Homebrew PCBs

Hi PG,

Some traces are darker, like #1 and #4 from the top. Only traces #5
and 36 are broken.

So what shloud I try? Should I try to less squeeze with the iron? Or
keep the board less time in the etchant? Or both?

I ordered a laminator to see if this will give me a better result. I
really would like to have 100 % accurate 10 mils tracks. My goal is to
do the 10 mils spiral challenge. http://www.delorie.com/pcb/spirals/

JM

2010/10/19 Piers Goodhew <piers@...>:
> Some "pitting" is normal with TT, from your pix it looks more like the
> etchant got under the toner in some spots .. never seen that happen before -
> are the traces actually broken, or just darker?
>
> Also looks like the toner has "spread" somewhat from being squeezed down
> hard - but not so hard that yr 10mil traces join, so probably not a problem.
>
> PG
>
> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 12:03 PM, Jean-Marc Spaggiari <
> Jean-Marc@...> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I read few emails on the last few months regarding Toner Transfert for
>> home-made PCBs.
>>
>> I tried over the last 3 days to do my own, but now really successful.
>>
>> I'm using a Lexmark E210 (600dpi) with Stapple Gloss paper.
>>
>> I looked over 200 videos on Youtube to find the right way to do it,
>> and here is what I did.
>>
>> Print the schema on the gloss side of the gloss paper keeping my
>> fingers away from the printed area.
>> Cleaned the board with Vim, rinced it, and cleaned again with Acetone.
>> Placed the schema on top of the board.
>> Heated it without moving for the few first seconds to fix it, them
>> pressing hard and everyone to be sure it's well pressed for 6 minutes.
>> Putted the board on some water with 1 drop of soap for 5 minutes.
>> Pilled the paper, the scrubbed it to reveale the tracks.
>>
>> At that point, the board seems to be well printed, all the tracks
>> beeing nice well separated and clear.
>>
>> My concern is after the etching. There is some "holes" on my tracks :(
>> Like is the acid was going below the toner.
>>
>> I tried with 10 mils, 15 mils and 20 mils. The holes are big enought
>> to cut 10 and 15 mils tracks. But 20 mils are "safe".
>>
>> I have uploaded a picture on my album. Not 100% sur how to share it.
>>
>>
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/photos/album/1194946320/pic/2101422375/view
>>
>> At the end, my goal is do to a double-side board.
>>
>> I'm not stuck with the Toner Transfert. If I phone something else
>> working better, I'm fine with that. But I don't want to pay 10$ for a
>> 4"x6" piece of copper. I'm doing my tests with a 24x12 board I bought
>> 4$ ;) I tried with some other boards (4x6) with the same results.
>>
>> So few questions.
>>
>> What's wrong? ;) I'm suspecting the etching to be to agressive. I'm
>> doing it on a plate using Q-Tips to brush the board, all of that at
>> 50C
>> I would like to try the photo-transfert method, but it there a way to
>> "transform" a standard board to a photo-sensitive one whitout spending
>> 10$ per board?
>> Is there few posts you can point me to so I can see past threads
>> related to this subject?
>>
>> Also, sorry if I don't have all the right vocabulary. I'm still learning.
>>
>> Thanks, and looking forward to read you.
>>
>> Jean-Marc
>>
>>
>
>
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