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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] solder mask?

From: JanRwl@...
Date: 2007-04-05

In a message dated 4/4/2007 6:58:22 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
a8723@... writes:

I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to prevent
corrosion. <<
Tin or "solder-" plating, like professionally done boards will make the
traces remain brighter much longer than bare copper. Kepro, and I assume other
vendors, sell a "Tinnit" stuff that, in a heated solution, will
electrolessly-plate a board that has resist already on it, exposed, with pattern showing.
This is to make a Tin-Resist on the copper. Then, you can heat the etched
board to "reflow" this tin plating. This also makes a PCB much easier to
solder!

The green solder-mask is a kind of epoxy which, as the name implies, is to
keep solder ONLY where it's supposed to go, in a wave-soldering proceedure.
That is applied ONLY after all the "metal etching and plating" has been done.
NOT an important step for home-brewers who solder skillfully, if pretty!





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