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DIY Gold Fingers?

DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-19 by yahoo@...

Hello All,
    Has anyone come across an inexpensive way to gold plate some connector contacts on a PCB (or for that matter connector pins?).     There are some kits in the jewelry space selling on Amazon for several hundreds of dollars, which is a bit pricey for an experiment.
                                     Thanks,
                                                    Andrew


Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-20 by <n0tt1@...>


Just FYI....
www.caswell.com has gold plating solution (VERY expensive)....
no experience here with using the gold, but I've used
their silver plating solution with good results.
I purchased just the solution and made my own regulated DC power supply
with an output of just 1.7V with a input of 12V which I get from a
battery.  Same thing with the required "brush", which is nothing more
than a slender piece of stainless steel that you wrap a very small, porous
cloth around near one end.  Connect the stainless to the + side and the
negative on the work and you're good to go.  No nasty fumes either,
just wear some common sense protective gloves and safety glasses.
 
Charlie
 
On 19 Sep 2016 09:10:33 -0700 "yahoo@... [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> writes:
 
Hello All,
    Has anyone come across an inexpensive way to gold plate some connector contacts on a PCB (or for that matter connector pins?).     There are some kits in the jewelry space selling on Amazon for several hundreds of dollars, which is a bit pricey for an experiment.
                                     Thanks,
                                                    Andrew
 
 
 
 
 


Re: DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-20 by anickol@...

Sorry to inform you, but there is no simple ans inexpensive way to put gold on copper. I've got some recipes, which contain materials like gold cyanide, potassium cyanide, etc. When I first saw these, I thought that I'd better abstain from this.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-22 by Jean-Paul Louis

You cannot deposit gold directly over copper. You need first to deposit a Ni (nickel) barrier.
That is why the process is complex and expensive.
The industry has two slightly different ways to do it, INIG and ENIG which differs only on the way the nickel is deposited. Some other use a process called ENEPIG which is even more complex as ir uses a palladium intermediate between the nickel and the Gold.
In all those processes, E stand for Electroplating while I stands for Immersion(chemical).

Just my $0.02,
Jean-Paul
N1JPL



> On Sep 20, 2016, at 1:09 PM, anickol@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Sorry to inform you, but there is no simple ans inexpensive way to put gold on copper. I've got some recipes, which contain materials like gold cyanide, potassium cyanide, etc. When I first saw these, I thought that I'd better abstain from this.
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-22 by Jean-Paul Louis

I forgot to add a link to an interesting document. I do not have any relationship with the company
authoring the documents.

http://www.epectec.com/downloads/surface-finishes.pdf




Jean-Paul
N1JPL

> On Sep 20, 2016, at 1:09 PM, anickol@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Sorry to inform you, but there is no simple ans inexpensive way to put gold on copper. I've got some recipes, which contain materials like gold cyanide, potassium cyanide, etc. When I first saw these, I thought that I'd better abstain from this.
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-22 by Donald H Locker

ENIG is electroless nickel immersion gold. I presume INIG is immersion nickel immersion gold (I have no specific experience with it).

In any case ENIG is does not use an electroplating process for the nickel.

The "immersion" parts of the process are electroplating.

Donald.

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jean-Paul Louis louijp@... [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2016 12:04:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?
>
> You cannot deposit gold directly over copper. You need first to deposit a Ni
> (nickel) barrier.
> That is why the process is complex and expensive.
> The industry has two slightly different ways to do it, INIG and ENIG which
> differs only on the way the nickel is deposited. Some other use a process
> called ENEPIG which is even more complex as ir uses a palladium intermediate
> between the nickel and the Gold.
> In all those processes, E stand for Electroplating while I stands for
> Immersion(chemical).
>
> Just my $0.02,
> Jean-Paul
> N1JPL
>
>
>
> > On Sep 20, 2016, at 1:09 PM, anickol@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
> > <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> >
> > Sorry to inform you, but there is no simple ans inexpensive way to put gold
> > on copper. I've got some recipes, which contain materials like gold
> > cyanide, potassium cyanide, etc. When I first saw these, I thought that
> > I'd better abstain from this.
> >
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
> Posted by: Jean-Paul Louis <louijp@...>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-09-22 by Jean-Paul Louis

Donald,
You are right. It was late, and I was half asleep. E is for Electroless, not Electroplated.
And the I is for Immersion.

Sorry if I confused some people. I will do better proofing of my emails next time.


