Homebrew PCBs

How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes 
mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm 
tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side. 
Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the 
lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?

-- 
David Griffith
dgriffi@...

A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

In article <alpine.DEB.1.10.1001311437590.21783@...>,
   David Griffith <dgriffi@...> wrote:

> How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes 
> mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm 
> tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side. 
> Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the 
> lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?

Your eyes (and probably your skin) need protection from the UV, which is
why units are normally enclosed and interlocked.

-- 
Stuart
http://www.torrens.org.uk/ZFC/gallery/winsor.html

David Griffith wrote:
> How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes 
> mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm 
> tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side. 
> Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the 
> lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?
>
>   
Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are saying.  Are you planning on 
exposing the boards through the polycarbonate sheets?  Polycarbonate 
blocks 100% UV.

Kerry

On Sun, 31 Jan 2010, Kerry Wentworth wrote:

> David Griffith wrote:
>> How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes
>> mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm
>> tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side.
>> Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the
>> lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?
>
> Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are saying.  Are you planning on
> exposing the boards through the polycarbonate sheets?  Polycarbonate
> blocks 100% UV.

Whoops, then I guess I need acrylic instead.

-- 
David Griffith
dgriffi@...

A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

On 31/01/2010 22:42, David Griffith wrote:
> How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes
> mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm
> tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side.
> Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the
> lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?
>
>    
It should work OK.

Leon

-- 
Leon Heller
G1HSM

On 31/01/2010 22:55, lists wrote:
> In article<alpine.DEB.1.10.1001311437590.21783@...>,
>     David Griffith<dgriffi@...>  wrote:
>
>    
>> How effective are UV exposure units in the form of two 12-inch tubes
>> mounted on a board and suspended over the workbench?  The approach I'm
>> tinkering with now is a pair of polycarbonate sheets hinged on one side.
>> Align and clamp the PCB and artwork in the device, then place under the
>> lamp to cook, then flip and cook the other side.  Comments?
>>      
> Your eyes (and probably your skin) need protection from the UV, which is
> why units are normally enclosed and interlocked.
>
>    
Long-wave UV isn't particularly dangerous.

Leon
-- 

Leon Heller
G1HSM