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

The Harbor Freight Laminator is a good thing because they keep the same items for years and years, so posting our experience with it could help others. It's also as simple as a any device gets (no electronics) and takes apart completely and unusually easy.

Currrently $25, $5 off.

Max thickness:
0.025" in instructions (error on website saying 6 mm instead of 0.6 mm)
A poster here said 0.080" could be pushed through. Another said a simple modification (which he detailed about spreading a plastic gap wider with a piece of 0.064" and alumunium sheeting to make it a little wider) allowed double-sided 0.064".

Temperature:
There is a 185 C 1-shot temp FUSE, a 90C 5A rectangular bimetal NC switch on the top heating element that only turns on a green "ready" LED (it shorts the LED below 90C), and a round 125C 10A bimetal NC switch on the bottom heating element that turns off the heating element. This switch turns back on when it drops to 110C (230F). There are no electronics in it except for 2 LEDs with supporting 100k resistor and rectifier. The 5 RPM 4W 120AC synchonous motor (TYJ50-8A, many of them on ebay) is simply wired in parallel with the heating element after the main on/off switch. Synchonous means the speed is set by 60 Hz, so I don't know if 2W of 15k series resistance can slow it down at a given torque without harming it. Someone mechanically inclined could put in a smaller 1/4" "half-moon" shaft gear (1.5 cm diameter for half speed instead of 3cm), but then a new support for the motor would need to be created. I might do it if I come across that gear, maybe even 1 cm. There were 26 2mm teeth on the 3 cm.

Both temp switches can be bought on ebay (they are the only bimetal switches for sale on ebay) at 150C (300F), and the round one is also available at 180C (350F). I'm going to try it with the high temp ink of a brother printer. They're only a couple dollars, but you have to buy 5 and pay $9, half the price a nice thermal controller on ebay or the previous links people gave.

The specs say it's only a 3A device, so the rectangular temp switch should work and two 300F are on ebay for $3, including shipping. At least I can replace the 90C switch with one of these so it will tell me when it's really up to temp.

I'm curious as to what temperature the rubber rollers start to give off a lot of fumes.