Please make "Sticky" Making PCB's look real (OEM)

[Frank White]

I found some stuff that may help out those of you who wish to make a green PCB without doing the whole UV process.  I found a product at tower hobbies that is called a latex paint mask, extra fine applicator brushes, and testo'rs candy green paint. I also found a dry decal kit from decal pro. Here is the process:

1. Etch your board.
2. Use applicator brushes and dip into latex mask and apply to the pads you will be soldering eventually. (More coats are better)
3. Let Dry completely
4. Paint using the Testor's Candy green (Translucent) paint.
5. Let dry completely!

Pictures coming soon!

If you want a silk screen use Decal Pro method.  I haven't tried his stuff yet but looks awesome!

[davent]

Hi Frank, Just something to save yourself a bunch of time and hassle. With all the lacquers i've tried, including the Testors you mention, you can paint right over the naked pads and traces with it and when it comes time to solder your hot iron will vaporize the lacquer upon contact with the pad... solder away just like as if the lacquer wasn't there.

Take care
dave

[GGBB]

Hi Frank, Just something to save yourself a bunch of time and hassle. With all the lacquers i've tried, including the Testors you mention, you can paint right over the naked pads and traces with it and when it comes time to solder your hot iron will vaporize the lacquer upon contact with the pad... solder away just like as if the lacquer wasn't there.

Take care
dave

Isn't that potentially toxic?   

[rousejeremy]

Hi Frank, Just something to save yourself a bunch of time and hassle. With all the lacquers i've tried, including the Testors you mention, you can paint right over the naked pads and traces with it and when it comes time to solder your hot iron will vaporize the lacquer upon contact with the pad... solder away just like as if the lacquer wasn't there.

Take care
dave

Isn't that potentially toxic?   

It's ok, I think he's from Hamilton.

[GGBB]

It's ok, I think he's from Hamilton.

[J0K3RX]

http://www.watterott.com/en/Bungard-Green-Coat


I used to snort testers model glue... explains a lot!

[J0K3RX]

Not if you are doing double sided PCB's you will not be able to have the solder get sucked up to the top of the board to make the solder connection on the top side.  Hence the reason for my method

and what was your method?

How do you plan to get the solder to flow through to the other pad without a barrel? I missed that trick?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jg9fDm-uUlg

[davent]

Hi Frank, Just something to save yourself a bunch of time and hassle. With all the lacquers i've tried, including the Testors you mention, you can paint right over the naked pads and traces with it and when it comes time to solder your hot iron will vaporize the lacquer upon contact with the pad... solder away just like as if the lacquer wasn't there.

Take care
dave

Isn't that potentially toxic?   

It's ok, I think he's from Hamilton.

Watch out... prevailing winds are from the SW and what's nearby to the NE... on no... Jeremy you need to come on over to the dark side, join the exodus of Torontonians snatching up our cheap real estate, join the vibrant artistic community, it's a cheap place to live and only 45min from the centre of the universe,  come breathe our toxic soup, everyplace has it's trade-offs. It's not quite the armpit it use to be, seems most of the heavy industry has been bought up and shut down or moved by former out-of-country competitors, times are a changing, now if we would just do something with the city politicians.

GGBB- Toxicity of the lacquer, good question, i have no idea but there was this tumour... If you're spraying the stuff you need to be taking precautions, two stage respirator and ventilation. When soldering, how much and what is being liberated back into the air, what's being done to remove the normal flux fumes of soldering, should there be concern, i don't know.
dave

[defaced]

Not if you are doing double sided PCB's you will not be able to have the solder get sucked up to the top of the board to make the solder connection on the top side.  Hence the reason for my method

That requires thru plated holes. Solder mask does not provide that functionality.

[CodeMonk]

Not if you are doing double sided PCB's you will not be able to have the solder get sucked up to the top of the board to make the solder connection on the top side.  Hence the reason for my method

That requires thru plated holes. Solder mask does not provide that functionality.

