Hi, Alessio and the group!
Just wanted to add to Alessio's last paragraph... Citric Acid, which I believe
would be wonderful for cleaning copper, is also found in grocery stores under
the name of "Sour Salt", and is usually with the baking supplies. I know that
it preserves dried fruit ever so well, and I'm sure that it would make an
excellent copper cleaner.
Thanks!
Dave Garfield - contemplating "sour salt" in the "wilds" of Colorado...
________________________________
From: coronasensei <
coronasensei@...>
To:
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.comSent: Tue, August 3, 2010 3:21:59 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: URL Links for PCB Learning..
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Alessio Sangalli <alesan@...> wrote:
...I do agree to an extent with the excessiveness of my cleaning process, but I
find it best to overdo it for a start then try simplifying it from there. I
found turps to work better than acetone because of the residue, and I prefer to
limit my exposure to acetone! But yeah you certainly need to clean the board
well afterwards to solder to it.
I used to keep a solder bath (camping oven, frypan, lots of plumbing solder
bars) for tinning the board after etching; flux, dip, wipe with windscreen
squeegie, but that was when I had a fumer cupboard to keep it in. Now I use
cool-amp silver plating powder, it's amazing. Only catch is silver can tarnish
just as bad as copper. Still worth it though I feel, and looks real nice.
speaking of soldering, I find supermarket ascorbic (citric) acid, the stuff for
baking that comes in granules, works wonders as a water clean flux when mixed in
water and used from a spray bottle, it's cheap and safer than most commercial
ones. spray it onto dirty copper and it'll brighten before your eyes!
Andrew
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