Homebrew PCBs

Do you use a DIY basket?  Drill a hole and attach a length of fishing line?  I'm looking for the easiest method that avoids a mess and allows even etching by not significantly disrupting the rising bubbles in the tank.

I clamp the top edge.

The clamp is made from two plastic (or FR4) plates, pulled together
with a rubber band (piece of bicycle inner tube). To open the clamp
there is a titanium rod, flattened on the end, inserted between the
plates. The rod is twisted with a lever to pry them apart. The trick
with this is that the rod exists through the top of the clamp, which
is mounted to the lid of the tank, which in turn allows me to actuate
the clamp from outside the lid with just one hand, without getting
said hand dirty.

You waste a small strip of PCB at the top edge, but that doesn't
particularly concern me.

Remember that you can not use most metals except titanium.

The fishing line may very well be problematic if the PCB is pushed
against the side of the tank by the bubbles/current.

ST

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 4:11 PM, sheldon_mp_cooper <bigbazinga@...> wrote:
> Do you use a DIY basket?  Drill a hole and attach a length of fishing line?  I'm looking for the easiest method that avoids a mess and allows even etching by not significantly disrupting the rising bubbles in the tank.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I won't make any claims that it works terribly well, but I use thick,
insulated wire.  I have two pieces in U shapes hanging from the lid of the
etching tank. I rest the board inside of them.

Sent from my iPad

On 2012-03-22, at 9:11 AM, sheldon_mp_cooper <bigbazinga@...> wrote:



Do you use a DIY basket? Drill a hole and attach a length of fishing line?
I'm looking for the easiest method that avoids a mess and allows even
etching by not significantly disrupting the rising bubbles in the tank.

 


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

Hi

I too use insulated solid conductor house wiring to hold my boards in the
tank. I use two large #0 pieces of wire that go across the top of the tank
and #10 to make slings that support the board. It is easily bent to form
new shapes or change depth.

I also use a half inch o.d. clear plastic (Neoprene, I think?) tube I
purchased from the local Ace hardware store for a bubble source. I melted
one end closed and drilled two sized of small holes in it alternating the
sizes. It snakes around the bottom covering about 30% of the bottom of the
tank. I cannot recall what I glued it down with. I've used the same tank
for 30 years. Guessing from the look of the glue I'd guess it was a panel
or floor adhesive. What ever it is, it has worked well. I've replaced the
air pump many times over the years and have even used an automotive
windshield washer pump and small automotive compressor to provide air. A 12
volt auto tire pump works well. If I was to do it again, I'd use a smaller
tube so less air volume was needed to keep fluid out of the tube.



On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 8:55 AM, Benjamin Blumer <b3nzilla@...> wrote:

> I won't make any claims that it works terribly well, but I use thick,
> insulated wire.  I have two pieces in U shapes hanging from the lid of the
> etching tank. I rest the board inside of them.
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On 2012-03-22, at 9:11 AM, sheldon_mp_cooper <bigbazinga@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Do you use a DIY basket? Drill a hole and attach a length of fishing line?
> I'm looking for the easiest method that avoids a mess and allows even
> etching by not significantly disrupting the rising bubbles in the tank.
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


-- 
If you ask me if it can be done. The answer is YES, it can always be done.
The correct questions however are... What will it cost, and how long will
it take?


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

I drill a hole and use a piece of thread to suspend the board.  My etching tank is simply a mouthwash bottle with the top cut off.  I store the etchant in a fabric softener bottle.  The large spout with the special shape allows pouring in and out of the bottle without spilling.  

I tried fishing line once, but the copper chloride dissolved it within seconds.

BTW, I need to ask this because I'm going to an aerated etching tank with the board held vertically and board suspension techniques is something that most of the DIY articles on the web tend to ignore.  I've been using a wave system consisting of a plastic food storage container holding the etchant floating in a larger food storage container of the same type and shape filled with very hot water.  The floating etchant bath is rocked by a 6RPM synchronous motor.  The board simple sits in the bath.

Use Titanium wire 'U' loops, if you can get it, as Ferric Chloride does not touch it, or perforated plastic sheet bent into a 'U' shape attached to a plastic lid. You can make your own perforated sheet with a hole punch and hammer with plastic from a suspension file.

Malcolm
 
I don't suffer from insanity I enjoy it!
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin
The writing is on the wall.


________________________________

 From: sheldon_mp_cooper <bigbazinga@...>
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 2:55 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: How do you suspend your PC board in the etching tank?
 

  
BTW, I need to ask this because I'm going to an aerated etching tank with the board held vertically and board suspension techniques is something that most of the DIY articles on the web tend to ignore.  I've been using a wave system consisting of a plastic food storage container holding the etchant floating in a larger food storage container of the same type and shape filled with very hot water.  The floating etchant bath is rocked by a 6RPM synchronous motor.  The board simple sits in the bath.


 

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

Forget about etching tanks.
http://www.pcbfx.com/main_site/pages/tech_support/no_etching_tank.html

I tried the sponge method last time. It was easy, convenient, and it
worked very well, so I'll continue with that technique.

- Jan

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:13:25 -0600, you wrote:

>Forget about etching tanks.
>http://www.pcbfx.com/main_site/pages/tech_support/no_etching_tank.html

I think that only works with ferric chloride, not the CUCL etchant nor
the persulfates.

Harvey

>
>I tried the sponge method last time. It was easy, convenient, and it
>worked very well, so I'll continue with that technique.
>
>- Jan

Yeah, I tried that method, but I just want to put a board in a tank and walk away to do something else while bubbles do all the work.  Plus, all of my surplus-purchased PC board material is double sided, so using that method I have to flip the board over to etch off one entire side since I typically try to make single sided boards if at all possible.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Jan Kok <jan.kok.5y@...> wrote:

>
> Forget about etching tanks.
> http://www.pcbfx.com/main_site/pages/tech_support/no_etching_tank.html
> 
> I tried the sponge method last time. It was easy, convenient, and it
> worked very well, so I'll continue with that technique.
> 
> - Jan
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Harvey White <madyn@...> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:13:25 -0600, you wrote:
> 
> >Forget about etching tanks.
> >http://www.pcbfx.com/main_site/pages/tech_support/no_etching_tank.html
> 
> I think that only works with ferric chloride, not the CUCL etchant nor
> the persulfates.
> 
> Harvey
> 
> >
> >I tried the sponge method last time. It was easy, convenient, and it
> >worked very well, so I'll continue with that technique.
> >
> >- Jan

I don't know about CUCL or persulphates, but it does work with HCl + H2O2 -- or it at least it worked for me the last board I etched.

I DON'T

On 22/03/12 15:11, sheldon_mp_cooper wrote:
> Do you use a DIY basket?  Drill a hole and attach a length of fishing line?  I'm looking for the easiest method that avoids a mess and allows even etching by not significantly disrupting the rising bubbles in the tank.

I drill a 1.2mm hole in the corner then run a length of thin insulated
wire through it.

I bought a hundred-metre reel of the stuff at a hamfest. It's too
thickly-insulated to use as wire-wrap wire, and too thin and weak for
hookup wire. So it gets used to suspend PCBs in the etch tank! :)

-- 
Phil.
ygroups@...
http://www.philpem.me.uk/