Homebrew PCBs

Hi guys,  I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to
prevent corrosion.  Is there something that can be soldered after it
is coated?

I am sure this has been covered before. I did a search, but seemed to
come up blank...


thanks
Don

>Hi guys,  I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to
I think what you want is to tin the copper not soldermask it.

You can get a tin plating solutition that you dip the board in and it will
plate the copper areas.  You can it actually makes soldering easier and is
much less likely to corrode than the copper.

Soldermask keeps the solder from flowing into any area it covers.

Hope that helps.
Ken

d1camero wrote:
> Hi guys,  I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to
> prevent corrosion.  Is there something that can be soldered after it
> is coated?
>
> I am sure this has been covered before. I did a search, but seemed to
> come up blank...
Testors 1601 candy apple green spray enamel.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-58229.html

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

From: "d1camero" <a8723@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 12:57 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] solder mask?


> Hi guys,  I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to
> prevent corrosion.  Is there something that can be soldered after it
> is coated?
> 
> I am sure this has been covered before. I did a search, but seemed to
> come up blank...

You can buy an aerosol lacquer.

Leon

In a message dated 4/4/2007 6:58:22 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
a8723@... writes:

I am  wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to prevent 
corrosion.  <<
Tin or "solder-" plating, like professionally done boards will  make the 
traces remain brighter much longer than bare copper.  Kepro, and I  assume other 
vendors, sell a "Tinnit" stuff that, in a heated solution, will  
electrolessly-plate a board that has resist already on it, exposed, with pattern  showing.  
This is to make a Tin-Resist on the copper.  Then, you can  heat the etched 
board to "reflow" this tin plating.  This also makes a PCB  much easier to 
solder!
 
The green solder-mask is a kind of epoxy which, as the name  implies, is to 
keep solder ONLY where it's supposed to go, in a wave-soldering  proceedure.  
That is applied ONLY after all the "metal etching and plating"  has been done.  
NOT an important step for home-brewers who solder  skillfully, if pretty!

 



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks for the correct understanding of the soldermask and for all the
great suggestions.  I like the testor idea, sounds nice and simple.

Don

On Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:57:06 +0200, d1camero <a8723@...>  
wrote:

> Hi guys,  I am wondering what people use to coat the copper traces to
> prevent corrosion.  Is there something that can be soldered after it
> is coated?
> I am sure this has been covered before. I did a search, but seemed to
> come up blank...
> thanks
> Don


You can also paint it with a solution of colophony resin (electronics  
flux) in alcohol.
You can buy the stuff in a spray can - no mess. I use that even though i  
have plenty of colophony resin to make up my own paint, but one spray can  
seems to last forever anyway so cost is not a factor.

It takes longer to dry than normal paint, and stays sticky for a longer  
time. But then it _is_ a flux so not only solders through, it even makes  
soldering easier.

ST