Homebrew PCBs

sharpies will work but I've had trouble getting it thick enough.  You 
can get etch resist pens that look an awful lot like a sharpie but 
seems to cover a little better.  Resist works by a) being insoluable 
and b) physically keeping the etchant from the copper.  So even tar 
or paint would work, too.  In a pinch, I've used fingernail polish.

I've used AP and FeCl.  AP seems cleaner but it doesn't seem to have 
the shelf stability that FeCl does.  Once I use up my AP, I'll 
probably go back to FeCl.  But will never buy the FeCL powder to make 
it up - that's one nasty job.  The premix is the way to go - you can 
get it at your finer Radio Shacks (ok, mybe that's an oxymoron...). 
I've never seen any place that sell a "sampler" size.  Probably 
because you need to have at least a pint to etch with.  Built a tank 
that takes a liter and it works pretty well.

I use a photo copier with ok results.  Just make sure the copier 
doesn't cause any distortions (photo copy a ruler in two directions 
and measure the copy).  It actually has one advantage over a laser 
printer in that you can control the amount of toner.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "pygar2" <pygar2@y...> wrote:
> I am a complete newbie at this, trying to learn enough to do it 
right-
> ish the first time...
> 
> I'll be doing a toner-transfer from a photocopier. Does it need to 
be 
> a laser copier or will a regular copier do?
> 
> I don't plan on using ferric chloride. That leaves, as I understand 
> it, sodium persulphate and ammonium persulphate. Are both these 
going 
> to work OK with the Sharpie I plan to use for touch-up? I read in 
the 
> archives of muriatic acid being used, which frankly is not 
somewhere 
> I plan to go, but if I ever do, does toner transfer work with it?
> 
> The strong peroxide in wood bleaching kits-- I read of someone 
using 
> this in the archives, but don't know if it needs thinning, or 
whether 
> it even works with toner transfer.
> 
> Is there anywhere I can buy just an ounce or so of each of the 
> persulphates, to try them out, see which one works for me? Hate to 
> buy a kilogram of something and find out it is no good for my 
> purposes... and since all I have right now to do is one photoetch 
> pattern I've made for some brass detailing parts I want to make, I 
> don't need a huge amount of anything.
> 
> TIA for any helpful advice!