proper disposal of etching solutions ? ? ?

tommy

hello.
--- reading your "completed projects" section, a comment was made to someone's small project that, "you should make your own boards"· - and then he pointed to here:

http://www.5bears.com/pcb.htm

--- Excellent ! articles --- I already had the copper from a "cold feet" attempt two years ago - but now for some reason (after reading at the website) this all looks verrry possible.
--- I bought the recommended "Staples' Photo Paper" and on my second try have a beautiful toner pattern on my copper plate.· (the 1st try's image was (oops !) reversed).

·

the only thing that I didn't see - was proper disposal of the used etching.

--- I still need some rubber supplies - gloves, etc - but I'm ready to etch right now.

--- please advise on proper disposal.

thanks,··· tommy·

Post Edited (tommy) : 1/27/2007 8:00:48 PM GMT

stamptrol

Tommy,

You can usually discharge the hobbiest quantities of ferric chloride etchant into the sewer system of most cities/towns. I my area, if you sell it, you have to also tell the customer how to safely get rid of it. For people in rural areas around here, there is a 'hazardous waste day' each week at the public garbage dump. As a last resort, call the local fire department and tell them you have a small quantity of etchant to dispose of, they'll give you the procedure.

By the way, to vastly minimize the etchant being used, use a piece of sponge (with gloves on, of course) to gently scrub the copper off the board. Dip the sponge in the etchant and rub it across the board. The copper comes off amazingly fast and you'll only use a few oz of etchant for a large board. I got this great hint from the www.pulsar.gs/PCB/ website.

Remember, Reduce first, then Reuse, then Recycle

Good luck,

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Tom Sisk

http://www.siskconsult.com
·

tommy

--- originator's reply:

.

.

thank you, Stamptrol, for such a comprehensive reply.

tommy

Post Edited (tommy) : 1/27/2007 11:28:56 PM GMT

steve_b

A sea sponge is probably not what Stamptrol means.
You can get those angled 'foam' paint implements from Home Depot. They're firm enough to hold their shape and not fall apart on the thing you're trying to wipe.

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·

Steve

"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."

tommy

--- originator's reply
.
--- okay there, Mr. Canada (Oh ! - Canada)...··· I will be sure to try my sponge in the Radio Shack "PCB Etchant Solution" - bought just this week (but probably sitting on the store shelves since forever).· I have handy a screw-top plastic container (and funnel) to store the used stuff - it won't be going down the sewer just yet.
.

--- and I am surprisingly amazed how much of the "wiring" I will now be able to do on the computer screen instead of on the workbench as before.· There are trade-offs, of course - misteaks (sic) can't be as easily corrected, and I still have the hurdle of hole-drilling to jump over...· some sort of jig, perhaps - and a high-speed dremel-type tool.
--- still - all of those wires I don't have to solder ! -- Wow !
.
thanks.·· tommy
·

Bean

tommy said...


·and I still have the hurdle of hole-drilling to jump over...· some sort of jig, perhaps - and a high-speed dremel-type tool.

That is why you need to use as many surface mount componets as possible.

If you etch away where the hole is, it will help keep the drill bit centered to drill the hole.

Not bragging, but that's why I got my LPKF CNC mill.

Bean.


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Cheap used 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com
SX-Video Display Modules www.sxvm.com
Stuff I'm selling on ebay http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZhittconsultingQQhtZ-1

"USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population." - David Letterman

T Chap

The hole drilling is much easier if you etch first, then drill afterwards using any drill press. You can get some PCB drills at http://www.fullertontool.com Get some .02 drills with 1/8 shank, some .031, some .04, you will be good for many parts. When you drill after etching, the bit will fall into the hole easily and make the drilling go pretty fast.

Post Edited (originator) : 1/28/2007 8:13:32 AM GMT

tommy

--- originator's reply:

hello, Mr Bean - I have seen your smiling face all over this first week on this forum, and it is now a pleasure to meet you...···

and I have been starting my own replys with the words, "originator's reply:" because somehow for me it is easier to read back, - and just who should I meet within my very first query, but a contributor named, "originator" !· -· what are the odds ? ! ?

---

·· success (!) on the etching.· and the cleanup.· and proper disposal is planned.



I see how fine (3 dots, maybe two, @ 300 dpi) I can make my traces, now - and will certainly make practice etchings along unused parts of my next project to see if my sixty-one year old eyes might be able to use the phenomenen of SMT - with more practice with the hot iron transfers, my tracings will improve as well, I'm sure.

---

and ten size "60" (.040) have just arrived·today from Digikey -·I have both a big ol' drill press and an older model·Dremel tool - I am an avid reader of whatever anyone points me to, and believe I really 'want' a newer Dremel tool on a mini drill press of some kind...· I will pay a visit to Home Depot to see what may be available,·on Monday.··Some poor reviews on the Dremel mini drill press have made me want to see and heft any device before purchase...· one of my middle names is "all sales final" - and though I don't purchase much except food, I have (almost) never returned anything to any store.

----· thank you, all for your inputs.

tommy

Post Edited (tommy) : 1/28/2007 5:18:31 AM GMT

Tracy Allen

I had a few bottles of depleted FeCL etching solution left over, loaded with Cu. I threw in some copper shavings to make sure. I don't know if this is a wise method of recycling, but we were installing a redwood wood post fence, so I sopped the stuff up into the ends of the posts. It is not copper nafthalate, but my understanding is that it is the copper that inhibits fungus. We used some copper nafthalate too.

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Tracy Allen
www.emesystems.com

tommy

--- originator's reply:

.····· I get it...· reach into the plumber's box and throw an old copper scrap into the FeCl to use up all of the free electrons (or free holes just waiting for electrons) to render the stuff less harmful before abandoning it to unknown parts of our planet...

---

.····· and one of my buddies, thinking that (gasp !) making my own circuit board is equivilant to rocket science, wants to know what I'm making - and, well - I have a zillion things in mind to make - but for the purpose of making my first board I picked something that would be easy - i.e. all of the components have been worked with before, so that I would not make an uncorrectable misteak (sic) in the layout ---
.······ it's simply an indoor-outdoor thermometor (I already know that it's 72 degrees inside) with two huge (2.5") 7-segment displays (inside) that I can see without my glasses...·· my Radio-Shack (?) indoor-outdoor thermometor's display went arwy, and I miss it.· this new one may even make (small, pleasant) sounds as each degree is reached so that I can be aware of the temperature before I open my eyes·about noon each day.·· I built in three "option-pins" so that I can make pre-programmed changes without re-programming the SX-28 chip.
.····· ...and the "hash-marks" at the edges of the board are 1/10 lines meant to be an aid to positioning my first board for drilling...· I'm happy that they survived the etching process.··· ·somehow, when we get older, we carry forward the good parts of past, unrelated projects - into our new work.

.····· thanks again, everyone - for your help.

tommy