[sdiy] PCBoards at home

[KA4HJH]

>Hi All,
>
>I have some old  kepro photosensitized pc boards. They are  dated
>1997. They, of course, are still sealed, but I'm wondering if they are
>any good.

The resist (at least what they were using back then) goes bad after about
12-18 months. If you open one up you'll probably discover it's turned a
deep purple, the same as if it were (over) exposed.

>It's no loss if they're not, they were free and can still be
>used in the traditional manner.

Just remove the resist and you've got a blank PC board. Note that it might
be hard to remove after all this time. Do you have the chemicals? Some
serious soaking and scrubbing may be required.

>I have a small glass plate with foam
>back and clamp to sandwich the negative for exposure. What kind of
>lamp do I need? Can I get something cheap at the hardware store that
>will work well?

I used a picture frame and sunlight. Since the exposed area turns purple
it's rather easy to tell if you've got it.

>These are a negative process board. What is the most efficient modern
>way to diy boards at home? Although I like the idea of having someone
>else do them, it still seems like it's more expensive for small
>quantities.
>
>Any tips would be appreciated.

As Karl already pointed out the dry transfer method may be the simplest for
DIY. It's a real pain getting negative shot anymore.

-- 

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"