Newbie Question - Etch Resist Pens

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Rather than pay a fortune for etch resist pens for PCB layouts
Can I just "acquire" some pens from the stationary cupboard at work
WHich one should I look out for
Dry Wipe Board Pens?
Permanent Markers?
 
Some permanent markers work - but not always.

Just buy a Dalo 33 pen, and you'll have no problems. You can also use a standard paint marker (not gold/silver - just get a white one). They work very well also, but the paint is harder to remove than the laquer from the Dalo pen.

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen
 
Staedtler LUMOCOLOR works like a charm.I've been using them for years without failure and they are common enough to find in your corner store.
Red and black seem to work better since the etch resistance is pigment dependant or so I've heard. :grin:
Aharon
 
[quote author="Aharon"]Staedtler LUMOCOLOR works like a charm[/quote]
I guess it depends on the etchant also. I have tried the Lumocolor pens, but with very bad results. The only thing that works 100% of the time (for me) are the two pen types I described.

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen
 
Radiocrap sells a shitty PCB kit that comes with a regular old Sharpie pen in it. I've never used it, but I'm sure if the kit comes with one, they must work OK.

Peace,
Al.
 
I should have stated that I use ferric chloride as an etchant.Results may vary as always,that's true.So LUMOCOLOR works like a charm FOR ME is what I should have said. :wink:
Aharon
 
Without sounding too much like a "sad lad"...

I've been through nearly every type of "permanent" pen looking for the perfect etch-resist, and one rises above them all....

The Edding 141 "OHP Marker"

Black body. Red white and blue markings. Available in Bold, Medium and Fine. Medium and Fine are, erm, fine and they cover very well. I've used them in FeCl and they very rarely let me down. Also good for transparency layout touchup (or even design- drawing them out on acetate has the speed of a pen-on-copper but the multiple run of the full photo-etch)

And you shouldn't pay any more than £1.20.

:thumb:

Mark
 
I've had good results with a Sharpie using sodium persulphate, as long as I did not heat the mixture up too much. If the etchant gets more then lukewarm in my case, the pen dissolves.

It also worked better for me if I let the ink dry for an hour or so.

Peter
 
20 years ago, I used permanent marker (Pentel Pen) to etch PCBs. I use dry transfer resist for the holes and IC pads, and markers to connect them all.

The trick is you'd have to apply them thick! Go over it, let it dry, then do it 2x more... I also use "dabbing" action, instead of "writing" action, so the marker leaves ink drops that are thicker.

I've used them with Ferric Chloride, just fine.

Today I used Press-n-Peel iron on. So much easier!
 
Ive used a sharipe and whatever etchant solution I was able to get at radio shack. worked well enough for fuzz boxes...

dave
 
I've found the Sharpie "Industrial" (red lettering on the pen) works better than the usual ones. Says right on the pen "Remains permanent under most chemical washes and extreme heat and steam up to 500 degrees F"

Unfortunately I got them from my mother-in-law who worked in a hospital, sterilizing operative equipment. I don't know where you can buy them in the real world, but Google shows multiple sources, such as this one - about a buck apiece.
http://www.keysan.com/ksu0454e.htm

The ones I have are the extra fine point, Item#13801.
 
The reason I asked the original question is that I bouhgt a Dalo etch resist pen and it seemed to run out of ink and was very patchy and faint
I tried it again last night (my first PCB is in the bin - I forgot to connect one of the traces - and the copper was crap - due to the faint etch resistant)
I was very frustrated so I banged the nib down on a piiece of paper - lo and behold the bloody thing fed ink into the nib
Why don;t they give instructions into the pen - i.e. you need to press the nib down to get ink!!
Or perhaps - it is assumed that this is self explanatory...
regards
Embarrased Newbie...
 
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