Homebrew PCBs

OK, so I got interested and burned some google cycles...  forgive me 
if this is old stuff that goes nowhere.

It seems that inkjet printers use pretty standard water-based inks.  
They carry the pigment (called colorants) to paper.  These are 
particles in suspension.  While the formulations are some what 
special for viscosity and surface tension, they are pretty standard. 
So spraying down a non-water based ink is probably out but it does 
seem possible to lay down a water based ink pattern on copper.  The 
big issue is what happens once it hits the etch tank - the inks tend 
to run.

Now what if there was an additive/pigment that consisted of particles 
of a solid, water insoluable substance that had a melting point below 
the melting point of PCB substrate materials.  Then you could print 
the pattern and put it in the oven to cause the resist particles to 
melt and fuse.  Removal would be via a solvent.

Or, I know that there are water based polyurathane paints, I think 
that these cure to be reasonably water resistant and thus could form 
a resist.  It would have to be thinned a lot, of course.   There are 
also companies that makes the poly additive so it could just be added 
to a standard inkjet formulation.  There are solvents that clean this 
stuff up after it has dried/cured.

Finally, what about an ink that is a UV sensitive component (like the 
coatings of presensitized PCBs).  Print and expose to UV to cure.

Thoughts?


maybe that acetone is worse than I though... LOL