Etch Tank - New FeCl3?

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1

Is it worth getting some new etchant for Mr Bubbles? etching is
taking longer and longer each time.

IIRC, We have a 5l Etch Tank, to make 5l of etchant we need 2.5kg of
crystals. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 for £20 seems like it’d
work.

I’d also like to put a ‘50p jar’ next to Mr Bubbles for restocking in
future, simple enough, etch a board > pay 50p

Thoughts?

2

I agree that we probably do need some new etch fluid. We also need to
Neutralise the stuff that we already have…someone needs to buy some
caustic soda and add it to the fluid after its been removed from the
tank. I have some more etch crystals at home that can be donated to
the cause. I don’t mind a pay jar for etching. Although I am
surprised it is needing to be changed already. Normally a hundred 160
x 100 boards is what is needed before the fluid runs out.

I do think we need neutraliser and then more crystals though. A
method of siphoning the old fluid out and into something else so we
can pour it down the drain safely would also be good.

AlexOn 23 August 2011 12:29, Bob Clough parag0n@ivixor.net wrote:

Is it worth getting some new etchant for Mr Bubbles? etching is
taking longer and longer each time.

IIRC, We have a 5l Etch Tank, to make 5l of etchant we need 2.5kg of
crystals. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 for £20 seems like it’d
work.

I’d also like to put a ‘50p jar’ next to Mr Bubbles for restocking in
future, simple enough, etch a board > pay 50p

Thoughts?

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3

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

4

No idea how much caustic we need. I’ll look it up.

450g sounds a lot!! What did you get it for Bomb making??

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

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5

Is it worth getting some new etchant for Mr Bubbles? etching is
taking longer and longer each time.

IIRC, We have a 5l Etch Tank, to make 5l of etchant we need 2.5kg of
crystals. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 for �20 seems like it’d
work.

I’d also like to put a ‘50p jar’ next to Mr Bubbles for restocking in
future, simple enough, etch a board> pay 50p

i might have some unused crystals, never gotten around to doing
my own etchings as mainly used Olimex to do my boards for me.

Ben Dooks bjdooks@googlemail.com http://www.fluff.org/ben/

6

I just like collecting chemicals Laughs creepily

7

I’ve bought a kilo of uncut Sodium Carbonate and a syphon (total cost about
a tenner), so we can get rid of the old stuff.

if a couple of other people could put a tenner in we can buy 2.5kg of new
etchant, from http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 and move to the
donation-tub-on-mr-bubbles system for the next time we need to replace it.On 24 August 2011 00:50, Paul Plowman madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I just like collecting chemicals Laughs creepily

No idea how much caustic we need. I’ll look it up.
450g sounds a lot!! What did you get it for Bomb making??

On Aug 23, 2011 6:16 PM, “Paul Plowman” madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

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8

I will pitch in a tenner…I have some ferric crystals which I can
bring on Wednesday

AlexOn 5 September 2011 13:25, Bob Clough parag0n@ivixor.net wrote:

I’ve bought a kilo of uncut Sodium Carbonate and a syphon (total cost about
a tenner), so we can get rid of the old stuff.
if a couple of other people could put a tenner in we can buy 2.5kg of new
etchant, from http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 and move to the
donation-tub-on-mr-bubbles system for the next time we need to replace it.

On 24 August 2011 00:50, Paul Plowman madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I just like collecting chemicals Laughs creepily

No idea how much caustic we need. I’ll look it up.
450g sounds a lot!! What did you get it for Bomb making??

On Aug 23, 2011 6:16 PM, “Paul Plowman” madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

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9


came across this like that lets you make your own recyclable etchant
:)On 5 September 2011 15:39, Alexander Lang alexanderlang1980@googlemail.comwrote:

I will pitch in a tenner…I have some ferric crystals which I can
bring on Wednesday

Alex

On 5 September 2011 13:25, Bob Clough parag0n@ivixor.net wrote:

I’ve bought a kilo of uncut Sodium Carbonate and a syphon (total cost
about
a tenner), so we can get rid of the old stuff.
if a couple of other people could put a tenner in we can buy 2.5kg of new
etchant, from http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 and move to the
donation-tub-on-mr-bubbles system for the next time we need to replace
it.

On 24 August 2011 00:50, Paul Plowman madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I just like collecting chemicals Laughs creepily

No idea how much caustic we need. I’ll look it up.
450g sounds a lot!! What did you get it for Bomb making??

On Aug 23, 2011 6:16 PM, “Paul Plowman” madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

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10

Adam,

I have tried the Hydrochloric / Peroxide etchant. I found that it
doesn’t work as well as claimed. Nothing happens for a considerable
period of time and then it suddenly reacts very quickly over etching
the PCBS. The other issue is that our etch tank (which I actually
own) has only ever been used for ferric. I would prefer to only use
ferric in it as this way I know it will always work and no other dodgy
chemistry can go on rendering it unusable. I’m more than prepared to
give the Hydrochloric / Peroxide etchant another go in someone else’s
etch tank. There are also issues with getting 10 molar strength
hydrochloric acid in the UK without a licence. Something due to it’s
nefarious chemical uses (home made drug and bomb manufacture). Still
if ya got some I’m game in a plastic tub with heated pool pump :wink:

AlexOn 6 September 2011 16:38, Adam Prescott adam.prescott01@googlemail.com wrote:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/
I came across this like that lets you make your own recyclable etchant :slight_smile:

On 5 September 2011 15:39, Alexander Lang alexanderlang1980@googlemail.com wrote:

I will pitch in a tenner…I have some ferric crystals which I can
bring on Wednesday

Alex

On 5 September 2011 13:25, Bob Clough parag0n@ivixor.net wrote:

I’ve bought a kilo of uncut Sodium Carbonate and a syphon (total cost
about
a tenner), so we can get rid of the old stuff.
if a couple of other people could put a tenner in we can buy 2.5kg of
new
etchant, from http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120762047500 and move to the
donation-tub-on-mr-bubbles system for the next time we need to replace
it.

On 24 August 2011 00:50, Paul Plowman madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I just like collecting chemicals Laughs creepily

No idea how much caustic we need. I’ll look it up.
450g sounds a lot!! What did you get it for Bomb making??

On Aug 23, 2011 6:16 PM, “Paul Plowman” madstunts@hotmail.com wrote:

I have 450g of caustic soda unopened. I dunno how much we’ll need?

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