Agreed with the UV paint, though using the Blu-Ray might not have enough UV component to cure. I've also considered UV cure epoxy for the same idea. I chose spray paint for this, given it's cost and easy application.. but I have also had success using dollar-store nail polish, which has the advantage of drying extremely fast. I have found it takes a solid half hour to reliably dry the spray paint, or about fifteen minutes if I use a fan. I've seen videos from others, using laser from 500mW to 1 watt- able to ablate these types of paints also, so I assume this ought to work with just about any "burning" power laser as long as the cutting rate was adjusted. I've been quite pleased overall with Poor Man's Etch, it's easily gotten together at your local grocery store. Probably the biggest drawback is that it does have a strong "pickle" smell during use, as it is Vinegar after all. In using it, I've found it also helps to warm the solution in the microwave (without the board!) until steaming hot, but not boiling, before putting the board in. It's not going to have the bite of Ferric Chloride, but then again, it's safe to handle and won't destroy things or stain clothing or anything else (other than metal!). Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed!

@@paulbishop9896 There's also 3D printing (SLA) resin. That cures with 405nm and would be very cheap for the amounts needed for a board. It may need to be spun on, however. A 405nm laser could very easily attached to hobby grade FDM printer. Not at all taking away from your achievement, BTW. More like building on it's inspiration.

​@David Stonier-Gibson Yeah, I had considered that. I don't actually own a 3D printer, but I was also considering whether or not PLA could reliably bond to a PCB as a mask, perhaps by messing with the bed heat. I'm currently saving for a z-axis rail and extruder, but.. I'm long on ideas, short on cash. Kind of hoping I can generate a little cash flow doing some videos like this, to fund some things, as well as life in general. My tinkering is what keeps me sane (ish)... I'm a disabled former engineer (nasty variant of Crohns Disease and associated illnesses took me out of the working world) who barely gets by on a disability check- so whatever I do, it's usually salvaged materials and the very cheapest equipment and materials I can find. I take great pride (?) at times that I am able to MacGuyver together the things that I do. The laser rig is made from two salvaged ballscrew rails that were from a parted-out industrial rig at a recycler.. a couple of $7 TB6600 stepper driver modules from china.. an Arduino Mini clone ($2) flashed with GRBL.. and a chinese laser (2.5w supposedly) that cost $59 including the safety glasses. It's wired together using salvaged ethernet cable, lol.. and I'd be really surprised to find out the laser actually is producing 2.5w- but it does do the job of engraving pretty well for a device of that cost. The one nice part of my build is the rails are extremely accurate (THK ballscrew) and powerful (PowerMaxII steppers), with a workspace of 100mmx250mm. Since they are as robust an actuator as you could hope for, I see no reason that a reasonable CNC of moderate shop quality can't be made from them. Really kind of a waste to have them just sliding a laser around :) What's been on my mind is that I have one of those Ryobi drill presses, you know, the ones you get at a home store. Solid enough for what they are. Fact is, I've used it in ways it's not designed for (like a vertical lathe) and it's done a remarkable job. I'm looking to rework the gearing on the plunge of the drill press, to couple with a stepper.. thereby becoming my Z axis and cutting head.. far more capable than a Dremel on belts and pulleys....

I have had the best luck with sandable primer. It dries fast and burns completely away whereas paint leaves residue that has to be washed off--and takes longer to dry. Primer also resists the acid very well.

Mine is just a 2.5W cheap chinese laser module, and for this kind of thing works well. Since it's only burning paint, pretty low power should work, I would suspect the process would be fine with even a 500mW laser, though it might have to be done slower

They are stepper motor driven rails that I salvaged from a junk dealer. They are made by THK... a bit of overkill for a laser engraver, but since I got the rails for cheap and they are extremely powerful and accurate.. I use what I have :) Usually, leadscrew rails like these are used for applications like CNC where torque and repeated accuracy are important.

I found that "rubbing" in any form really wasn't needed, the etchant took care of it. As the paint ash does end up in the etchant this way, I do suppose it shortens the useful life of the etchant, which might matter if it wasn't a one-off type process. These days of course getting a board jobbed out overseas is really cheap and the quality you can't really compete with at home.. etching your own boards is becoming a dying art, like darkroom work...

Rather than paint, I have been using sandable primer, and my CO2 laser obliterates the primer to the point that you don't even have to wipe any residue off. I take it straight of the laser engraver and into the acid bath without touching anything, and it works just fine.

I haven't tried acrylic paint, but most other paints I have tried leave some kind of residue whereas the primer is completely obliterated. You actually see copper without having to wipe or clean it at all.And yes, getting a board jobbed out overseas is cheap, but this is just fun hobby stuff for me. Half the fun for me is just seeing if I can pull it off, just like you are doing in this video.

Vector etching isn't as good for custom circuit boards. This is really the way to go.

@@NearEDGE care to elaborate on why? Flatcam does a wonderfull job to vectoring a PCB