I had a bit of a health scare today but I think I'm alright.
I had to re-mix some copper chloride etchant since my old stuff wasn't strong enough and had lost its potency. Since I was in a hurry, I bypassed wearing a mask and it may have cost me big time. The minute I opened the muriatic acid, I was greeted with some chlorine fumes, and needless to say, I panicked for quite a bit. I actually fell backward out of fear of poisoning myself. I bet I must've looked stupid!
Luckily, I was doing this outside, but I still caught a whiff of the fumes. I am okay right now, just a bit concerned that I may have done some damage.
If you are making PCBs in this way, PLEASE wear the proper PPE. This includes a mask, eye protection, long-sleeved clothing, and gloves. You could actually poison yourself without realizing it, at which point it may be too late.
And as always, don't rush production. It's how mistakes like this are made.
This friendly PSA was provided by KE0SBX's ham shack. Stay tuned for more and stay safe out there! Hopefully, I'll return with my Feld Hell interface up and running on the Cub...
One other thing about this solution: This stuff really starts to lose potency after a week or so of sitting in a plastic tub. Despite putting copper in it to agitate it, I think the best solution would be to use a small water pump, like what's in an aquarium. Amazon sells mini ones for under $10. If you have a strong arm, you can also stir it using a plastic fork or spoon, but this may take forever. Once the solution has oxygen introduced to it, it will start to regain its potency.
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