Etching copper clad

[Ernest Christley]

Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
in my back copies of Kitplanes.

[Charlie[_2_]]

Ernest Christley wrote:
> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
> to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
> in my back copies of Kitplanes.
How 'bout:

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=pc+board+etchant&hl=en&btnG=Search

Charlie

[Peter Dohm]

> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
> to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
> in my back copies of Kitplanes.

RS seems to drift farther from their name with each passing day.

However, there are electronics parts suppliers in most urban areas and they
should have it in stock, along with a variety of circuit board blanks,
circuit board kits, and "breadboarding" kits. Try electronics, electronics
parts, and electronics supplies in the locat yellow pages. Usually, in that
sort of business, "professional" or "trade" means that you know the name or
description of what you want to buy.

Peter

[tscheevel]

A quick search on mouser.com yielded the following:

http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=ferric+chloride

[flybynightkarmarepair]

Ernest Christley wrote:
> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
> to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
> in my back copies of Kitplanes.

You're thinking of this post:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.homebuilt/browse_frm/thread/59fc09e755ca39e4?tvc=1&q=printed+circuit+board

Scroll down for Jim's response to RS Hoover's intial post. Muratic
acid and Hydrogen Peroxide.

[steveukman]

I found a good source for it at All Electronics
(http://www.allelectronics.com)
They supply the solid stuff (ferric chloride) rather than the more
'spillable' solution. I found ferric chloride works better than
anything else I've tried. I have found them to be prompt and helpful.
They are also a treasure trove of 'odds and ends' for all kinds of
projects.

If you are making PCB's, they also stock 'transfer film'. Just print
on a laser printer and iron on to the PCB. It transfers better than
laser-anything else. I was getting really frustrated (trying all kinds
of papers and other materials) until I found this stuff ... never had a
bad board since!!!! I even do double-sided with it with great results.

There are a few schematic capture and PCB layout programs for free that
seve me well ... making it much easier than 20 years ago. Hmmmmm ...
can I produce an EFIS for under $1,000?

Hope this helps.
Steve


Charlie wrote:
> Ernest Christley wrote:
> > Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
> > there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
> > board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
> > to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
> > in my back copies of Kitplanes.
> How 'bout:
>
> http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=pc+board+etchant&hl=en&btnG=Search
>
> Charlie

[Juan Jimenez[_1_]]

Laser print and iron onto a PCB? Wow. How things have changed. I've been
buying PCB's for my son's analog-music-synth-from-scratch project for months
now. Had I known, maybe I would have saved some money.... except I believe
ferric chloride is also a hazmat, no?

"steveukman" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I found a good source for it at All Electronics
> (http://www.allelectronics.com)
> They supply the solid stuff (ferric chloride) rather than the more
> 'spillable' solution. I found ferric chloride works better than
> anything else I've tried. I have found them to be prompt and helpful.
> They are also a treasure trove of 'odds and ends' for all kinds of
> projects.
>
> If you are making PCB's, they also stock 'transfer film'. Just print
> on a laser printer and iron on to the PCB. It transfers better than
> laser-anything else. I was getting really frustrated (trying all kinds
> of papers and other materials) until I found this stuff ... never had a
> bad board since!!!! I even do double-sided with it with great results.
>
> There are a few schematic capture and PCB layout programs for free that
> seve me well ... making it much easier than 20 years ago. Hmmmmm ...
> can I produce an EFIS for under $1,000?
>
> Hope this helps.
> Steve
>
>
> Charlie wrote:
>> Ernest Christley wrote:
>> > Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
>> > there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
>> > board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
>> > to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
>> > in my back copies of Kitplanes.
>> How 'bout:
>>
>> http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=pc+board+etchant&hl=en&btnG=Search
>>
>> Charlie
>



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[RST Engineering]

September '06. Addendum...abrasion with 180 grit sandpaper/cloth does a
better and less hazmat job of removing the resist than does lacquer thinner.

Jim


> "Ernest Christley" > wrote in message
> ...

>> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
>> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
>> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how to
>> do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it in
>> my back copies of Kitplanes.
>
>

[Morgans[_5_]]

"Juan Jimenez" > wrote

> except I believe ferric chloride is also a hazmat, no?
>

As you recently said, get with the program. Do some reading (in this
thread, even) and report back.
--
Jim in NC

[Juan Jimenez[_1_]]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Juan Jimenez" > wrote
>
>> except I believe ferric chloride is also a hazmat, no?
>>
>
> As you recently said, get with the program. Do some reading (in this
> thread, even) and report back.

Oh, did you go into "monkey see, monkey do" mode now? <chuckle>

Did ya miss the question mark? The difference between you and me is that I
ask, rather than pretend I know something about which I don't know squat.

The children's sandbox is --> thataway.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Ernest Christley]

flybynightkarmarepair wrote:
> Ernest Christley wrote:
>> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
>> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
>> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how
>> to do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it
>> in my back copies of Kitplanes.
>
> You're thinking of this post:
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.homebuilt/browse_frm/thread/59fc09e755ca39e4?tvc=1&q=printed+circuit+board
>
> Scroll down for Jim's response to RS Hoover's intial post. Muratic
> acid and Hydrogen Peroxide.
>

Ah, yes! That's it.

Thank you...and Jim...and Mr. Hoover.

Ferric chloride is good, and I figured it could be had; but, it would be
a hazardous, special purpose chemical that would sit around for a very
long time with very little likelihood of ever being used again. Muriatic
acid and hydrogen peroxide are both useful for all sorts of things.

[[email protected]]

Ernest Christley wrote:

> Ferric chloride is good, and I figured it could be had; but, it would be
> a hazardous, special purpose chemical that would sit around for a very
> long time with very little likelihood of ever being used again. Muriatic
> acid and hydrogen peroxide are both useful for all sorts of things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Ernest (and the Group),

Definitely go with the acid over the Ferric Chloride. I only use the
stuff because I'm already set-up to do so. The acid-peroxide stuff
sounds like a good idea.

-R.S.Hoover

PS -- I'll post pix of the thang I use for drilling on the Chugger site
then copy an edited version of the March posting to my blog.

[[email protected]]

Ernest Christley wrote:

> Ferric chloride is good, and I figured it could be had; but, it would be
> a hazardous, special purpose chemical that would sit around for a very
> long time with very little likelihood of ever being used again. Muriatic
> acid and hydrogen peroxide are both useful for all sorts of things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Ernest (and the Group),

Definitely go with the acid over the Ferric Chloride. I only use the
stuff because I'm already set-up to do so. The acid-peroxide stuff
sounds like a good idea.

-R.S.Hoover

PS -- I'll post pix of the thang I use for drilling on the Chugger site
then copy an edited version of the March posting to my blog.

[Ernest Christley]

RST Engineering wrote:
> September '06. Addendum...abrasion with 180 grit sandpaper/cloth does a
> better and less hazmat job of removing the resist than does lacquer thinner.
>
> Jim
>

Duly noted. I'm working on one of the capacitive fuel gauges. You
wouldn't happen to have the PCB artwork laying around, perchance?

I've started laying it out in gEDA, an open-source
design/simulation/production system.

>
>> "Ernest Christley" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>>> Getting ferric chloride from Radio Shack is getting problematic. Is
>>> there a common household chemical that I can use for etching a circuit
>>> board or two? I seem to remember Jim Weir having an article about how to
>>> do it in the not to distant past, but I can't find anything about it in
>>> my back copies of Kitplanes.
>>
>
>