Radio Shack Horror - No Ferric Chloride?

KnifeHead

KnifeHead

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 5, 2006
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What has the world come to? We have 3 Radio Shacks in my home town and none of them carry PCB Etchant. Apparently electronics nerds no longer make PCB projects like I did when I was a kid.

What is another good source for a similar product(liquid diluted solution) or do get it in dry powder form and cook up our own :confused:
 
Many traders are getting rid of this etchant. It is too active and corrozive. Shipping of this stuff is restricted in many cases. Even digikey.com has no ferric chloride in stock anymore...
 
Radio Shack is rapidly becomming just another tv, computer and stereo store. It used be where elctronic hobbyists went to buy componets to build thier own circuits. They used to have very smart people working there also.
 
I had trouble finding mine but eventually found a radio shack that had 4 bottles and i bought them all. When they run out, im not sure what i will do....
 
B Finnigan said:
Radio Shack is rapidly becomming just another tv, computer and stereo store. It used be where elctronic hobbyists went to buy componets to build thier own circuits. They used to have very smart people working there also.
Click to expand...

1 of the 3 stores is considered a "parts store". When I asked the sales manager if they had PCB ETCHANT he said, "What's that for?" :D Gotta laugh or you'll cry.
 
Kerry,

With the new regs whatnot, shipping liquid acid is getting to be a hassle, so a lot of places are stopping carrying it. I have some Ammonium Persulfate powder I plan on trying, but haven't gotten around to it. Just had a buddy that used to do most of his own boards that quit, he finally discovered it was easier/cheaper/faster to get them made (overnight -> 3 day). He had some of the high concentrate ferric chloride, and gave me a gallon jug and a quart unused.

I went to Fry's electronics when I was in Portland last month, and all they stock on the shelf is Ammonium Persulphate. Makes sense, when I was etching my own boards, it was all I would use, hated ferric chloride, looks like the world is catching up.

I have some blades that I am planning on doing an etch on this weekend, I will try and make a point of mixing some up and letting you know. If it works, it is a lot cheaper.

--Carl
 
I just bought two bottles from a Radio Shack last week, they had a few more on the self. I did order some powdered ferric a couple years ago from an electronic supply house, just add water. Can't remember the name of the place.
 
pricecw said:
I went to Fry's electronics when I was in Portland last month, and all they stock on the shelf is Ammonium Persulphate. Makes sense, when I was etching my own boards, it was all I would use, hated ferric chloride, looks like the world is catching up.

I have some blades that I am planning on doing an etch on this weekend, I will try and make a point of mixing some up and letting you know. If it works, it is a lot cheaper.

--Carl
Click to expand...

Will be good to hear about your results. I noticed there is some powdered form of FC on Ebay. Sounds like that might be worth trying as well. I have some hydrochloric acid at home that I have tried with a damascus blade that I am working on at present. I want to get the darker contrast that seems to be the case with FC.
 
I have a small thing of powdered FC I ordered in with the last thing of AP. Both are manufactured by MG Chemicals, but it looks like the FC powder is now obsolete (it is more dangerous to mix). There is also Sodium Persulfate, but I haven't used that before either.

I have used Muratic acid (dilute hydrochloric) and didn't like the etch or the fumes.

--Carl
 
I used to work at a Radio Shack. We had two bottles, and in the year I worked there, one sold. I checked the history on the project and that was the first bottle our store had sold in four years. This was in a town with a university with a fairly large electrical engineering department. I'm surprised they have not discontinued it yet.
 
I am sure you folks are smart enough :) just wanted to say please use some sort of respirator if you use the powdered stuff to make your own FC.
One would not want any of that in his/her lungs. :)
 
Funny the thing with FC is I've heard Radio Shack over the last 10 years or so say they were no longer going to sell it but they always do. With the infestation of more and more knifemakers they know there's a market for it. I bought a bottle of it about a month ago and the price has almost doubled since my first purchase.
 
Yes it does but the powder will keep a lot longer, if not forever. Also the powder is not a hazard to ship.
 
All of this talk got me nervous, so I made a few calls and a one hour drive to purchase 80% of the ferric chloride in the state of CT..:D Now I have 13 sixteen oz bottles of the stuff :eek: ..Any one want to trade??/
 
I have a store close to my house that just got a new shiment of feric cloride in and thay are selling it for 27 bucks a gal. cant beat that price.
 
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