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Hello Dave

On 3/5/2019 9:21 AM, Dave wrote:

Glass is better.? The etchant tends to eat the seal on rubbermaid

containers, but will work.? You could use an air bubbler stone, but
that will be attacked by the acid.? At one time, I used an aquarium
heater to heat the etchant, from what I remember, I stopped that and
just etched on warm days.

Ammonium persulfate (or perchlorate) does not corrode things the way
that HCL based etchants do.? I've seen designs that are effectively
spray etchers, rotating cylinders with holes in them.? Normal water
pipes (schedule 20 or so) do not get affected by the acid, so an "L"
of that plastic with small holes drilled in it, fed outside by an air
pump will handle the bubbler.

Your tank needs to be level for a good bubble flow.

Harvey

I was just looking at those 8x8 inch square glass blocks as an easy container. The ones that have the rectangular hole already cut in them. May make a good starter bubble tank. So now I already have my first problem. Finding a plastic suitable for my HCL based etchant. :) Or change etchants already... I want to stick with the muriatic and peroxide for now.

The DIY etch tank I referenced in Radio Electronics Magazine for December 1989

?had you buying acrylic (aka Plexiglass) sheeting and cutting it to the sizes you needed. Then using a solvent glue (WeldOn #3 or #4--or acetone works too I think) and gluing the container together.? It also had you build a carrier so you did not have to fish the board out of the warm etchant.? It used fish tank air pumps and fish tank heaters.? I think places like McMaster Carr have the solvent and probably the plexiglass or if you have a local plastic shop (maybe a sign shop) often have it and will even cut the size(s) for you for a fee, at least the plastic shops. Also places like Ace Hardware and to a much lesser extent Lowes and Home Depot have acrylic but usually not the 1/4" (6mm) thick that was used in this article.

I liked that arrangement because it allowed me to make several tanks the size I wanted or needed.

Good luck.

Jim Pruitt

Hi Jim,

? I just answered the other message about the Radio magazine instructions so disregard that one. I will call a few sign shops and see what they say and also check out McMaster Carr.