justDIY
Active Member
I'm trying to make some PCBs that I drew up with eagle, and having the darndest time of it.
I've tried 3 methods, from el'cheapo to rather expensive
firstly, i was told all I need to do is print my design on some paper with a laser printer, and iron it onto a well cleaned bare board
ok, so I do this, I use lots of heat, I press real hard, I get a decent lookin transfer to the PCB. so... after rubbing and rubbing and rubbing to get the paper off, i'm left with areas where you can see copper through the toner
so after etching, these areas are all speckled copper and composite... including some of the traces.
so i figure, the elcheapo method must be difficult to perfect
so I try the iron-on pcb transfer paper, the blue stuff. it yeilds a clearer resist image on the pcb and no rubbing, but after etching, I get the same speckeled effect, basicly everywhere
in frustration, I tried the photographic method. I printed my design on some acetate, setup a postive sensitized pcb, turned on the fluorescent light as per the directions, and then develop, the resist pattern looks remarkable! but ... end result; speckeled effect
what is causing this speckeled effect?
I have the etchant in a bath of hot water, otherwise it'd be 60°F (sry, i keep my house cold) ... i stand their the whole time sloshing it around, and peaking at the board now and again, to see if its ready ... as soon as all the exposed copper is gone, i remove the pcb to a cold water bath and rinse it till all the etchant is gone
-----
I will try to get a picture posted tomorrow when the sunlight is back.
any thoughts or suggestions appericated!
I've tried 3 methods, from el'cheapo to rather expensive
firstly, i was told all I need to do is print my design on some paper with a laser printer, and iron it onto a well cleaned bare board
ok, so I do this, I use lots of heat, I press real hard, I get a decent lookin transfer to the PCB. so... after rubbing and rubbing and rubbing to get the paper off, i'm left with areas where you can see copper through the toner
so after etching, these areas are all speckled copper and composite... including some of the traces.
so i figure, the elcheapo method must be difficult to perfect
so I try the iron-on pcb transfer paper, the blue stuff. it yeilds a clearer resist image on the pcb and no rubbing, but after etching, I get the same speckeled effect, basicly everywhere
in frustration, I tried the photographic method. I printed my design on some acetate, setup a postive sensitized pcb, turned on the fluorescent light as per the directions, and then develop, the resist pattern looks remarkable! but ... end result; speckeled effect
what is causing this speckeled effect?
I have the etchant in a bath of hot water, otherwise it'd be 60°F (sry, i keep my house cold) ... i stand their the whole time sloshing it around, and peaking at the board now and again, to see if its ready ... as soon as all the exposed copper is gone, i remove the pcb to a cold water bath and rinse it till all the etchant is gone
-----
I will try to get a picture posted tomorrow when the sunlight is back.
any thoughts or suggestions appericated!