[PCB Etching Tank - Do it yourself]

      hello everybody.
      Plexglass and the glue  is not  cheep so making a tank might cost more then just buying one.
  Some day I might buy a tank but right now I use tupperware cantainers for tanks, there cheep and if you shop around at yard sales or second hand stores you can  usual find one just the right size four under 2 bucks. I look for the one gallon jucie size that will hold a 6 by 8 board noproblem. And there heavy enough to handle a Aquarium heater too. I added a aquarium heater to mine  but it takes a long time to heat the etchent that way, so i pre heat the tank in another tub full of hot water first to get it warm then use the heater to keep it warm, 105F is warm enough. Some one on the web said he microwaved his Sulfuric acid to get it warm, ha he must not like his microware oven. If you get sulfuric acid over  130 F  it starts to evaperates and then sticks to anything that is cooler. like the outside of a  microware oven.  I wouldn't try everything you read on the web.
  Have fun gogo

[Dual sided PCB]

      Photo paper works ok but I use  Office Gloss paper, Its just as good and you can see through it with a brite light behind it. makes it easy to line up the two sides. then I staple the two together, slip the copper between them and Iron. Whats real nice about the office gloss is that its cheep and soaks off easy.

          hAVE FUN

[Iron-on PCB's w/ photo paper]

  I have a old plastic bucket I toss my used up Ferric Chloride into then let the sun dry it out, then into the garbage it goes. They use Ferric Chloride in waste treatment sites all the time, it helps break down the solids.
                                                        gogo

[Which program saves *.pcb files?]

  I use a cheap program called PCB Wizard that saves the file in *PCB format
and they don't have a free trial . The prog only cost about 50 bucks.
                  good luck gogo

[Making PCBs with magazine's paper]

  I tried a lot of different paper for making PCB's, Tried Photo Paper with good resluts but it took to long to soak the paper off then I read the magizine Post.
    I used to work for a printing company and seen a lot of different paper. So I tried some high gloss paper that they used in the prof department. Found the perfect paper and its common. Made by Hammermill. Called OfficeOne  Business Gloss 32lb .
Staples handles it,  bought a 300 count rem for 8 dallors.
    It works great haven't had any pit holes. I  laser print, then iron it on the board
( I get it as hot as I can, when it hits the water soak I can hear it sizzle) It only take about a minute to water soak the paper off, and it comes off easy, drill holes and all.
  If you don't have a laser printer and don't want to buy one  most Photo copiers are laser. I f you can find someone to make copies for you see if they have the gloss paper. I have had good luck with local Office supply stores. 

  Good Luck  gogo

[Cutting PCB's]

    I'll have to try that scroring method. i picked up a 3 foot by 4 foot pice of D/S copper clad, thought I would save some money that way, what a waist after shipping it got dented and had scratches all over it, don' think it was that good of a peice to begin with.  Oh well live and learn.
      gogo

[Making PCBs with magazine's paper]

I  found  That site useful
http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm

Black and White Laser Printers are cheep. I buy mine at TigerDirect.com, They have alot of refub's for under a 100 bucks.

The boards i make are small so the paper  I use, I first cut down in size something like  4 by 5 inches. 

As far a removing the paper off the board after ironing, Soaking in warm soapy water works but is a little slow. I was thinking of try something like wall paper remover to see if that speeds things up.

Have fun gogo