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Registered Member #51
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:17AM
Location:
Posts: 263
The iron on method works great for me but I strongly suggest you don't use FeCL with it. I use a mix of hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid. This way you don't have have scrub much of the paper off the board and risk damaging the traces. The etchant will very effectively attack the paper, and remove it.
Registered Member #65
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155
It works: 1.) Try not to use sand-paper or steel wool to clean the flat copper surface. Instead use dilute FeCl and a plastic wool pad to scrub the surface clean (very important.)
2.) Do not press too hard, a small book is enough weight while its cooling.
3.) Do not attempt large solid islands, instead use a mask with via holes every 3mm.
4.) Try to avoid fine traces, between pad routes, and 90' turns...
5.) Use nail-polish remover (or acetone) solvent to clean off the toner.
FeCl works well as it undercuts slower than most options, but must be warm and agitated.
Registered Member #286
Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 04:52AM
Location:
Posts: 399
"4.) Try to avoid fine traces, between pad routes, and 90' turns..." I guss I can't use it for SMT work. I am looking for something that would be cleaner and finer than doing traces by hand.
Registered Member #89
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:40PM
Location: Zadar, Croatia
Posts: 3145
Neither I don't know what's the hype with FeCl. I never used it in my life and HCl/H2O2 mix is only thing I know of.
Say, can I ask what you mean by this?
I've also found that large surface 'islands' can often get messed up. It's better to print a perforated or lined surfaces and then paint with lacquer over them.
It both saves toner and assures that at least edges are in good shape (edges are much harder to fix). If you are skilled you'l probably do even large surfaces fine... guy in the video seemed to have no problem.
ShawnLG: this technique is very precise, common SMD's will present no problem. You'l actually have more trouble to make large areas well than small traces.
I would imagine only tinyest footprints (BGA, TSOP and etc) to be hard.
Here we found low resolution (2440), glossy photopaper to work best. High resolution paper didn't work well, but this may vary greatly by the brand.
It's absolutely necessary to steel-wool-the board intensely before ironing. We have found clean, dry steel wool (no detergents or water) to work best.
Copper surface must be devoid of all oxide, dirt and lacquers, and steel wool also serrates it making it excellently accept the toner.
The l33t happily do 90 degree turns and very fine traces and clearances:
Registered Member #56
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445
I think that FeCl is common since you can buy it at radioshack ;) I personally prefer ammonium persulfate, since it is just a can of powder until you want to etch a board. I have found that it etches incredibly slow (even with mild heating), but as long as you have time I have seen very little undercutting, and have made some pretty fine traces.
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Iron on etching method
