Safety first ..........
No mater what type of etching fluid you use, you must have a backup, in case of spills. I use my tray in a deep utility sink so that any spill can be flushed down the drain quickly. The sink is made of plastic so no harm will cone to it. Seems like vertical etching tanks has to be constructed with a broad base to prevent any chance of it being knocked over. I would also be suspicious of the fumes generated by the bubbles bursting into the air.
I also keep a box of baking soda close by. I newer use more etching fluid than is needed, this is not possible with a etching tank, so if you have a knock over spill it will be many times larger than with a tray.
I had at one time a friend that bought and installed a commercial etcher in his workshop, within a few months all his tools looked like they had been dug out of some prehistoric cave.
I used Eagel brifely before switching to Express PCB.
yngndrw said:Thanks for your reply and link.
I have decided to get a laser printer seems as pretty much any method requires some form of toner printing. I could do with one for Uni anyway.
I'm considering making a vertical bubble etch tank like in the link - Just seems safer than an open tray.
I've just learnt how to use Eagle, how does Express PCB compare to that ?
Thanks.
No mater what type of etching fluid you use, you must have a backup, in case of spills. I use my tray in a deep utility sink so that any spill can be flushed down the drain quickly. The sink is made of plastic so no harm will cone to it. Seems like vertical etching tanks has to be constructed with a broad base to prevent any chance of it being knocked over. I would also be suspicious of the fumes generated by the bubbles bursting into the air.
I also keep a box of baking soda close by. I newer use more etching fluid than is needed, this is not possible with a etching tank, so if you have a knock over spill it will be many times larger than with a tray.
I had at one time a friend that bought and installed a commercial etcher in his workshop, within a few months all his tools looked like they had been dug out of some prehistoric cave.
I used Eagel brifely before switching to Express PCB.