Homebrew PCBs

Enclosed below a photo of my first attemp at etching. 

http://www.wagsterstuff.com/photos/pnpsuccess.jpg

Some observations

Used a 3m 320grit scouring pad to clean the surface of the copper.
Copper was slightly abrased from this technigue.

Cut just the pressnpeel I needed and taped it to the paper to create
my resist.

Used a Industrial Permanent Ink Sharpie to touch up the resist before
etching.

Used 2/3 cup of H202 and 1/3 cup of HCL at room temperature gently
swishing took about 5 minutes to complete the etch.

Remove the Ink and resist using Acetone wearing rubber gloves.

One comment its difficult to solder directly onto the ground plane
with a 40watt iron because the heat is transfered away so quickly. 
Any good solutions to soldering onto a ground plane.

Regards and thanks again for this great group.

Dennis Waggoner

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "sbdwag" <sbdwag@...> wrote:
>
> Enclosed below a photo of my first attemp at etching. 
> 
> http://www.wagsterstuff.com/photos/pnpsuccess.jpg

> One comment its difficult to solder directly onto the ground plane
> with a 40watt iron because the heat is transfered away so quickly. 
> Any good solutions to soldering onto a ground plane.

Commercial layout programs have a pad with 1 to 4 very short radial
traces connecting it across a larger hole.  This is called a thermal
or thermal isolator.

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "sbdwag" <sbdwag@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 2:46 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Success using Press-n-Peel and H202 HCL etch 
solution (First Attempt)


> Enclosed below a photo of my first attemp at etching.
>
> http://www.wagsterstuff.com/photos/pnpsuccess.jpg
>
> Some observations
>
> Used a 3m 320grit scouring pad to clean the surface of the copper.
> Copper was slightly abrased from this technigue.
>
> Cut just the pressnpeel I needed and taped it to the paper to create
> my resist.
>
> Used a Industrial Permanent Ink Sharpie to touch up the resist before
> etching.
>
> Used 2/3 cup of H202 and 1/3 cup of HCL at room temperature gently
> swishing took about 5 minutes to complete the etch.
>
> Remove the Ink and resist using Acetone wearing rubber gloves.
>
> One comment its difficult to solder directly onto the ground plane
> with a 40watt iron because the heat is transfered away so quickly.
> Any good solutions to soldering onto a ground plane.

Use thermal reliefs, or a Metcal soldering station. Mine doesn't have any 
problems with soldering onto ground planes even when using small tips so I 
don't bother with thermal reliefs on my homemade PCBs.

Leon