[sdiy] PNP Blue questions

[Dave Leith]

I've always run PNP directly through the printer and printers have
always been HP. I also usually fill the sheet with a number of board
designs then cut up. So far no problems.....

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 4:08 PM, aankrom <aankrom at bluemarble.net> wrote:
> So, I shouldn't just set up several patterns to fill the sheet of PNP and
> run it through the printer? I have a nice HP color laser printer that really
> lays on the toner. It has a pretty straight print path. I've seen the
> examples of using a small section of PNP stuck to paper and I thought that
> seemed like a chance for a jam. I can set my printer to run the stock slow
> for card stock or transparencies, but I will concede to the wisdom of
> experience. Especially since my $450 printer is not cheap to fix!
>
> Has anyone had experience just running straight PNP through a printer?
>
> The Smallbear how-to is really informative. I think I'll stick to that.
>
> Thanks for all the tips!
>
> AA
>
>
>
> On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:03:43 -0700, David G Dixon wrote:
>>>
>>> Which side to print on?
>>
>>
>> The side with the blue shit on it (not the shiny plastic side).
>>
>>> Which is best iron temp?
>>
>>
>> I set my household iron to about half (permanent press?)
>>
>>> Time for ironing?
>>
>>
>> I give it about two minutes.  I press down firmly, and move the iron in a
>> slow circular pattern, in both directions.
>>
>>> Should I put a piece of paper in between the iron and the
>>> PNP?
>>
>>
>> I do.  This protects the plastic sheet from buckling (and catching on the
>> iron).
>>
>>> Is the a good way to tell if the design is transferring
>>> - that is, is there a good way to visually check if I've
>>> ironed long enough?
>>
>>
>> If only.  I never know until I quench (under a cold tap) and peel.
>> Sometimes I get a nice surprise, sometimes a nasty one.  I almost always
>> have some minor fixing to do, particularly around the edges.  This I do
>> with
>> a fine-point black Staedtler Lumo permanent marker (they work better than
>> Sharpies in my experience).
>>
>>> I plan on using FeCl3 for PC boards. Is this a good etchant
>>> for die cast aluminum as well? I want to etch the cases for
>>> the projects too.
>>
>>
>> Don't know, as I use CuCl-HCl-H2O2.  This works great for me.
>>
>>> I've seen some examples and they look pretty cool. Some of
>>> the techniques use electric etching,but I don't see the need
>>> for this. Would peroxysulfate be a better etchant?
>>
>>
>> Don't know.
>>
>>> I'm sure trial and error will help, but I don't want to waste
>>> much PNP stock and I certainly don't want to mess up my nice
>>> laser printer.
>>
>>
>> I hear ya!
>>
>> DO NOT PUT PNP BLUE THROUGH YOUR LASER PRINTER WITHOUT A PAPER BACKING
>> !!!!!
>> IT WILL MELT OR BUCKLE.
>>
>> Here's what I do: Print out the circuit on paper first, preferably so it
>> prints toward the bottom of the page.  Then cut the PNP out to the proper
>> size, leaving a bit extra in the vertical direction (which should be
>> shorter
>> than the lateral direction -- this works better).  Place the PNP over the
>> printout (blue-shit side up, of course) and apply one strip of clear
>> plastic
>> tape across the top edge, smoothing it down well with you finger.  Then
>> run
>> this through the printer using the external feed chute.  When it comes
>> out,
>> quickly run your finger under the PNP blue to disattach it from the paper
>> (it will stick down by static electricity, and my get overly curved if you
>> don't lift it up quickly).  Then simply cut the PNP blue off just below
>> the
>> tape strip, cut off some of the blank paper above to use as a cover while
>> ironing, and you're ready to rumble.
>
>
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