Jean-Paul
N1JPL


> On Sep 22, 2016, at 6:45 AM, Donald H Locker dhlocker@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> ENIG is electroless nickel immersion gold. I presume INIG is immersion nickel immersion gold (I have no specific experience with it).
>
> In any case ENIG is does not use an electroplating process for the nickel.
>
> The "immersion" parts of the process are electroplating.
>
> Donald.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jean-Paul Louis louijp@... [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> > To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2016 12:04:27 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?
> >
> > You cannot deposit gold directly over copper. You need first to deposit a Ni
> > (nickel) barrier.
> > That is why the process is complex and expensive.
> > The industry has two slightly different ways to do it, INIG and ENIG which
> > differs only on the way the nickel is deposited. Some other use a process
> > called ENEPIG which is even more complex as ir uses a palladium intermediate
> > between the nickel and the Gold.
> > In all those processes, E stand for Electroplating while I stands for
> > Immersion(chemical).
> >
> > Just my $0.02,
> > Jean-Paul
> > N1JPL
> >
> >
> >
> > > On Sep 20, 2016, at 1:09 PM, anickol@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
> > > <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Sorry to inform you, but there is no simple ans inexpensive way to put gold
> > > on copper. I've got some recipes, which contain materials like gold
> > > cyanide, potassium cyanide, etc. When I first saw these, I thought that
> > > I'd better abstain from this.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> > Posted by: Jean-Paul Louis <louijp@...>
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Re: DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-04 by yahoo@...

Hi Again,
    So it sounds like Gold is expensive, toxic, etc.     Are there other approaches people have used if they want to make contacts (card edge fingers for example) on their boards?
                     Best,
                         Ozz

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-04 by Jean-Paul Louis

If you can use low quality contacts, just use tin/lead or lead free solder (HASL)
If you want reliability of your contact, flash gold is the only reliable solution
that I know of for separable contacts.

Just my $0.02,

Jean-Paul
N1JPL

> On Nov 4, 2016, at 9:25 AM, yahoo@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Again,
> So it sounds like Gold is expensive, toxic, etc. Are there other approaches people have used if they want to make contacts (card edge fingers for example) on their boards?
> Best,
> Ozz
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: DIY Gold Fingers? shim brass

2016-11-04 by Rob

I don't know what the need is for gold for your application but I have used shim brass as a heavy wear contact point
to mate chassis to boards.
Thin brass  sheets are available at hardware stores in various thicknesses in sheets about the size of 3x5 cards
in the window and door department. Its used behind door hinges to set the hinge in the perfect place.


 



On 11/04/2016 09:25 AM, yahoo@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:
 

Hi Again,
    So it sounds like Gold is expensive, toxic, etc.     Are there other approaches people have used if they want to make contacts (card edge fingers for example) on their boards?
                     Best,
                         Ozz



RE: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-05 by keith printy

Silver can tarnish. I remember the days of the heathkit h9 video terminal and the chips having silver plating on their pins. They would have to be removed and cleaned periodically to keep the thing working!

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2016 9:05 PM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

 

 

I have used Cool Amp silver plating powder for  contact on circuit boards with good luck.

Cool-Amp

Cool-Amp

HOME COOL-AMP CONDUCTO-LUBE ORDER/CONTACT US TESTIMONIALS Cool-Amp Silver Plating Powder part #1233-500 MSDS | SPEC sheet | FAQ | ...

Preview by ! Yahoo

 


DuWayne KV4QB

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-06 by Harvey Altstadter

The paper kinda, sorta, gets around to mentioning silver migration at the very end.  The is  a very important failure mechanism for silver plated traces that have a DC voltage difference between them. The paper mentions that this occurs under specific conditions, but does not say what those conditions are. The conditions are easily met. A small potential difference between the conductors, and moisture. A film of water is not necessary, but just plain humidity. If you want to see this very dramatically, and quickly, put 5 volts between two silver plated conductors and bridge them with a drop of water. Watch under about 10X magnification. A fern like (dendritic) structure will grow out from the negative side toward the positive trace. If you don't limit the current, the the dendritic structure will "explode" when it hits the positive trace. If you limit the current enough, the short will be permanent, even after the water evaporates.

A good description is available here:

http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/p313-89.pdf

This is a well known failure mechanism in the aerospace community.

Harvey

On 11/5/2016 8:44 PM, k5ess.nothdurft@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:
 

I posted a file RE silver vs gold plating for contacts.  I probably shouldn't take up file space for this so i will delete the file and just supply the link.


