Perhaps someday I will look into doing the photo etching. I like the "warm mums iron up" - quip. That's cute! In reality the iron is usually warm well before I'm ready for it - I quit using mum's iron 20 years ago though.
I continue to say that if you do the toner transfer method right and take your time, you will get almost as good a result as you would get with the photo-resist method, the raw copper PCB's I use are made by GC Electronics, they are Rohs compliant FR4 boards that are 6"x9"x.0625 (15.25 x 22.86 x 1.6 cm) with 1oz copper cladding. They are mil-spec MIL-S1394H CF - these are good, high quality boards. Good enough for anything anyone can lay out on them.
The cladding is smooth and perfect, each is individually sealed in it's own plastic bag. I can get two really big boards or numerous little boards out of one sheet. I bought a pack of 20 for $20 US with free shipping off of the big auction site about 6 months ago. Haven't have any trouble with them whatsoever with the toner transfer method. I am sure there are junk PCB's out there, you just have to watch what you buy.
So, a $1 us for a 6X9 board is a HECK of a good price. $.02 for the toner, and $.10 for the piece of paper. toss in a pennies worth of sandpaper, and a $.05 worth of alcohol, a $.10 set of gloves
You're talking $1.27 for the board. At $.20 for the etchant above and you can make a 3"x5" board for $1.47 US start to finish, at least that's my cost.
Can't say I've ever been shot, but I've had to belly-land a Beechcraft Bonanza and lived to tell about it, does that count? LOL