Verifying ALL Etcher's Paradise projects

[alparent]

I got the etching itch bad!
Decided to verify ALL of the Etcher's Paradise projects (except the one already verified.)

Plugged in the etching tank and etched all the boards tonight.

Plans for tomorrow night: Drilling, liquid tin plating and silkscreen.

(Yes I like to add a silkscreen  to my etched boards. Made them from the PDF using Inkscape, pretty tedious....but it's done)

Will report my progress in this thread.

Should have takin' pictures    ........ tomorrow.

[nzCdog]

dude that's awesome

[George]

Noice - i cant wait to see your etcheszsss

[brejna]

Crazy idea, if you want leave delays to me

[zombie_rock123]

Apologies if its common knowledge but how vital is the liquid tin plating of the traces? Ive etched boards but never plated thats all.

[alparent]

Helps prevent oxidation and promotes easier soldering.

Is it needed? Not at all. But I have a big bottle of the stuff and it takes 5 sec.

Same as silkscreens.......I have a perfectionist issue. 

Even tried doing my own solder masks, but never found anything satisfactory. (The perfectionist thing again!)
I know there is that laminate solder mask thing, but it needs a laminator and the stuff is expensive. (Oh yah, I'm also cheap. That's another of my issues.)

[alparent]

Crazy idea, if you want leave delays to me

If you go for the Aquaboy-BL that would be great (I don't have any BL3208 on hand right now.)

As for the Leviathan, I already have plans for this one. Tap version with LCD display. (To many ideas!!!)

[287m]

hey Alain, im waiting for your Leviathan ideas
still search for delay who not too much coloring tone

[davent]

Apologies if its common knowledge but how vital is the liquid tin plating of the traces? Ive etched boards but never plated thats all.

I find spraying a coat of lacquer works better. For me the Liquid Tin is no better then leaving the copper bare, it too oxidizes and makes soldering difficult unless soldered to right away, no difference. The lacquer seals the copper and vaporizes on contact with the hot iron.

I've had boards sit empty for years with the lacquer coat, populated and soldered as easily as freshly polished copper.

dave

[alparent]

Any particular type of lacker?

[davent]

Whatever i have on hand and am using to clearcoat the enclosure. Very light mist coat is all you. Using a waterborne lacquer these days but before that used a Canadian Tire brand, Armourcoat or something like that. Very, very light coat.
dave

[stevie1556]

Can't wait to see how you get on with these! Really want to hear what the Leviathan sounds like compared to the Wampler one. I'm going to try it in SMD, and see if I can get it into a 1590A.

[alparent]

Whatever i have on hand and am using to clearcoat the enclosure. Very light mist coat is all you. Using a waterborne lacquer these days but before that used a Canadian Tire brand, Armourcoat or something like that. Very, very light coat.
dave

What about polyurethane or acrylic.....ever tried these?

[alparent]

OK, got all the boards trimmed and drilled tonight. That's a lot of holes!
Did not get as far as I wanted 'cause I spent of couple of hours outside dealing with the over 20 inches of snow we got today!
Thank God for snow blowers.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to put my silkscreens on, skipping the tinning and going to try Dave's lacquer tip.
If all goes well, might even have time to start populating some.

[alparent]

OK Maybe I should rename this thread to "Man vs Snow"
Didn't do as much last night. Spent a couple of hours attacking that 3 feet high, heavy snow bank the plow left for me. And then helped my snowblower'less neigbor takle his. Then I was ..... flushed!
Applied my silkscreen to a couple of boards.
Fun experiments applying silkscreen:
1. I did a couple of boards the old way, toner transfer from photo paper. Works great as always by my photo paper leaves this pesky white residue that takes me for ever to rub off.
2. Tried applying toner on normal paper using GAC-200 (à la devant), learned that you need to do this BEFORE drilling.
3. Tried applying toner on normal paper using aceton (don't remenber where I learned this one) You put the paper toner side on the board and wet with aceton, the toner melts on the board. It "works" and it's fast, if you are not picky......I am!

I'm ordering that yellow transfer paper to see if I can get the same great results as with my photo paper (but without that white residue issue.)

I'm glad aishabag is doing the Horndog, 'cause for some reason this board is missing from my stack of boards. I know I etched it....but it vanished!