The Performance Implications of Silver as a Contact ... - TE Connectivity

 

  Mike N. 


Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-06 by dgminala@...


Silver migration is nothing new; it's been known to those in the antique radio restoration business for many years in the form of "thunderstorming".  In ye olde days, IF transformers for tube-type AM radios frequently were roughly tuned by small mica compression capacitors (The capacitors only put the IF transformers in the general frequency range; final tuning was done by tuning the ferrite slug in the coils).  The mica slabs were silver plated; the mica being the insulator and the silver plating being the conductors for the capacitors.

After years of aging, the silver plating would migrate toward the edges of the mica slabs, eventually causing a partial short.  Before the short caused a permanent failure, the current leakage across the capacitor would cause a noise in the receiver, noted at the speaker as sounding like the radio was being affected by a distant electrical thunderstorm; thus the term "thunderstorming"
Of course, the only cure was to replace the internal mica capacitors with new modern mica capacitors.

Dave M


---In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, <hrconsult@...> wrote :

The paper kinda, sorta, gets around to mentioning silver migration at the very end.  The is  a very important failure mechanism for silver plated traces that have a DC voltage difference between them. The paper mentions that this occurs under specific conditions, but does not say what those conditions are. The conditions are easily met. A small potential difference between the conductors, and moisture. A film of water is not necessary, but just plain humidity. If you want to see this very dramatically, and quickly, put 5 volts between two silver plated conductors and bridge them with a drop of water. Watch under about 10X magnification. A fern like (dendritic) structure will grow out from the negative side toward the positive trace. If you don't limit the current, the the dendritic structure will "explode" when it hits the positive trace. If you limit the current enough, the short will be permanent, even after the water evaporates.

A good description is available here:

http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/p313-89.pdf

This is a well known failure mechanism in the aerospace community.

Harvey

On 11/5/2016 8:44 PM, k5ess.nothdurft@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:
 

I posted a file RE silver vs gold plating for contacts.  I probably shouldn't take up file space for this so i will delete the file and just supply the link.


The Performance Implications of Silver as a Contact ... - TE Connectivity

 

  Mike N. 


RE: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

2016-11-08 by keith printy

Back many years ago I remember this happening in a tv set. The 4.5 mhz discriminator did exactly that. Replacing it solved the problem.

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2016 6:54 AM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] DIY Gold Fingers?

 

 

 

Silver migration is nothing new; it's been known to those in the antique radio restoration business for many years in the form of "thunderstorming".  In ye olde days, IF transformers for tube-type AM radios frequently were roughly tuned by small mica compression capacitors (The capacitors only put the IF transformers in the general frequency range; final tuning was done by tuning the ferrite slug in the coils).  The mica slabs were silver plated; the mica being the insulator and the silver plating being the conductors for the capacitors.

 

After years of aging, the silver plating would migrate toward the edges of the mica slabs, eventually causing a partial short.  Before the short caused a permanent failure, the current leakage across the capacitor would cause a noise in the receiver, noted at the speaker as sounding like the radio was being affected by a distant electrical thunderstorm; thus the term "thunderstorming"

Of course, the only cure was to replace the internal mica capacitors with new modern mica capacitors.

 

Dave M



---In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, <hrconsult@...> wrote :

The paper kinda, sorta, gets around to mentioning silver migration at the very end.  The is  a very important failure mechanism for silver plated traces that have a DC voltage difference between them. The paper mentions that this occurs under specific conditions, but does not say what those conditions are. The conditions are easily met. A small potential difference between the conductors, and moisture. A film of water is not necessary, but just plain humidity. If you want to see this very dramatically, and quickly, put 5 volts between two silver plated conductors and bridge them with a drop of water. Watch under about 10X magnification. A fern like (dendritic) structure will grow out from the negative side toward the positive trace. If you don't limit the current, the the dendritic structure will "explode" when it hits the positive trace. If you limit the current enough, the short will be permanent, even after the water evaporates.

A good description is available here:

http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/p313-89.pdf

This is a well known failure mechanism in the aerospace community.

Harvey

On 11/5/2016 8:44 PM, k5ess.nothdurft@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:

 

I posted a file RE silver vs gold plating for contacts.  I probably shouldn't take up file space for this so i will delete the file and just supply the link.


The Performance Implications of Silver as a Contact ... - TE Connectivity

 

  Mike N.