Does anyone know something or point me to a web resource about the heat radiating/insulating property of green solder mask?
I'm making two PCBs for a custom-built project and want the finished boards to have a professional look. I've done the screen printing and etching. One of the PCBs has a large (~8 sq.in.) plain copper area to supplement the separate finned heatsink. All soldering will be done by hand and from experience, I find it difficult to get a nice finish covering even a couple of sq.in. with a thin film of solder by hand (for corrosion protection).
The alternative would be to cover the heatsink area with green solder mask along with the rest of the PCB. But I would like to be able to estimate the loss of heat radiation. I'm not really expecting precise figures as there are many variables, but I'll be grateful for some indication other than a wild guess.
(Note: Without going into details at this time, let me assure you that I don't have the alternative of ordering the PCBs from a manufacturer. I'm doing everything myself).
Thanks in advance for any help.