Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

I am using the same laminator sold by Pulsar - a "GBC Personal Laminator" that was sold by "MyBinding" on ebay for $25 shipped. The one I have is a 2 heat model. MyBinding has item #270479400127 listed for $25 but I think it's a single heat - which is ok because the only heat level used was high anyway.

It might be the two heat version as it says "3 and 5 mil" pouches, that was the low and high settings on my laminator. I added a temperature controller to my laminator so it gets a bit hotter. Stock as sold by Pulsar works, but you have to run PCB thru more often. It handles .062" ok, but is better to bevel the edge for .062". For .050" and less it is just fine as is.

Stock, the high setting temperature tends to shut off around 280F, then cool to 250F before coming back on and that's too much deadband. It will work, let laminator heat until green LED turns on showing it has stopped heating, then quickly run board thru 6 to 9 times and it's usually pretty good then.

I heat up to 310 and run my boards thru there. You want the heat hot enough to melt the toner so it will stick to copper. Anything over 300F works real good. Even up to 320F is ok. I used this laminator to TT using a brother printer and those take 400F to work at all. I just removed the thermal switch and monitored temperature until it got up over 400F then did the boards. One day I walked out of room while heating up...... and forgot. When I got back the laminator was well over 600F and plastic parts melted.... That's when I decided I'd better have a hi-shutoff.

Good luck and have fun,

Ken H>