On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:27:31 -0000, you wrote:
>Thanks, everybody, for the advice!
>
>Kerry:
>
>I've seen magazine paper used in another tutorial, but didn't see any discussion as to its benefits. It's cheaper than photo paper anyway, so I'll give it a try.
That's its advantage. Seems that the clay coating allows toner to
transfer easily. Not tried it though.
>
>Does Scotchbrite simply refer to those green synthetic dish scour pads? They don't seem like they'd be abrasive enough to scour copper.
>
They are, but I modified someone else's approach. Comet cleanser,
then sanding with 1000 or 2000 grit wet/dry paper seems to work very
well. Acetone is ok for a cleanser, YMMV.
>Does a laminator work substantially better?
Yes, the right kind. Press & Peel seems to require a higher
temperature (see Pulsar's web site for remarks). GBC is the only one
they recommend.
>
>Andy:
>
>I don't know when the toner was changed, because I'm not the one who does it. There's nothing like a "change soon" message, though.
>
>I'm fortunate enough to have access to a color laser printer (Also a Dell) at work. Are there benefits to different colors of toner (similar to the magenta Epson inkjet trick)?
>
>My double-sided blanks came from Radio Shack. I actually bought them somewhere around five years ago and stuck them on a shelf before I got around to this project. I can try to source some others.
>
>John:
>
>I currently laying boards directly on the bottom an an empty pine cigar box. I hadn't thought about it, but this is probably conducting a lot of heat though to the air on the other side. I'll put some newspaper directly down on my workbench.
>
>Steve:
>
>I've seen photoresist mentioned as a more reliable method in several places, but I've also seen some pretty impressive results from toner transfer, and wanted to make sure I was getting the process right.
Photoresist is nicer, but depends on exposure and density of the
positive (negative) for success.
TT is less bother, in a way. but still has problems. Cheaper because
the toner on board method is cheaper than commercially coated boards.
>
>The Pulsar system was recommended to me on this list, and I took a look at it. It looks like a pretty solid and complete solution, but at $75 a kit, I think I'm more tempted to send off to a low-volume fab shop like BatchPCB that would do the solder resist mask and proper silkscreening for around the same price.
Paper at 16.00 for 10 sheets (less shipping), you round up your own
laminator. Green foil at about 9.00 for 15 feet. Depends on how good
your designs are, how many you want, size of board, double sided or
not, availability of PC board material, etc.
Harvey
>
>-Andrew
>
>--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Maroney" <steve@...> wrote:
>>
>> I've had the same problems and complaints with the toner transfer method
>> on my first attempts at making my PCBs. I gave up and tried the photo
>> resist method which works a whole lot better. It seems like a little
>> more work at first buts it really not much more trouble and well worth
>> the more consistent results. I use the developer and boars from
>> www.jameco.com
>>
>>
>>
>> When cash flow gets better I may try the pulsar solution. It seems that
>> Pulsar provides a more turn-key solution to the TT method that may yield
>> acceptable results.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> Steve Maroney
>>
>>
>>
>> Business Computer Support, LLC
>>
>> Mobile Phone:504-914-4704
>>
>> Office Phone: 504-904-0266
>>
>> Fax: 866-871-7797
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
>> [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of andrewmv@...
>> Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 6:04 PM
>> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
>> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Toner transfer problems
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I've just started attempting my first PCBs with the toner transfer
>> method, and I'm consistently getting terrible results.
>>
>> Some sections of the pattern transfer flawlessly to the board, while
>> others stay on the paper. I've tried varying heat, pressure, and ironing
>> time, but my results are always similar.
>>
>> It never seems to be the same parts of the pattern that come though, but
>> I never get the whole thing.
>>
>> My current process is:
>>
>> 1) Print the patterns in black toner on medium-gloss photo paper with a
>> Dell 5310n laser printer at my office.
>> 2) Scour the board blank in two orthogonal directions with 150 grit
>> sandpaper
>> 3) Clean the board blank with pure acetone
>> 4) Preheat the board to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit with an electric
>> clothes iron. I'm measuring with a handheld infrared HVAC thermometer.
>> 5) With the iron at about 400 degrees, I place the pattern toner-side
>> down on the board, and apply pressure with the iron. The pattern almost
>> immediately fuses to the copper, as I've seen suggested it should, and I
>> move the iron around the pattern regularly, applying a least two full
>> minutes of heat and pressure to every part of the board.
>> 6) I immediately place the board and paper into a bowl of hot water, and
>> let it soak for 10-20 minutes.
>>
>> I've tried variations on this...I initially skipped the scouring,
>> cleaning, or preheating the board. I've tried using mild pressure all
>> the way up to my full body weight. None of these significantly improved
>> or worsened results.
>>
>> I tried letting the board fully cool before placing it into COLD water,
>> as I've seen suggested, and found that there was virtually no toner
>> transfer whatsoever.
>>
>> Any tips or ideas?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>