I've been reading up on this and the consensus is that ferric chloride is the most common compound to do the actual "etching". Is there some sort of more widely available chemical that will get the job done? Something I could find at the local walmart? For my needs it doesn't have to be fast (a couple of hours is fine).
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This guy used a mix of peroxide and HCl:
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Ferric Chloride is the safest for home use. It can be messy though if you are sloppy. Why don't you want to use it? It's pretty easy to get.
Tom
How about your local Radio Shack (e.g., Huntington Mall)? Most Radio Shacks still carry ferric chloride etchant, although you may have to fight your way through the cell phones to get to it.
-- Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
chloride is
there some sort
Something I
to be fast
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I have used that link/formulation and it worked well for my small experimental boards.
fwiw... i used the double sided copper boards sold by R.S. (copper thckness ?) , toner transfer with magazine paper and i agitated the etching board with a medium/small (#2, #3) cheapo soft plastic bristle artist brush. Brushing along the exposed copper until it appeared etched.
my recollection of etching time @ room teperatrure (78 F) was about 2 - 3 minutes
hth robb
I'm so used to being let down by Radio Shack I kind of assumed they wouldn't. Turns out they had it in the "bigger" one in Huntington (even though it was way overpriced), which was surprising because they don't actually sell any copper clad blanks to etch...
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As much as everybody complains about Radio Shack (me too!), in the bigger picture it's kind of surprising, in a good way, to be able to buy stuff like etchant or tip cleaner or a tub'o'flux at the local strip mall between the barber shop and liquor store. If they have to turn into a cell phone store to survive, well, at least they're still around.
-- Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
Couldn't you get it at your local chemist or something? It's quite common over here in India.
It's the easiest to get but it stains pretty much everything it touches.
Have you read Tom Gootee's classic DIY page?
-- http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/ JF
get yourself an etching tank that as a air pump and warmer.. You can etch in a very short time and get more life out of you chems..
Tank kits range from 30..50 bucks.
You won't get this kit from Radio shaft..
Look around , may places sell them...
scroll back a page to see other supplies etc..
You don't need to buy something, you can make something.
Heat the ferric chloride during the etching, there are multiple ways including a hot plate or a heat lamp or an aquarium heater, or at the very least preheat it before etching.
Lots of ways to agitate. An aerator from an aquarium store, hook up a motor to agitate the container with the board and etchant, I'm sure there are other schemes suggested over the years.
The magazines were full of suggestions along these lines.
Michael
Microwave oven. Don't let it boil over, though!
Nitrile gloves ("kitchen" gloves or even the old hand-in-a-plastic-bag trick) and a paper towel. *Gently* rub the surface that's being etched. Let the etchant do the work; the idea is just to wipe away the layer that has already reacted.
-- Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
I agree. I use a baking brush to gently swipe the board. The brush is all plastic, so it won't dissolve in the acid. The difference between this method and just sploshing the acid around is incredible. I use some 20 year old ferric cloride, and I can etch a board in less than ten minutes. I also seems to help get a more even etching, and therefore reduce the amount of etching under the mask.
Why it works? Here's an experiment: Take your dirty car, spray on some soap and then hose it off with water. Clean? Nope! Now, try it again, this time gently rubbing it with a soft sponge after you apply soap. Notice the difference!
-- RoRo
All I use is a Tupperware container about an inch depth of Ferric Chloride. I put hot tap water in an aluminum lasagne tray. I then just immerse the Tupperware container with the ferric in the hot water and swish back and forth. I do this outside in my garage it usually takes all of ten minutes or less.
All of that stuff can be picked up at dollarama at a buck each including rubber gloves with the exception of ferric. So the total cost is 3 bucks plus 11 bucks for a 1l of ferric which will do a lot of boards.
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