Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> BTW what a coincidence - my tank sprung a leak today! Luckily the 
> plastic  
> safety container the tank sits in does it's job well. I drained all 
> the  
> etchant into bottles and found it leaked in the same place again. 
> The  
> etchant seeps through the gap between the edge of a panel and the 
> bottom  
> plate which i must not have sealed properly. I had already put 
> silicone  
> all the way around the outside of this joint to seal it up when it 
> leaked  
> "back then", but i didn't do a terribly good job and such things 
> tend to  
> come back and haunt you. So i carefully cut away the old silicone 
> there  
> and re-did it properly. Will try tomorrow if it is OK now.
> 
> So, if you build a tank, do put silicone right on the edge of each 
> panel  
> so this gap is sealed all the way. Check if it is sealed by looking 
> from  
> the other side, i did not do that...
> The aquarium people manage to hold together the whole tank by gluing 
> only  
> at that very edge, i prefer to let one panel protrude so i can put i 
> nice  
> bead on the outside of the tank. I glued the first tank outside and  
> inside, but it is tricky to get into a narrow tank so i didn't do 
> that  
> with this one. It shouldn't be needed when the rest is done 
> properly.
> 
> And do make sure the whole thing sits in a larger vessel that is 
> reliable,  
> VERY reliable.
> 
> 

I used Plumber's Goop or Household Goop when I built vertical etching
tanks, rather than silicone. I never had a problem with leaks, but I
used a rather large amount, just to make sure. I like this glue for
pretty much everything, though it's pretty thick, so there are some
jobs for which it's a bit too messy.

I used to keep the etching tank in a 13 qt sweater box (#5 plastic),
and now use the #5 boxes directly. Double-boxing it would probably be
a good idea - if you leave your supplies outside, periodicly check to
make sure the plastics aren't getting brittle.

Never ever store used etchant (or anything, really) in those thin
1-gallon milk/water bottles, either. Heavier #2 containers are the
best thing to keep it in, then store those inside a bigger leak-proof tub.