I might give ammonium persulphate a go, less toxic, just needs hot water.
http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NC4254&keywords= persulphate&form=KEYWORD
http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalog...um-persulphate
http://www.littlebirdelectronics.com...52d-400gm.html
the etching kit from jaycar uses sodium persulphate. have to research which is better or easier to dispose of.
I found the autorouter inadequate as well. i guess if you lay out the components with a pencil and paper, you'll get an idea of what the optimum paths are, and where jumpers will be required if you want to stick to single sided instead of doublesided.
can standard drill presses be used to drill the holes with the right bits?