) a Transparent Candy Green Lacquer that looked like solder mask when sprayed on but i could never get a nice good looking coat with it.

Now if you want to make the copper really pop, Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Speaking of Liquid Tin....

I would LOVE to see a good tutorial on using that! Especially for etched face plates 

I have a small bottle of it and would like to use it to "tin" some etched black PCB 

Does anyone have a lot of experience with it to share some insight?

[davent]

Speaking of Liquid Tin....

I would LOVE to see a good tutorial on using that! Especially for etched face plates 

I have a small bottle of it and would like to use it to "tin" some etched black PCB 

Does anyone have a lot of experience with it to share some insight?

Billstein's the Master. (Scroll down a bit in the Pharoah thread)
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=14599.msg136305#msg136305
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=14223.msg132121#msg132121
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=13984.msg129516#msg129516
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=13978.msg129465#msg129465

[Haberdasher]

great first etch

man, i can't use liquid tin.  i think my water is too soft and it leaves HORRIBLE looking water spots everywhere.  or maybe it's not my water, i really dunno.  besides, one accidental whiff of that stuff and i get a nasty dull headache that lasts for a couple of hours.  i really don't think that stuff is very healthy to be around.

[jimilee]

Wicked awesome!