Homebrew PCBs

Leon Heller, G1HSM
Email: aqzf13@...
My low-cost Philips LPC210x ARM development system:
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/lpc2104.html

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "wheedal99" <wheedal@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 4:49 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: tin coating before etching


> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Mucha"
> > I am thinking about tin coating boards before mechanical etching
> >...
> > A friend said to send them out to a tin coater or buy a solder
> > pot.....
> >
> >
> > Who do you tin after etching ?
>
> I do occasionally dip the board in a "tinit" (-brand name) solution
> after chemical etching my boards.  Its a solution of a dry white
> powder (that you order) and hot water.  It applys a very thin gray
> metal plating to the traces.  I've found this generally isn't thick
> enough to survive the solder paste + oven.  --The flux in the paste,
> (I guess), just eats away some of the plating because it ends up
> needing to be "touched up" later with some solder +solderwick later
> anyway.  It may just be easier to do as your friend suggests with the
> solder pot --although that might not make your high density smt's lay
> flat enough on your board later.

You can always use some desolder braid with a soldering iron to level any SM
pads by removing the excess solder.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
Email: aqzf13@...
My low-cost Philips LPC210x ARM development system:
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/lpc2104.html