PCB laquer source?

ifkz

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I've been reading member Womble's repair logs and he mentions PCB laquer that is applied after board repairs. I've never heard of this and I would be interested in a source. The mask has been scratched off on several of my repaired PCBs and I figure this is needed to protect the copper from oxidation.
 
You can buy spray on conformal coating. Most electronic supply houses carry it (mouser, digikey), although its usually clear.
There are differences, but it's usually dielectric strength (high voltage, low voltage) and re-work preferences (ease of resoldering).

I think Jameco carries a pen where the conformal coating is green colored, but I wouldn't use it for large areas of the PCB that have the solder mask removed.
 
I wonder if clear nail polish would work? I guess you could not solder afterwards though. Does anyone have a link to an online store that carries PCB laquer?
 
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What is the harm in leaving the copper to oxidize? A lot of these scratches appear to be pretty old.
 
What is the harm in leaving the copper to oxidize? A lot of these scratches appear to be pretty old.
Unlike iron, basically no harm. Copper forms an outer-shell of oxidation that protects against further problems. At most you'll have to clean the copper before soldering in the future. The only time I'd consider that sort of coating is if the board will be in a harsh enviornment (wet, salty, etc) and I can guarantee it'll be replaced instead of repaired.
 
If you want something, but something easier to remove, I think these all come off pretty easily:

http://www.tc-11.com/Marine Electronics Test.pdf

They are spray-on protectants intended for use in marine environments. Haven't tried any myself, but if you really feel the need, something on that list is going to be easier to get off when you next need to do some repairs.
 
If all you're doing is tacking kynar wire down I just use some green non-metallic fingernail polish.

RJ
 
If all you're doing is tacking kynar wire down I just use some green non-metallic fingernail polish.

RJ

+1 I use clear or colored nail polish all of the time. Clear for tacking down or insulating and color for re-covering a trace. You can remove it with acetone.

I brought a PCB to a nail salon and they matched the green for me. I'll bet they still tell that story in the salon.

Bill
 
+1 I use clear or colored nail polish all of the time. Clear for tacking down or insulating and color for re-covering a trace. You can remove it with acetone.

I brought a PCB to a nail salon and they matched the green for me. I'll bet they still tell that story in the salon.

Bill

If you're just tacking stuff down, use either hotmelt, or superglue - hotmelt is trivial to get back off, and superglue comes off with acetone.
 
Yeah, I definitely wouldn't use a conformal coating for a repair. I typically see that stuff put on (electrically) sensitive areas of PCBs, like oscillator circuits, to prevent drift from moisture, oxidation, etc... not repair.

DogP
 
Thanks for all of the replys, I currently use hot glue for wire repair and I'll give clear nail polish a try. Scraped traces I plan on leaving alone. Each working PCB is stored individually a box so it is well protected and stackable.
 
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