When I was about 12 years old (1958/1959), printed circuit boards were exotic technology that was unavailable in kits.
I wanted badly to handle one, and learn how they are made. A magazine (I believe it was Popular Electronics) ran an article on a 40 meter, transistorized QRP transmitter. I took the schematic, and (to the best of my abilities at that time) drew out a printed circuit board mask by hand. As there was no electronic supply stores in the area (South Carolina) at that time, I saved up my pennies and ordered a blank printed circuit board and an etching kit. I realized that this was going to be a one-shot deal. When the kit arrived, I carefully masked off the board with the included black tape, and little black dots. I then carried the board and etching kit into the kitchen, showed my mother what I was doing, and asked her if she had a shallow container that I could put the board in and then pour in the etching solution. She said that she had just the thing, and produced an *aluminum* pie pan that she had saved from a Morton, frozen, cherry pie. Yes, you see where this is going. I put the circuit board in the pie pan, poured in my bottle of etching solution, and was amazed to see the pie pan erupt into a foaming, black mass. I grabbed the edges of the pie pan, and ran for the (stainless) kitchen sink. Just (and I do mean just) as I got to the sink, the bottom came out of the pie pan, and all of my etching solution went quickly down the drain! It's funny now, and it was probably funny at the time, but I don't believe I thought so then! The board sat around the ham shack for years, and I would look at it (with all the acid resist tape still on it) from time to time. It was kind of like hitting yourself over the head, but without the pain. The rest of the story? I etched my *second* printed circuit board just a few years ago, and (believe me) I used a glass container. That worked better! Dan Allen KB4ZVM K-2 S/N 1757 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