There are DIY methods of making plated-thru holes.
But from I remember, it does require a bit of work.

[armdnrdy]

Okay....

I have a comment and a question.

First the comment.

There are entirely too many Canadians on this site!   

Now the question:

At Frank:

Why do you want to spend time, effort, and money "Making PCB's look real?"
Is there a reason? Commercial enterprise perhaps? If so, I have some suggestions from a business owner's perspective.

[amptramp]

Okay....

I have a comment and a question.

First the comment.

There are entirely too many Canadians on this site!   

Yes there are a lot of us.  You could petition to become the eleventh province.  California is full of Canadian actors and musicians.

[armdnrdy]

You could petition to become the eleventh province. 

If California became a province then Prime Minister Harper could say "this one goes to eleven"

California is full of Canadian actors and musicians.

No matter what we do to keep them out! 

[davent]

Okay....

I have a comment and a question.

First the comment.

There are entirely too many Canadians on this site!   

Yes there are a lot of us.  You could petition to become the eleventh province.  California is full of Canadian actors and musicians.

I was always under the impression that there were Canadians in California then in Canada.

[GGBB]

Frank - if you can - I'd love to see pics.

[R O Tiree]

I use a solder-mask laminate. I think I worked it out at about £0.03 per square inch. That includes chemical developing as well.

I also use "Immerse Tin", a solution that you chuck your freshly etched and washed board into for 15 minutes or so, that deposits a few microns of tin onto the copper. Shiny That works out just over 1/2 a penny per square inch @ 30% copper remaining and under 2p per sq in for isolation routing (almost 100% copper remaining).

Yes, it takes a bit of time to do, but so does painting pads with latex, waiting for it to dry, then painting it green and waiting for that to dry. If I'm doing a run of boards, then I end up with a bit of a production line thing going on, so time per board is dramatically reduced. If you're already equipped for UV photo-resist, then this is a no-brainer if you want to "make it look real". It's really easy to do... just takes a bit longer than doing nothing, and it's a lot more interesting than watching paint dry

Now, if someone would only design a similar method of putting the silkscreen onto the component side that didn't involve... a silkscreen and that ended up opaque bright yellow or white, I'd be a happy bunny.

[defaced]

Not if you are doing double sided PCB's you will not be able to have the solder get sucked up to the top of the board to make the solder connection on the top side.  Hence the reason for my method

That requires thru plated holes. Solder mask does not provide that functionality.

There are DIY methods of making plated-thru holes.
But from I remember, it does require a bit of work.

Yes and yes.  My understanding of the process is that the baths require daily maintenance and are an environmental health and safety issue if not handled properly.  That falls under the "above my pay grade" category for me.  You also have to drill before you etch, and must do UV films for the etching resist (the tenting from the resist protects the freshly thru-plated holes).  Sounds like a process best left to an automated system with CNC level controls. 

Now, if someone would only design a similar method of putting the silkscreen onto the component side that didn't involve... a silkscreen and that ended up opaque bright yellow or white, I'd be a happy bunny.

There are some UV curable products on eBay that say they do this.  I think I have some (as well as some of the solder mask paints), but haven't experimented with them yet.  I'd like to get my dry film UV resist process dialed in first. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-PCB-UV-Curing-Paint-Ink-For-Character-Labels-White-100g-/180917167954?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1f80e752

[R O Tiree]

Ooh - interesting, defaced - thanks. Now... I wonder if that would flow through something like a Rotring nib... maybe hook that onto a CNC machine which could draw the characters and outlines... expose, cure, job done? Otherwise we're back to silkscreening again.
I was thinking about a laminate, though - stick it on the PCB, expose, develop, wash, cure. It's hugely wasteful, though, but might be good for short runs or prototypes?

[davent]

Testors Transparent Candy Green


Pretty simple hack... Tops, any colour you want but the legending has to black

[CodeMonk]

What did you use for the top? How? etc.
I've done that with the standard laser printer thermal transfer, but its not really durable.