Keeping The Etchant Hot (My Solution)

[sta63bmx]

I warm the etchant by putting the bottle in a pan of hot water, no secret there.  But once I pour the etchant into a small pyrex container and dump the boards in, this is what I do.

My stove has a vent under one of the burners for some reason.  So when the oven is one, really hot air from maybe around the firebox comes up through that vent.  I sit the pyrex container on the burner that has the vent under it.  The burner is off, but the stove is on at 250-350 deg. F.  That hot air keeps the pyrex container and etchant hot.  But to keep it really hot, I place a big pot over that burner to keep all the hot air in.  It keeps the pyrex dish hot enough that I can barely pick it up without potholders.  I can etch a few boards in maybe 5-10 minutes, tops.  It's convenient for me. 

The ferric choride fumes may be eating that pan I use as a cover, but I don't really care.  I haven't noticed any negative effects yet.

[goodrevdoc]

Sounds like a good method sta63bmx. What i do is use a tupperware container and a foil breadpan in a double boiler setup. Water in pan, tupperware is crimped to top of pan with the heavy foil sides. Boiling water goes in foil, etchant goes in tupperware, whole thing goes on hotplate. Also, as an agitator, i use one of those waterproof plastic vibrating eggs that i bought at one of those stores between chinatown and the theater district. Just velcro to the side and, Voila!, total time of boards in etchant: 3 minutes.

[lchyi]

Wow, vibrating agitator attached to the PCB, very creative, nice!

[sta63bmx]

That agitator sounds like a good idea!  I have wanted to try a double boiler for some time.  Being able to agitate it sounds liek another benefit.  The mental images of other "face massagers" and "personal massagers" in there are cracking me up, though!  "For all your self-pleasure and PCB etching agitation needs!"

[markm]

I etch mine at room temp......
Sometimes I'll shoot it with the heat gun a bit when the board is in there for an extra boost.
Works for me!
    MarkM