Homebrew PCBs

At 12:54 PM 5/3/02 -0700, Randy Knutson wrote:

>Greetings,
>
>I have a question concerning the 'wet method' of making circuit boards. 
>Since I am new to making circuit boards I did a search a while ago and 
>found kepro circuit systems and purchased all the items to make circuit 
>boards using the dry film method. After it was all said and done and 
>everything was shipped I had quite a bit of money invested. Since I have 
>been following this group I have heard people using 'lye' as a developer. 
>My question is this: Are there any common chemical substitutions which 
>could be used replace any of the development stuff kepro sells? Example: 
>developer=lye, stripper=bleach??, tinplating = ?, acid= ? etc.

First, I strenuously object to the term "ACID" when talking about 
etchant.  Etchant MAY contain acid (I use Ammonium Persulphate catalyzed 
with Sulphuric Acid) but Ferric Cloride is not strong enough to be called 
acid.  Neither is Ammonium Persulphate.

As far as the rest is concerned, it depends upon the photo chemistry.  For 
example, DuPont's Riston dry film laminate uses Potassium Carbonate as the 
developer: this is also known as Soda Ash.  Same with the stripper: Sodium 
Hydroxide is more commonly known as Caustic Soda.

Hans uses Cool Amp for silver plating boards - I will soon be ordering some 
and trying it since he has had such good results with it.  The initial 
price is a tad steep but it sounds like it lasts a LONG time.  (Thanks, Hans!)

dwayne


Dwayne Reid   <dwayner@...>
Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd    Edmonton, AB, CANADA
(780) 489-3199 voice          (780) 487-6397 fax

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