OT (slightly) DIY bubble etch tank
- Thread starter SteveT
- Start date
I'd rather be sitting down to a cup of coffee than standing over a shallow dish rocking it backwards and forwards for 15 minNice work, but is it really necessary? You write that it can take 15 minutes, isn't that very long if you are using the air pump?
You pays yer money etc etcYou are welcome sir.
@SteveT
re. the comment in your pdf about a 35°C heater,
this one, according to the product description
appears to achieve that.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SuperFish-Nano-Heater-Length-0-50L/dp/B0050BY5BY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345401596&sr=8-1
I'm sure that there are others.
e
re. the comment in your pdf about a 35°C heater,
this one, according to the product description
appears to achieve that.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SuperFish-Nano-Heater-Length-0-50L/dp/B0050BY5BY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345401596&sr=8-1
I'm sure that there are others.
e
The concentration lapses over a fifteen minute period and the shallow dish has a tsunami effect on the light coloured kitchen worktop, with the inevitable bright yellow stain to explain away to the OH. Buy the air pump, it could keep you out of a lot of domestic grief and recriminations.
Thank you for the info.... just ordered it.
(notice the big smiley) It's right what they say about you when they say things like..."we'll just wait a while and eclectic will find it for us"..... look, another big smiley.seriously though, thanks a lot. I've seen several that go upto 35 degrees but none of them that small. I shall report back with my findings.
Oxalic acid £2.89 + postage from ebay (or £19.00 from rapid) for 1kg - removes ferric chloride stains from worktops floors and clothing. Good for rust stains as well.
Could save a lot of grief that stuff.
(to be fair, I've never actually used it so unable to comment on it's effectiveness)
I've got rheumatoid Arthritis so 15 min on my feet would have me screaming in agony, still, keeps the local kids away from the door
A long straw will do as long as you blow and not suck, you dont even need a flow rate at all if you suspend the board vertical away from the edges, as for a heater i just use a bucket of hot tap water to sit the container in, also serves as washup water after.
Nothing against using a bubble tank and have intended to build one for the last 20 years of making PCBs, i have used them but dont own one and still dont find it that important, but lets not get lost on needing a pile of equipment to produce the odd circuit board for home use, often this topic becomes far to in depth of required equipment to make a few simple boards.
In reality Mums iron and a set of safety goggles is about as high tech as it needs to get for the home hobbiest PCB.
I find that bubbles can work against you when the chemical (ferric chloride) starts to get aged through use, as all the sludge that settles to the bottom gets stired up which slows the etch process.
"What flowrate is enough to etch the pcb ?"
- dunno, but mine (Mega) bubbles like mad and buzzes like an Anne Summers party.
It fizzes ike cold diet Coke poured into a warm glass.
And, obv, it depends on the size of your tank.
So, none are needed but bubbles are better.
I would imagine a certain amount of vigorosity is needed or else the bubbles might stick which would somewhat defeat the point.
I've never had the sludge issue mentioned by SABorn.
The Mega has about an inch below the heater tube and the bubbling tubes are just above that.
Goodness knows how long SABorn leaves his giz in there to get so much sludge
... mind you, I use wozzit persulphate these days. Not so quick as ferric but cleaner.
And I don't have to buy Oxalic acide (or boil rhubarb leaves) any more.
- dunno, but mine (Mega) bubbles like mad and buzzes like an Anne Summers party.
It fizzes ike cold diet Coke poured into a warm glass.
And, obv, it depends on the size of your tank.
So, none are needed but bubbles are better.
I would imagine a certain amount of vigorosity is needed or else the bubbles might stick which would somewhat defeat the point.
I've never had the sludge issue mentioned by SABorn.
The Mega has about an inch below the heater tube and the bubbling tubes are just above that.
Goodness knows how long SABorn leaves his giz in there to get so much sludge
... mind you, I use wozzit persulphate these days. Not so quick as ferric but cleaner.
And I don't have to buy Oxalic acide (or boil rhubarb leaves) any more.
lmao nearly wet myself (ala uncle albert and the lion in the jungle) when I read that
Point of interest. Bee Keepers use Oxalic Acid. Usually bought in crystal form. If you know one then I'm sure that a smalll amount is unlikely to be a problem if you wish to keep something on hand to bleach out a potential Ferric Oxide stain.
We don't actually bleach the bees . . .
We don't actually bleach the bees . . .