Does anyone know how to make homemade solder mask???

[andrex289]

What kind of paint should i use?

[gunpowder]

I use Testors 1601 Transparent Candy Emerald Green, you can solder right through it if you want. looks indistinguishable from regular green PCB solder mask if done right.

[CyberFly]

Is that a can of spray paint?

[andrex289]

Hi gunpowder thanks for the reply. Could you recommend me some for silk screen the PCBs???

Cyberfly this is a spray can.

[oskar]

I use Testors 1601 Transparent Candy Emerald Green, you can solder right through it if you want. looks indistinguishable from regular green PCB solder mask if done right.

Okay, good tip. I already bought a spray can 'KONTAKT CHEMIE - PLASTIK 70 200ML' , also available at Farnell. It is developed for masking a PCB.
"Quick drying, colourless transparent insulating and protective coating based on acrylic resins. It is colourless-transparent and as such is not visual on the printed circuit board surface. For repair works PLASTIK 70 can be soldered through or be totally removed with aceton, THINNER FOR PLASTIK 70.

But is it really necessary? I know a guy who made several PCBs and didn't mask any of them, the PCBs are in top condition even after 30 year (keeping/storing inhouse).
Sorry, it seemed that he never cleaned the PCBs after etching and left everything black, according him that protected the copper.

[Maylord.war]

Hi all

in my experience I've never used, with a good solder mask or spray tool the PCB will surely look nice but once placed it all in a box I consider it useless

[chrishopf]

Hi all,
I am working in the electronic industry, so I am a little bit familiar with soldering processes. Soldermask is necessary to separate the sodering pads from the conducting tracks. If you can imagine if no soldermask is used the tracks will also wetted with tin in the soldering wave. This rises the consumption of tin (cost). Also a soldermask prevents bridges between pads with a tight distance because of the repelling effect of the soldermask.
If you like to prevent the tracks from oxidation then use any clear vanish after soldering. Good results you will have with cellulose lacquer (zaponlack in German). But clean the PCB after soldering with alcohol to remove the flux.