Aesthetic PCB query

[knealebrown]

I know you can use a 'brillo pad' or wire wool to scratch away the oxide from the copper board to make it more 'solderable' but are their any other ways to clean dirty finger prints etc off the copper/any household solvents? id just rather not scratch the copper away if possible.

How do people usually do it?

Kneale

[R.G.]

Brasso, then hot water and soap.

[artifus]

isopropyl

[knealebrown]

thanks guys

[MR COFFEE]

There are copper cleaner products that leave very little residue and chemically remove the oxidized contamination that are sold for cleaning the bottoms of copper cooking pots. IMHO, better to use than Brasso, which is really more of an abrasive polish. "Bar Keeper's Friend" is the name of such a product that will do the trick and seems to be available in most grocery stores around the US.

But a final polish with a nylon abrasive pad (Scotchbrite here in the US) will remove the tiny chemical residues from these cleaners that may not be visible to the naked eye. This is particularly important if you are going to try and iron on PnP Blue to etch a PCB. The copper can look perfectly clean after a chemical cleaning, but still have tiny surface contaminants that interfere with getting a really sharp transfer image to stick well, and can also make tinning the traces of a pcb more difficult.

I learned all this the hard way. Hope you won't have to.<eye roll>

mr coffee