Homebrew PCBs

Piers, I am using plain old rosin-core solder from Radio Shack -- nothing fancy. I'm using a small "flux brush" to brush on the flux and to brush the solder around -- I picked up a package of 20 or so on sale cheap at Harbor Freight. At the end I am also wiping it with some paper towel.

My technique is still developing, but on this board, I put the bare board on the hot plate; I brushed flux on the whole board (I have a pint container full of rosin flux that I picked up from a yard sale); I cut some snips of solder and scattered them on the board. When they start melting, I brush the molten solder over every bit of copper.

Undoubtedly the liquid tin stuff would be a whole lot faster and easier, but this does seem to work for me for the moment. Hopefully you will improve on my technique and let me know how! :)

Andy

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Piers Goodhew <piers@...> wrote:
>
> What sort of solder are we talking? Paste, "normal" resin-core wire, or somethig else?
> 
> What are you brushing it (excess solder) off with? I have never satisfactorily tinned a whole board yet.
> 
> PG
> 
> On 07/02/2010, at 6:33 AM, awakephd wrote:
> 
> > Some followup --
> > 
> > I made a board last night, and etched, drilled, and tinned it this morning. The process was the same as described below, except I managed to regulate the temperature on the hot plate much better. Here is the new board:
> > 
> > http://home.earthlink.net/~a_wake/tt_test_board2.jpg
> > 
> > and here it is in comparison to the over-cooked board from yesterday:
>