[sdiy] Help with iron-on PCB art

[Peter Grenader]

People,

I'm having a dickens of a time right now trying to make a simple (well,
maybe not all that simple) PCB in my kitchen using the iron on method.

I've done it before, and while I've never been real secure as to when is
enough for all of the processes, I've never had the problems I saw this
morning.

One, how friggin' long do you iron?  When you do, and portions of traces
don't make it and don't transfer, is this a sign of what?  Too hot?  not
enough ironing, not enough pressure? Or to much of all?  Or is this an
indication of old iron on material?  I can only get this material one place
locally - is it possible it's just old and dried up or something?

Then the weirdest thing happen when I etched.  Everything looked great, the
trace widths are not that small, so that's ok, and when I rinsed off the
iron-on etch resist, there was nothing underneath - no copper.  I only
etched for about 10 minutes, slightly heated.  THe exact same duration I've
always done, yet I've never had this problem.

Any help in the balance of the solution vs. heat vs. time vs amount of
solution would be greatly appreciated.

The major problem I have with this is I was making a double sided board, and
after it was etched, I held it up to the light and the front/back
registration was spot on, which I considered the hard part.  SUCH a drag
that the other processes failed on me!

OK, I'm off to Frye's for some more double sided copper clad and yet another
bottle of Ferrite Chlor.  It would be swell to have some answers to these
ponderances when I get back.

Sorry if I seem a bit miffed right now - it's just really a cluster to go
threw this.

thanks in advance -

Peter