You have Ferric Chloride. Do not inhale the fumes and it stains everything. Will take the chrome off of plumbing fixtures.

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I have never used anything but a metal polish.
If I used sand paper It would properly be 1200 grit!
Like I have written before, if the copper is shiny it is clean. Run water over it for a last check, make sure the water is not beading.
I use an old stash of Revere Ware copper cleaner but it is unfortunately not available any more. But most any metal or brass/copper cleaner/polish should be able to do the job. Brasso is a name that comes to mind.
In many cases the copper oxide layer is so thin that a plain pencil eraser will take it off, so it seems to me that using sand paper is a gross overkill.

 

Warning do not use in basement. It's hard on you should be on the bottle. And i have ventilation.

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I told you not to inhale the fumes. It attacks the lungs and you will get what feels like a chest cold.

3v0

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It's ok I didn't see that till after. Last time i open the garage door to do this. This time i didn't ! But you could get hurt with this stuff if not real careful
that's why I posted.

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I will look for some next trip to the office depot. I use picture paper (hammermill brand) and I guess it is between what you used and photo paper, photo paper is a pain to get the coating off. Picture paper, you can use your thumbs and get it off with a small amount of work.

I tried hero999's idea "way" back but found the rags in the US are thick and thin and some crumbled up in the printer. As no one new exactly what magazine to use (different areas in the world). Though playboy I think was brought up and I had none of them.

So this looks like something to try. As for the FC, turns have I have 9 bottles of it I will never use again. I will only use the pool acid and peroxide). Much faster and less bad things to breath for me.

Anyone in S.E. Florida that needs come ferric chloride PM me.

 

as for cleaning Pulsar recommends using scotch-brite pads.
I myself like 600 wet/dry under running water.
comes out very bright and smooth.
also learned that the lighter boards (1/2 oz) are best.
been using 2oz boards but takes forever and the boards are thick so light doesn't shine through it (helps in locating any bad traces)

 

I don't know what weight my copper clad board is. I bought it from Maplin's and it wasn't specified.

Thicker copper might take longer to etch but the lower resistance of thicker boards is important for high current stuff.

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Good point on the thicker copper.

When I read "so light doesn't shine through it" I assumed the fiberglass board during etching. Did not think about the copper layer and thickness.

 

The backside of my label paper is very different then the slippery surface to which the labels were attached. If that is the case you want the front side after the labels come off.

I used to use this method for printing the silk screen.

3v0

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It is your idea, we'll let you try it first!
Let us know how it works out.

 

There is another factor. The heavier the copper is the longer it takes to etch and the more it will undercut traces. Not a problem with heavy power traces but bad news for very fine line.

3v0

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If it works, I'd do a bunch of sheets at one time and store them. I would not want to wait for them to dry each time. I like Eagle Cad to product in hand in 1 hour. I have that now on a simple low parts count board.

When I have time, I will try the presentation paper (Hero999's rag idea from way back as I'm now told is presentation paper) and see if it's better than what I use. I had mixed luck with thin rag paper jams.

My delay in the whole process is getting the paper gloss coating off the copper. Currently I rough up the back of the paper with a plastic brush after a short dip (less that 30 seconds) in warm water, re-dip in warm water and that does it for me in a couple minutes. But I would like to have it fall off, a rinse and go. No rub over a couple time to make sure all that coating came off the toner.

If Pulsar paper person wants to send me a sheet I will give an honest review (and yes I have tried the PnP many years ago).

What I do works well enough. And it sounds like they (Pulsar) takes it to another level. I do not need my boards to look like they are manufactured. But still game to see if their transfer paper is better than what I do now.

Man, if I came here from the outside on toner transfer to PCB I would be here for a day reading with all the posts, thank God I do not need a grid tie hookup.

 

Another good point. I make my power traces wider on the boards. Nothing I do is really high power though. If I needed higher power I could solder over the traces and leave a big pad for a heavier gauge copper wire going to what I need.

 

even takes longer to get hot enought for the transfer in the laminiator.
To cut down on etching I have been filling all the unused areas so they won't etch.
just put large spaces between traces and filled areas.