Is there any way to mojofy a circuit board to look like old paxolin?

[Dom D]

To get that dark brown look? Maybe shoe polish?

[Dom D]

Just found this:

http://transistor-man.com/dyepcb.html

[R.G.]

One wonders whether (a) the dye color is slightly conductive or (b) the dye process makes the surface of the PCB attract humidity and become slightly conductive.

This is a generic question to ask for all surface treatments on circuit substrates. Even humidity conduction can upset FET and tube circuits.  Bipolars, not so much.

[Dom D]

Aw man. 

There always seems to be some science in the way of my cool ideas.

[carboncomp]

A friend told me you can bake fr 2 pcb material at a low heat to darken it.

But that may just be a cover up for him not wanting to share his Paxolin stash!

[Dom D]

I'm just trying to plan a cool build, but I don't like the look of regular circuit boards. I want something cooler. I thought I could etch my own stripboard exactly to my size specifications and then dye it. I guess I could do the same with some of that black board material and it would look as cool.

I do thank you for contributing to my threads, R.G. Hopefully my next idea is more plausible.  

Interesting that you may be able to bake it. I'm pretty much down with anything that involved acids, explosions, fires, cooking, etc.

[Dom D]

Here's another tutorial of the same method:
http://www.aaronalai.com/pcb-board-dyeing

[carboncomp]

Same guy who said bake it, also did this guide.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Own-Multi-Colour-PCB/

A whole lot more easy then messing about with dye, and first hand I can say they look amazing

(must use a paper based laminate like fr2, as it wont work with woven fibre laminate board materials )

[Dom D]

Awesome link. Thank you.

[R.G.]

I don't know it would be a problem. It's just one of those things you need to research and/or try on a throwaway test board before you build the mega-final-uber board you want. Somethings are bad to find out at the last minute.

[Dom D]

You're right. That's scarlet board looks too cool. I may give it a whirl.

I have a few overetched boards. Is there a way I can if the board is conductive or not without needing to drilling holes and solder components?

[John Lyons]

How about the old continuity test? 

[Dom D]

Sounds familiar . Bear with me. Much of my entire day after school and work consists of reading dozens of historical documents and writing analyses on them in a drunken haze. It is in this haze that I am impregnated with brilliant ideas such as etching strip board and then dyeing it to look cool when I could buy it just as easily. Don't forget other great hits like covering wire in paisley. In the middle of a paper on colonial Massachusetts I was day dreaming about putting wax seals on the backs of pots.

[davent]

How about the old continuity test? 

My first attempt at painting a board was with paint recommended for BBQ's, black high temperature spray paint. Tried the ohm meter on the dried paint job and sure enough, conductive, higher ohmic value, sanded it off and went with plastic acrylic paints, never had an issue.

dave