printed circuit board exposure/now pcb revelation!

[KA4HJH]

>1. Dont believe what they say at the surplus house about whether or not the
>board has photoresist already on it.. I figured out it didnt after talking
>with a friend who works for the company they got the boards from.

They don't last forever. Kepro guarantees their's for something like 
twelve months. After that...


>2. Even though they do make photoresist boards that are quite stable under
>flourescent and incandescent light, if they don't still have the mylar
>wrapper, they ARENT photoresist anymore. BEWARE.

Yep.


>3. If you have a thermal wax printer, you dont need to buy photoresist pcbs
>anyway.. My Alps seemed to do a good enough job for me to print to an
>overhead and then use an iron to transfer the wax from the printer to the
>pcb! Wow.. what a stroke of luck buying this printer! ;)

Would someone please buy me one of those flatbed inkjets?


>Mind you, I had to
>touch it up with a sharpie permanent marker

You're breaking my heart.  8)


>I also learned that a big narrow, tall mason jar with the glass latching
>sealed lid makes a GREAT etching enclosure!
>
>So good, in fact, that I etched my first board clean (no traces, nada)
>before I even got a chance to think to look to see how it was doing! Being
>able to swish the FeCl around at a decent clip without worrying about
>spilling it made it etch VERY quick.
>Heating the etchant to about 130 degrees F and using the Mason jar worked
>really great.

Add an airstone and an aquarium pump and you're there--or rather, you 
don't have to be (to agitate it, that is).

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

ICQ: 45652354