pcb etch question...

[72jroberts]

OK, my 9 yr old son and I are working on a CS pipehawk.
I have a couple more coats of paint to go and then I will remove the decal for the etchant.

Question: once the pcb etchant is applied (poured), how long to wait for a reasonable indentation?

Any tips or considerations would be appreciated!!

Thanks!
John

 

[fast14riot]

I would start with just a couple minutes and check it. I would say 15 or so at full strength should give you a decent etch, but that depends on many things. Just be carefull, Ferric Chloride stains everything and is very harmfull to the environment. Its better to soak the head in it and it can be reused afterwards. Amonia to neutralize it after soaking, then soap and water and neutalize again.


-Xander

 

[pullrich]

Did you read through the mod'ing TH thread? There are some step-by-step descriptions in there including times used for etching. I glanced through but didnt find all of what I had posted on the topic in the past. You could start with what fast14 just said and see what 15 minutes gets you, brush it with a toothbrush and/or rinse in water, then submerge again for 30-60 minutes and see what that gets you, repeat. I recall doing 45-60 minute soaks on my hawks.