Material for scrubbing Cu-clad boards
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From: John Larkin on 16 Mar 2010 10:05 On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:21:22 +0530, "pimpom" <pimpom(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >This is for those of you who are making their own PCBs for hobby, >prototyping and low-volume production. > >I've seen things like fine sandpaper and steelwool recommended on >hobbyist websites for cleaning copper-clad boards prior to >transferring the pattern and etching. 40 years ago, I used wood >ash. It worked quite well but wasn't always readily available. >Then I tried tooth powder as it's more abrasive than toothpaste. >It sort of worked, but required too much scrubbing. Then I got >the idea of using household scrubbing powder. It works fast, >having just the right amount of abrasive property with no danger >of inflicting deep scratches. Vim and Biz are two popular Indian >brands. > >I feel no need to look for a better material, but I'm curious >about what others are using. > Scotchbrite, with soapy water. When scotchbrite was first invented, it was a very expensive industrial product and one of the first markets was PCB fabbers. Years later it became a household product. Use the green kind, the more agressive stuff, not the gentle version. John
From: GregS on 16 Mar 2010 12:16 In article <4b9f7898.13445590(a)News.Individual.NET>, bok118(a)zonnet.nl (Gerard Bok) wrote: >On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:55:53 -0700, Archimedes' Lever ><OneBigLever(a)InfiniteSeries.Org> wrote: > >>On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:43:07 GMT, bok118(a)zonnet.nl (Gerard Bok) wrote: >> >>>On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:21:22 +0530, "pimpom" >>><pimpom(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >>> >>>>This is for those of you who are making their own PCBs for hobby, >>>>prototyping and low-volume production. >>>> >>>>I've seen things like fine sandpaper and steelwool recommended on >>>>hobbyist websites for cleaning copper-clad boards prior to >>>>transferring the pattern and etching. >>> >>>>I feel no need to look for a better material, but I'm curious >>>>about what others are using. >>> >>>It has been quite a while, but in the old days I used Seno >>>Polyblock. That is (or was) a kind of big (matchbox sized) crayon >>>eraser, specially made to clean Cu plating. >>>http://www.hamers.de/en/electronics/print6.php >>>shows a picture. >> >> >> The acid is going to eat it off of ALL the unmasked areas and a little >>tarnish wont stop it. I think abrasive scrubbing was overkill this whole >>time. > >Acid ? Tarn-X >I use Polyblock to remove the photolayer. >That is after the etching process :-) >
From: GregS on 16 Mar 2010 12:17 In article <hno7di$4j2$1(a)usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, zekfrivo(a)zekfrivolous.com (GregS) wrote: >In article <4b9f7898.13445590(a)News.Individual.NET>, bok118(a)zonnet.nl (Gerard > Bok) wrote: >>On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:55:53 -0700, Archimedes' Lever >><OneBigLever(a)InfiniteSeries.Org> wrote: >> >>>On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:43:07 GMT, bok118(a)zonnet.nl (Gerard Bok) wrote: >>> >>>>On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:21:22 +0530, "pimpom" >>>><pimpom(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >>>> >>>>>This is for those of you who are making their own PCBs for hobby, >>>>>prototyping and low-volume production. >>>>> >>>>>I've seen things like fine sandpaper and steelwool recommended on >>>>>hobbyist websites for cleaning copper-clad boards prior to >>>>>transferring the pattern and etching. >>>> >>>>>I feel no need to look for a better material, but I'm curious >>>>>about what others are using. >>>> >>>>It has been quite a while, but in the old days I used Seno >>>>Polyblock. That is (or was) a kind of big (matchbox sized) crayon >>>>eraser, specially made to clean Cu plating. >>>>http://www.hamers.de/en/electronics/print6.php >>>>shows a picture. >>> >>> >>> The acid is going to eat it off of ALL the unmasked areas and a little >>>tarnish wont stop it. I think abrasive scrubbing was overkill this whole >>>time. >> >>Acid ? > >Tarn-X > > That should also get rid of oils with a little aggitation. > >>I use Polyblock to remove the photolayer. >>That is after the etching process :-) >>
From: Jim Thompson on 16 Mar 2010 11:39 On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:21:22 +0530, "pimpom" <pimpom(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >This is for those of you who are making their own PCBs for hobby, >prototyping and low-volume production. > >I've seen things like fine sandpaper and steelwool recommended on >hobbyist websites for cleaning copper-clad boards prior to >transferring the pattern and etching. 40 years ago, I used wood >ash. It worked quite well but wasn't always readily available. >Then I tried tooth powder as it's more abrasive than toothpaste. >It sort of worked, but required too much scrubbing. Then I got >the idea of using household scrubbing powder. It works fast, >having just the right amount of abrasive property with no danger >of inflicting deep scratches. Vim and Biz are two popular Indian >brands. > >I feel no need to look for a better material, but I'm curious >about what others are using. > There used to be a liquid cleaner for "Revere Ware", the copper -bottom cooking pots. Use with a plastic or nylon scrubbing pad. ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Dave Platt on 16 Mar 2010 13:44
>I've seen things like fine sandpaper and steelwool recommended on >hobbyist websites for cleaning copper-clad boards prior to >transferring the pattern and etching. 40 years ago, I used wood >ash. It worked quite well but wasn't always readily available. >Then I tried tooth powder as it's more abrasive than toothpaste. >It sort of worked, but required too much scrubbing. Then I got >the idea of using household scrubbing powder. It works fast, >having just the right amount of abrasive property with no danger >of inflicting deep scratches. Vim and Biz are two popular Indian >brands. I use a green nylon scrubbing pad (3M or generic equivalent) with either some Comet household scrubbing powder (for fast cutting) or a squirt of Gojo hand cleaner (an orange-scented gel which contains some pumice). On the last board I did, I scrubbed down the board in this way, rinsed well, and then dipped it into the PC-board etchant solution for a few seconds and then rinsed again. The brief dip in the etchant left the copper surface with a very uniform matte appearance - I think it evened out the larger scratches left by the pumice/cleanser. The pattern ironed on quite well and etched nicely. -- Dave Platt <dplatt(a)radagast.org> AE6EO Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |