Homebrew PCBs

Hey Mike:

Have you tried heating the board in peanut oil.  It's not the best stuff, but it works.  With the old lead tin stuff, I was able to:

1: Heat the board
2. Pull it out and add some solder to the traces
3. Dip back in and use a damp rag to spread

The boards come out oily, but very nice.

\Where to go:

1. Use something other than peanut oil
2. experiment with two baths; flux
3. Prep board (vinegar and salt); add flux; heat board; dip board; wipe board
4. Lead free solder

Better than tin any day.



----- Original Message ----
From: Mike Young <mikewhy@...>
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 9:59:05 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Solder pot tinning and etch resist


I'm wondering about the practicality of tinning bare copper on PCBs by dipping into a solder pot. If the board is masked with a negative image, the tinning can also form the the resist for etching. My interest is two-fold. Tinning would protect the copper, and the negative image would place toner transfer pinholes and defects into the etch area. My hope is that they can be either undercut and dissolved during etching, or simply left in place or wirebrushed away. I don't have a solder pot to experiment with, and was about to purchase a small one to strip and tin enamel leads. Larger pots, suitable for dipping small PCBs, cost not much more. I was wondering if it would be worth the added expense.

Thanks.
Mike.

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