PCB trace repair question
- Thread starter Willy6
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powerman
Super Member
Hi Willy, I do not know if this will work for your application but I have used this with great results. Back side has adhesive for sticking to the boards. You will have to cut the width down with a razor blade. After applying clean with a Q-tip and some rubbing alcohol lightly before soldering. Make sure you solder both ends to your other traces. It is called copper foil for stain glass. Hobby Lobby should have some. Here is a link for what it looks like.
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-H...er-Stained-Glass-Foiling-Tape---3-16"/p/21962
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-H...er-Stained-Glass-Foiling-Tape---3-16"/p/21962
I actually have some of that but I was just wondering how well those silver conductive pens work?
I've done that, in a past career. One thing to remember is that the trace needs to be clean as well (no conformal coating, paint, foreign matter, etc.) .
I've used the Caig CircuitWriter Pen. It has some silver in it and is very conductive. It did/does work, but it's really hard to coax the fluid out. When it does release its conductive fluid, it either came out in a blob, or so thin that it wasn't effective with its small, plastic tip applicator which doesn't meter the flow very well, if at all.
The workaround is to vigorously try and coax a few drops out on a sheet of paper or something, and then coat a toothpick with it and then use that as your applicator. The more times you try and use it for the next project, the harder it becomes to get the fluid out.
I have a lot of fluid left in mine, about 90%, but the pen tip gets dried out on the inside or something, making it ineffective except for depositing a blob on a piece of paper (if you're lucky). I've considered cutting the pen open to save the fluid somehow and put it in a small, sealed container or something.
It's not all bad though. I've used it to bridge broken copper traces as well as carbon traces. The fluid is HQ when it can be extracted. I usually just scrape away the green pcb coating and solder in saved copper-core capacitor leads I've snipped from recaps to bridge those missing gaps in circuit board traces. There are many ways to fix traces, one should never lose hope if accidentally lifting a trace or slicing through one.
The workaround is to vigorously try and coax a few drops out on a sheet of paper or something, and then coat a toothpick with it and then use that as your applicator. The more times you try and use it for the next project, the harder it becomes to get the fluid out.
I have a lot of fluid left in mine, about 90%, but the pen tip gets dried out on the inside or something, making it ineffective except for depositing a blob on a piece of paper (if you're lucky). I've considered cutting the pen open to save the fluid somehow and put it in a small, sealed container or something.
It's not all bad though. I've used it to bridge broken copper traces as well as carbon traces. The fluid is HQ when it can be extracted. I usually just scrape away the green pcb coating and solder in saved copper-core capacitor leads I've snipped from recaps to bridge those missing gaps in circuit board traces. There are many ways to fix traces, one should never lose hope if accidentally lifting a trace or slicing through one.
rode2rouen
Dyslexics Untie!
Available at most auto parts outlets:
https://www.permatex.com/products/s...atex-complete-rear-windowdefogger-repair-kit/
Rex
https://www.permatex.com/products/s...atex-complete-rear-windowdefogger-repair-kit/
Rex
Yes, and like anything else it really depends on your application whether it's a good fit or not.
I used one to fill in a break on a sliding potentiometer. Fortunately the break wasn't in a part of the resistive track the the sliding contacts went over, so it worked well.
For breaks in PCB traces most of us do what @WaynerN recommends.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
I do this and also use insolated jumpers of various lengths. The jumpers are handy and look better installed.
